Minutes 4-8-06 (GA)
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2006 General Assembly Minutes

April 8, 2006
Students of Color Conference
University of California, Irvine

I. Introductions and Invitation

A. Nancy Tubbs, Chair
B. Raquel Bernaldo, Student Chair
C. Sheri Atkinson, Vice Chair
D. Announcements

1. Handout with reference materials
2. Upcoming elections in Fall 2006

a. Vice Chair
b. Student Chair

3. Steering Committee meetings

a. Take place once a quarter at different UC campuses
b. Students are invited to attend and run for positions on the Steering Committee
c. SOC may be disconnected from LGBT Centers

i. Ed’d Luna voiced concern that students may not be comfortable going into campus queer centers
ii. Raquel commented further on this issue of disconnect of students of color
iii. A student brought up the issue of funding for students to attend SCOM – queer SOC are especially under-funded
iv. Another student brought up utilizing relationships with University Student Associations as a source of funding for travel, etc.

d. Where do students find means to attend

i. Raquel said in response that SCOM meetings move around to reach more students and help make them accessible
ii. Nancy spoke more about working with UCLGBTIA to help more students attend

II.. Brainstorming Time

1. Students added informational topics for brainstorming sessions

a. HS Outreach
b. Gender/Sexuality Education Exploration/Disability and Able-ism
c. Space for openness and ideas
d. Recruitment and retention of QPOC staff and students along with Queer Centers staff and student leadership

2. Decision made to simply break up into groups around issues and initiate discussion and networking as time is getting short

3. Topics discussed

a. Racism in Queer Community
b. Blood Donors
c. Gender/Sexuality Education/Exploration in Breadth Requirement
d. United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS)
e. Disability Access Now!
f. High School Outreach
g. Suicide
h. Expanding Beyond Educational Institutions

4. Nancy Tubbs asked the groups to gather email addresses and meeting notes would be sent and posted on the UCLGBTIA website. Also, email addresses would be typed up and sent to the attendees of each group.

General Assembly notes contributed by Rachel Messer

Notes below submitted from beak-out groups.

Issue: Racism in the Queer Community

How could groups, organizations, and communities work in coalition to address this issue?

  • Spread awareness, discuss it!
  • Physical paper list ways to respect others in spaces, acknowledge it exists
  • Recognize it’s OK to call it out, not get offended
  • Have an intern: having it as a job to bring it up
  • Make sure not to tokenize QPOC as outreach organization 4 that issue

How could UCLGBTIA promote work around this issue?

  • Have this org known more in university – advertising
  • Make website user friendly & prevalent – advertising
  • Message board on website
  • Ideas on getting money for conferences & issues
  • Spread info @ campuse
  • Making a “diversity” job specifically
  • Elect someone to deal w/ issues on committee per year
  • Staff attendance is more consistent, maybe one person per

Issue: Blood Donors

How could groups, organizations, and communities work in coalition to address this issue?

  • Distributing an informational pamphlet – having the blood banks distribute the pamphlets
  • A protest to gain publicity

How could UCLGBTIA promote work around this issue?

  • Creating a educational pamphlet for other UCs to use.

Issue: Gender/Sexuality Education/Exploration in Breadth Requirement

How could groups, organizations, and communities work in coalition to address this issue?

  • Issues/assumptions about gender/sex need to be addressed & discussed – especially in trans community
  • Check internal assumptions/internalized sexism, identify the problem

How could UCLGBTIA promote work around this issue?

  • Make this an action agenda item to be worked toward

Issue: United Students Against Sweatshops

How could groups, organizations, and communities work in coalition to address this issue?

  • Greater networking (action strategies, funding, organizing coalition building, outreach, campus chapters)
  • Email exchange

How could UCLGBTIA promote work around this issue?

  • No chapters in many UCs

Issue: Disability Access Now!

How could groups, organizations, and communities work in coalition to address this issue?

  • Re-frame recruitment & retention (R&R) to include people w/ DA & deaf people
  • Start R&R orgs for ppl w/ DA & deaf ppl

How could UCLGBTIA promote work around this issue?

  • Access by ppl w/ dis-abilities to UCLGBTIA conference:
  • Outreaching to ppl w/DA to attend the conference
  • Providing sight assistance, ASL interpreters, mobility assistance w/ golf carts
  • Insuring building access & room access to ppl w/ DA
  • Having ppl w/ DA workshops
  • Forming campaign coalitions w/ gender neutral restrooms

Issues: High School Outreach

How could groups, organizations, and communities work in coalition to address this issue?

  • Outreach referendum
  • Funding gone, looking to adding funds
  • Academic preparation instead of outreach
  • GSAs shut down by conservative student boards

How could UCLGBTIA promote work around this issue?

  • Fund raise, drag ball
  • Propose a referendum in order to acquire funding
  • Helping create GSAs on campus, strengthening leadership
  • Educate high school administrations, prepare pamphlets
  • College student efforts will help get past conservative school boards
  • Outreach with a combination of college preparation
  • Encourage admissions to pay attention to queer students so they are aware of safe space
  • Work with other groups who receive funding, work with their outreach
  • UCSB outreach summer program
  • Shared curriculum on UCLGBTIA website

Issue: Suicide

How could groups, organizations, and communities work in coalition to address this issue?

  • Start talking
  • Workshops @ conferences
  • Pro-active support from staff/faculty

How could UCLGBTIA promote work around this issue?

  • Promote queer peer mentoring
  • Promote workshops @ UC conferences
  • What are you willing to do?

Issue: Expanding Beyond Educational Institutions (bring in multiple communities & people that belong to multiple communities)

How could groups, organizations, and communities work in coalition to address this issue?

  • Get in contact with local industries (clubs coffee shops, LGBT-owned and/or operated businesses, or businesses that directly affect the gay community, etc.). It is not only about raising awareness but giving people a chance to ask their own questions about LGBT issues & other issues (immigration, globalization, equal rights, etc.). Foster curiosity & the attitude of wanting to find out more about various issues. “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

How could UCLGBTIA promote work around this issue?

  • Focus primarily on advertisements (spread the word) and dialogues, rallies, media presentations, etc. that is NOT limited only to educational (hs & college) institutions. For example: media presentation or rally about immigration or gender inequality to bring in non-student community members at a place like VIP or Back To The Grind (Riverside businesses).
  • Fundraisers (for upcoming queer conference) can also raise awareness about various issues.