2008 Woodie Awards
Forum Raises LGBT Awareness
Safe Colleges Conference Sheds Light on LGBT Issues
Edna Guerrasio
Issue date: 4/9/02 Section: News
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On Saturday March 30, colleges and universities from across the New England area attended the 5th annual Safe Colleges conference, hosted by Tufts University. The Safe Colleges conference in a one day event that focuses on the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender college students. Through workshops, lectures, discussion groups and amateur performances, students are able to explore topics and issues that are otherwise never addressed.
Safe Colleges was first introduced in 1998 by the Tufts University LGBT Canter. Starting out with only 100 participants the conference has since grown to over 300 students and faculty members in addition to local, state and national leaders. Throughout the course of this one-day event, participants attended workshops, sat in on lectures and engaged in conversation with significant LGBT figures.
Leading the lectures of the conference were keynote speakers Keith O. Boykin and Kate Bornstein. As former President Bill Clinton's special assistant, Boykin was the highest ranked openly gay individual in the White House. During his time as President Clinton's assistant, Boykin helped to organize and participated in the nation's first meeting between the US President and LGBT leaders.
The second keynote speaker who gave the closing address is author and performance artist Kate Bornstein. As a transgender individual, Bornstein has dedicated her career to raising awareness about LGBT issues. She performs all over the country at colleges, in theatres and in any performance space that is available. Her books are used as teaching material in over 120 colleges across the country. Some of her more recent publications include Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women and the Rest of Us; My Gender Workbook and Nearly Roadkill.
Although students were able to hold one-on-one conversations with both the faculty members and keynote speakers, the main course of interaction took place in the numerous workshops that were offered throughout the day. Each workshop focused on a different topic for discussion including issues such as, "Confronting Heterosexism," "Body Image and Gay Men," "Queers Living in Campus Dormitories" and "Parenting Options for LGBT Individuals." In the workshops students were able to share thoughts ideas, fears and concerns with students who were able to understand their situation and offer words of advice.
Safe Colleges was first introduced in 1998 by the Tufts University LGBT Canter. Starting out with only 100 participants the conference has since grown to over 300 students and faculty members in addition to local, state and national leaders. Throughout the course of this one-day event, participants attended workshops, sat in on lectures and engaged in conversation with significant LGBT figures.
Leading the lectures of the conference were keynote speakers Keith O. Boykin and Kate Bornstein. As former President Bill Clinton's special assistant, Boykin was the highest ranked openly gay individual in the White House. During his time as President Clinton's assistant, Boykin helped to organize and participated in the nation's first meeting between the US President and LGBT leaders.
The second keynote speaker who gave the closing address is author and performance artist Kate Bornstein. As a transgender individual, Bornstein has dedicated her career to raising awareness about LGBT issues. She performs all over the country at colleges, in theatres and in any performance space that is available. Her books are used as teaching material in over 120 colleges across the country. Some of her more recent publications include Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women and the Rest of Us; My Gender Workbook and Nearly Roadkill.
Although students were able to hold one-on-one conversations with both the faculty members and keynote speakers, the main course of interaction took place in the numerous workshops that were offered throughout the day. Each workshop focused on a different topic for discussion including issues such as, "Confronting Heterosexism," "Body Image and Gay Men," "Queers Living in Campus Dormitories" and "Parenting Options for LGBT Individuals." In the workshops students were able to share thoughts ideas, fears and concerns with students who were able to understand their situation and offer words of advice.
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