LGBT aims to raise campus profile

By Eric Rangus erangus@emory.edu

The President’s Commission on LGBT Concerns meeting Tuesday, Oct. 23, in 400 Administration, focused on the work of two committees: membership and outreach, and the Pride banquet.

The task of the membership and outreach committee is to increase the commission’s visibility on campus. Ideas include constructing a booth at Staff Fest; increasing co-sponsorship of campus events; expanding the commission’s website and updating its informational brochure; creating a forum on LearnLink that would not only raise the commission’s profile but would also give members of the Emory community the opportunity to contact the commission easily; and contacting similar organizations on other campuses in order to share ideas and compare experiences.

“We can be an umbrella organization, since the commission has representatives from all aspects of the University,” said committee co-chair David McClurkin of University Publications. Effectively communicating the commission’s message to a wide audience, however, is the biggest challenge.

“My feeling,” said chair Mark Jordan, Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Religion, “is that Emory is a vast honeycomb with all these things going on separately. The problem is getting all these pockets together some way without creating another pocket.”

Membership and outreach committee members were asked to work on updating the commission’s brochure, begin gathering information for the website and compiling a list of organizations—both on campus and off—with which the commission could build coalitions.

The Pride banquet committee met for the first time Oct. 17 and began planning the commission’s signature event.

The event is planned for the first week of March to commemorate an LGB protest that took place March 2, 1992, in response to the administration’s handling of a harassment incident. That event led to the commission’s creation. With several months of organizing still ahead, much is left to be finalized.

The committee solicited opinions and discussion on the venue, guest speaker, whether the event will be buffet or sit-down, marketing and possible admission prices.

The next LGBT meeting will be held Tuesday, Dec. 4, at 5:30 p.m. in 400 Administration.

If you have a question or concern for the LGBT Commission, e-mail Mark Jordan at mjorda2@emory.edu emory.edu.