NEWS FROM THE FUND FOR REUNION/PRINCETON BTGALA A Non-profit Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Princeton Alumni, Students, Faculty and Staff P.O. Box 1481, Princeton, New Jersey 08542
Volume XXII, No. 2	Spring 2009

Contents

Reunions 2009: Schedule of LGBT Events

May 29 through May 30

GLBT Alumni Welcome Cocktail Reception

Fund for Reunion/Princeton BTGALA Annual Meeting and Reception

GLBT "After the Tents" Reunions Dance Party

Being LGBT on campus (and off)

Dinner with Students and alums at Creating Change Conference in Denver, Colorado.
From left to right: Manuela Raunig-Berho '10; Nat Gardenswartz '12; Thanithia Billings '11; Newton Allen '11; Debbie Bazarsky, Director of the LGBT Center; Fiona Miller '09; Matt Carcella, Program Coordinator of the LGBT Center; Jacob Denz '10; Suman Chakraborty '97; Nour Aoude '10. Photo taken by David Mejias '98.

Thank you, FFR and alumni, for Creating Change

by Manuela Raunig-Berho '10

Creating Change 2009 was an amazing experience for all involved. We had a fabulous group of seven students able to attend, ranging from freshmen who had previously never even heard of the conference to seniors who were veterans going back to further their ongoing education on LGBT issues. While the three day excursion to Denver provided us with valuable time to build lasting bonds among the attending students, the resources and learning opportunities available were incomparable. The day-long institutes, workshops, plenary speeches, and the chance to interact and converse with some of the most respected LGBT leaders in our nation was a gift that could not have taken place anywhere else and could not have happened without the generous support of our alumni.

A few of the general issues emphasized at Creating Change revolved around the need for increased dedication in light of the anti-LGBT measures which had recently been passed in 2008; improving coalition building within the LGBT movement; and the ongoing HIV/AIDS problem and what we need to do as a community to continue addressing it in order to bring back the fervor we previously had when AIDS first struck our community. These key elements have been brought back to Princeton's campus with the commitment and optimism encapsulated by Dolores Huerta, civil rights activist and honorary Princetonian, through the reiteration of her old slogan: s’ se puede.

While in Denver we also had the opportunity to meet up with several Princeton alums in attendance and discuss how Princeton has changed over the years. The most prominent change that continually came up revolved around the increased administrative support for LGBT students, largely enforced by vital support networks such as our alumni. These changes have allowed for a safer, more diverse campus with a prominent and active out student body, which in turn leads to more programming and further campus awareness and education regarding LGBT issues. In addition, the conference allowed us to meet with students from other Ivy Leagues and discuss concrete plans for how we can impact change on a broader scale. As a result of this meeting, several of our students on campus are currently involved in planning the first-ever All Ivy LGBT Conference in collaboration with student committees from several other institutions.

Photos from Queer Camp

Thirty students (pictured above and below) took a break from campus for a weekend of fun, friendship, community, and pride: queer camp! Camp was made possible thanks to a generous gift from Jordan Roth '97.

News & Notes...plus a call for contributions

Charlie Ihlenfeld '59 recently reported in the PAW as follows: "Bill Packard and I were married in Williamstown, Mass., Aug. 20. Bill (Yale '72) is a psychiatrist, a flutist, and a student of Italian literature. We've been together for 32 years." Congratulations to Charlie and Bill!

Amin Ghaziani GS, a Cotsen Fellow whose post- doc work is sponsored by FFR/BTGALA, was selected as a finalist for the Lambda Literary Awards in the LGBT Studies category. His book, The Dividends of Dissent: How Conflict and Culture Work in Lesbian and Gay Marches on Washington, was published by the University of Chicago Press in 2008.

Former FFR board member Chris Bauer *86 will serve as co-grand marshal for the June 6 Gay Pride Parade in St. George. Bauer has ben involved in gay rights activism on Staten Island, especially in the educational arena, for many years. According to the Advance (4/5/09), Bauer became the first openly gay man to run for public office on Staten Island when he contended for a Community School Board seat in the 1990s. He now serves as the Chief of Staff for Assemblyman Matthew Titone, the first openly gay politician elected to office on the Island. Bauer will share the grand marshal honor with Rev. Michael Delaney, an openly gay clergyman.

LGBT alumni want to know...what you've been up to! When you send your class secretary updates for the PAW, please consider sending a copy to Karen Wolfgang '06 to be included in this publication. For Karen's email address, use Tigernet's alumni directory at https:// tigernet.princeton.edu/Directory/directory.asp? FFR/BTGALA looks forward to publishing quarterly newsletters on a more regular schedule; any news, story ideas, questions we might be able to help answer, etc. will help us make the content of these newsletters relevant to YOU, and be much appreciated.

FFR is interviewing Financial Advisors to assist with our endowment fund. Write to us using the link at the bottom of this newsletter to make a recommendation.

Support the Fund for Reunion!

Why are your contributions to FFR so important?

Your dues pay for:

... not to mention our outrageous Reunions event and our work with Princeton for greater acceptance of LGBT alumni and students.

Please help again

Your contributions make this happen. Click here at http://alumni.princeton.edu/~ffr-gala/contact.html to find out more information about paying becoming a dues paying member of the Fund for Reunion/Princeton BTGALA.

Thank you again! Your contributions make Princeton a better place for everyone.

Contacting Us: We can be reached at:

For faster response, send e-mail to Fund for Reunion

You can sign up for FFR/Princeton BTGALA using our mail form.

This document was last modified on May 18, 2009.