News

Officer Elections 2011

2011-04-02T21:18:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Nathan Naughton '12, Media Director, and Nate Reisinger '13, Alumni Liaison for 2011-2012!

Dr. John Corvino: "What's Morally Wrong with Homosexuality?"

2011-02-09T17:42:00.000-08:00

From left: Jeanine Bailey '12, Joshua Bareño '13, Professor Domnica Radulescu (Women's and Gender Studies), Dr. John Corvino, and Professor David Novack (Sociology) gather at Dr. Corvino's speaking engagement.

Photograph courtesy of Jeanine Bailey '12.

From 7:00-8:00 PM on Wednesday, February 9th, Dr. John Corvino gave a talk, entitled "What's Morally Wrong with Homosexuality?" in the Hillel House Multipurpose Room.

Since 1992 Corvino has been challenging audiences to confront this very question: What is wrong with homosexuality, if anything (and if nothing, then what’s all the fuss about)? With a rare combination of humor, sensitivity, and intellectual rigor, he examines and dismantles the most common arguments against homosexual conduct—including those based on nature, harm, and religion. Whatever your sexual orientation, moral perspective, or religious convictions, this program invites the audience to rethink some of the “easy assumptions” that often characterize the debate over homosexuality.

This event was co-sponsored by the GLBT Equality Initiative, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Women and Gender Studies, the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, the Department of Journalism, the Office of the Dean of the College, the Department of Philosophy, the Department of Religion, and University Counseling.

This event was free and open to the public. For more information visit John Corvino's website.

It Gets Better

2010-11-11T18:02:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, November 11th, 2010, there was a session in the Commons Living Room about the It Gets Better Project, a series of YouTube videos trying to offer hope to LGBTQ teens and young adults.This event also acted as a celebration and affirmation to LGBTQ students. Everyone was invited to attend as well share their favorite It Gets Better video, a personal story, or simply be supportive.

8 Against Hate

2010-10-28T15:24:00.000-07:00

Thursday, October 28th, G.E.I. held a rally in memory of those lives lost to anti-GLBT hate crimes and suicide, during which an eight-minute silence was observed.

N.C.O.W. 2010: "The Kids Are All Right"

2010-10-11T15:24:00.000-07:00

During this year's National Coming Out Week, the Stackhouse theater in Elrod Commons will be screening "The Kids Are All Right," a story revolving around two lesbian mothers, their children, and the common donor. Starring Annette Benning, Julianne Moore, and Mark Ruffalo, the film was initially set for limited release, only, but after success in those venues was put into wide release. Rated R.

Screening dates and times:

October 11th @ 7:00 PM
October 13th @ 7:00 PM
October 14th-16th @ 10:00 PM

N.C.O.W. 2010: Brian Sims at Hillel House

2010-10-09T19:53:00.000-07:00

From left to right, Jeanine Bailey '12, De-Anna Clarke '13, Brian Sims, Josh Bareño '13, and A.J. Miller '13 smile for the camera.

Photograph courtesy of Jeanine Bailey '12.

On Saturday, October 9th, from 5:00-6:30, G.E.I. and the University Office of Diversity and Inclusion sponsored Brian Sims to speak in the Hillel House Multipurpose Room. He will focus on issues of athletics and diversity.

Sims made history when he became the only openly gay football captain in NCAA history and led his team to the Championships. He currently works as an attorney in LGBT Advocacy and Policy is Staff Counsel for Policy & Planning at the Philadelphia Bar Association.

Additionally, he chairs the Gay and Lesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia (GALLOP) and is President of Equality Pennsylvania. This year, he joined the faculty of the Center for Progressive Leadership and the National Campaign Board of The Victory Fund.

All information courtesy of www.brianksims.com

Kevin Corn '10 joins G.E.I. for the talk over Alumni Weekend.

Jeromey Mann '14 attends the first major G.E.I. event of his W&L experience.

De-Anna Clarke '13 joins Dr. Megan Fulcher in the audience.

Joshua Bareño '13 prepares to introduce Brian Sims.

All photographs courtesy of Jeanine Bailey '12

New President

2010-10-06T21:09:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Josh Bareño '13! He will be taking over leadership of GEI from Chris Washnock '12 in time for the upcoming Young Alumni Weekend and National Coming Out Week.

Phone-a-Thon for DADT Repeal

2010-09-20T09:38:00.000-07:00

G.E.I. created an image for the Elrod Commons information screen in addition to a compacted YouTube video with all information included.
It also posted the following announcement on September 16th to the G.E.I. website and to Campus Notices on September 18th, 19th, and 20th, requesting all interested parties to call their Senators:

Inspired by Lady Gaga, SLDN (Servicemembers Legal Defense Network) and Ellie and Lauren from September 16th's spotlight, G.E.I. encourages members and supporters to call and/or email their Senators to ask for the repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.
Remember that the vote will take place on this coming Tuesday, September 21st, if it is not first blocked by Senator John McCain's filibuster.

If you live in Virginia, these are the Senators to call:

Jim Webb (202) 224-4024 (ext. 1)
Mark Warner (202) 224-2023 (ext. 1)

If you live elsewhere, please look for your Senators on this list by state.

Some talking points:

1. Vote with Senators Reid and Levin to repeal the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell Policy."

2. The policy is in violation of the First Amendment right to free speech.

3. It also violates the equal protection clause (Section 1 of the 14th Amendment) by denying LGBT servicemembers the privilege to serve and resulting in prosecution of personal feelings and acts which would not be prosecutable for straight servicemembers.

4. Admiral McMullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, as well as its former Chairman believe it is time to re-examine the policy.

5. DADT negatively impacts military readiness by costing the military mission-critical members (such as interpreter Lt. Dan Choi) along with millions of dollars. Open service in Israel, Australia, Great Britain, and Canada has caused no decline in unit cohesion or military readiness.

Campus Activities Fair

2010-09-08T13:00:00.001-07:00

Above: Ian Henderson Dexter '12 and Collin Neal '11 help man the table at the Fall 2010 Campus Activities Fair.

Those with an interest in getting involved with G.E.I. stopped by on Wednesday, September 8th between 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM.

The event was a success, with multiple incoming students signing up to participate with the organization.

Below: Anthony Ballor '12 and Chris Washnock '12 welcome new students to G.E.I.

Photographs courtesy of Jeanine Bailey '12

"Gay? Fine by me." T-Shirt Photo Day

2010-05-14T18:00:00.000-07:00

Alumni Weekend Gathering

2010-05-01T20:28:00.000-07:00

LGBT students, faculty, staff, and allies celebrated together at the Patisserie from 2:00-4:00 PM on Saturday, May 1st. The event was a great success and we look forward to more in years to come!

Meghan McCain Gives Talk in Stackhouse

2010-04-29T19:29:00.000-07:00

Meghan McCain, the daughter of Senator and former Presidential nominee John McCain, came to speak at Washington and Lee at 5:30 on the 29th of April in Stackhouse Theater. She spoke about her experience on the campaign trail and held a Q&A session following the lecture.
Ms. McCain is well-known for being a gay-rights advocate within the Republican party. She expressed concern over the loss of momentum on DADT and gay marriage, calling upon the rights movement to "stop holding dinners and having Lady Gaga sing and pretending like [it's] getting something done."

"Doing Well By Doing Good"

2010-04-15T15:43:00.000-07:00

W&L OUTLaw Presents: "Doing Well By Doing Good: How a Pro Bono Privacy Case Involving 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' (DADT) Launched a Career in Privacy Law."
The talk was held from 3:00-4:30 PM, today, in Classroom D of the Washington and Lee University Law School.

W&L Law Alum, Chris Wolf '80L, a partner at Hogan & Hartson in Washington, DC, discussed the precedent-setting Don't Ask Don't Tell case of McVeigh v. Cohen, 983 F.Supp. 215 (D.D.C. 1998) and its impact on his career.
Wolf has helped organize volunteer pro bono legal services from D.C. Bar members for the Whitman-Walker Clinic. Wolf is now recognized as one of the leading privacy lawyers in the country and will share his insights into the future of privacy law as well as the repeal of DADT.

Election Results

2010-04-07T19:00:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Jeanine Bailey '12!
Jeanine will be continuing on in her position as Administrative Director of GEI for the 2010-2011 academic year.

Special Elections

2010-04-06T19:41:00.001-07:00

A special election is underway for the position of Administrative Director. Polls close at 10:00 p.m. tomorrow night, Wednesday April 7th. Please vote here.

Below, you may find the description of the position as well as statements from the two candidates: Jeanine Bailey '12 and Josh Bareño '13.

Powers of the Office of the Administrative Director (AD)
a. The AD shall have the duty of maintaining all general records of GEI, including past and current files pertaining to the logistics and membership of the organization.
b. The AD shall have the duty of keeping minutes of both GEI General Body and Executive Committee Meetings and shall report these minutes in an appropriate and timely fashion following said meetings.
c. Working with others members of the Executive Committee and the Washington & Lee University administration, the AD shall have the principal role in coordinating the logistics and planning of all GEI events.

Jeanine Bailey
As the current secretary of the Gay-Straight Alliance, I would like to be the Administrative Director for the General Equality Initiative 2010-2011 school year. I am dedicated to upholding my current position to the very best of my abilities, and have attended every general body and executive meeting held this school year. Having held this position for the past 7 months, I am fully aware of the tasks at hand in coordinating club events, taking and reporting meeting minutes and maintaining important files. In high school, as a member of the Executive Committee of the National Honors Society, I coordinated school-wide charity events, took meeting minutes and organized dinner banquets. Volunteering in my local hospital’s emergency department put my communication and interpersonal skills to the test and consequently I feel could accurately communicate the ideals of GEI to the W&L community. In closing I would really love to have your vote for Administrative Director, I promise I will not disappoint you.

Josh Bareño
Hello, everyone my name is Joshua Bareño and I am running for the position of Administrative Director for the General Equality Initiative. My main goal in running for this position is to be able to improve the atmosphere at W&L for gay, lesbian, and bisexual students. Throughout the year I have been involved in many discussions with the now officers of the General Equality Initiative on how we can improve student life for everyone. Not only do I feel very strongly about GLBQ issues but also, I have a vast experience in promoting tolerance and fighting for GLBQ equality. I served as a youth speaker for the YES Institute, an organization based in Miami, FL whose mission is to prevent suicide and ensure the healthy development of all youth through powerful communication and education on gender and orientation. I also served as the Gay Straight Alliance president at my high school for three consecutive years. If elected I vow to do the best I can to improve the experience of any and all GLBQ students at W&L.

GSA is now GEI

2010-04-05T19:54:00.001-07:00

On March 21, 2010, the general body of Washington and Lee's Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) voted into effect a revised constitution, thereby streamlining the Executive Board and renaming itself the General Equality Initiative (GEI).