The President’s Commission on LGBT Concerns reviewed its successful Pride banquet from earlier this month at its latest meeting, Tuesday, March 18 in 400 Administration.

A total of 80 people attended the Pride banquet, and they heard a keynote address by Decatur Commissioner Kecia Cunningham. Cunningham is the first openly lesbian, African American woman to hold elected office in Georgia.

Other campus events reviewed by the commission included the “Diversity as Value Added” symposium and the presentation of a letter to the University Senate (signed by all three president’s commissions) supporting an Employee Council motion to suspend Emory’s pre-employment drug-testing policy.

Oxford representative Cathi Wentworth discussed “The Laramie Project,” a two-day event at Oxford, Feb. 28–March 1, centered around a play based on reactions to the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay student at the University of Wyoming. The hate crime also spawned a cable movie of the same name.

In addition to the play, activities surrounding the Oxford project included a panel discussion, a videotaping project where students asked residents of Conyers and Covington their views on homosexuality and hate crimes, and the mixed-media art exhibit, “Art and Violence.”

President’s Commission on the Status of Women liaison Jill Clark discussed her commission’s draft report on sexual harassment on campus, and LGBT Chair Kathy McKee lauded the effort for its thoroughness as well as the fact that it acknowledged that harassment is not exclusively male-to-female.

Commission member Debbie Isenberg said she is updating the commission’s listserv. One issue is that past members wanted to remain on the commission listserv even though they had rotated off, but the commission voted to keep the listserv for current members only. Other announcements could be relayed to a general LGBT listserv originating from the Office of LGBT Life.

One final IT issue was the fact that the commission’s LearnLink conference was restricted. All commission members should have access; currently, they do not. Isenberg said she would work the issue.

McKee asked for volunteers to work the Employee Council Information Fair coming up in April. She said she hoped to have printed a new brochure advertising the commission ready for distribution, as well as a display banner.

The next LGBT meeting will be held Tuesday, April 15 at 5:30 p.m. in 400 Administration.

If you have a question or concern for LGBT, e-mail chair Kathy McKee at kmckee@emory.edu.