Congressman Barney Frank to deliver keynote address
at annual symposium on gay, lesbian issues at URI
KINGSTON, R.I. — February 27, 2002 — Congressman Barney Frank will be the keynote speaker at the Eighth Annual Rhode Island Symposium on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (GBLTQ) Issues to be held at the Kingston Campus of the University of Rhode Island. The symposium, crammed with panels and roundtables on relevant issues, runs Thursday, April 4 through Saturday, April 6. Unless otherwise indicated, all events are free and open to the public.
Frank, who will speak on Friday night April 5 at 7:30, has represented the Fourth Congressional District of Massachusetts since he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1980. Frank is the senior Democrat on the Housing Subcommittee. In addition to housing, the Congressman has focused his efforts on opposing discrimination, providing fair treatment for immigrants, improving both the quantity and quality of healthcare in the U.S. and in formulating an international economic policy that combines support for economic growth with respect for economic fairness and environmental protection. He frequently writes about politics with an emphasis on how people can best seek political change.
Frank is gay and has not only advocated for gay rights but continues to champion civil rights wherever they are threatened.
The theme of this year’s symposium is Identity, Ideology, and Terrorism. After the events of September 11, Americans are forced to examine the fact that terrorism now plays a significant role in their lives. For GBLTQ individuals, terrorism is nothing new. The goal of this interdisclipinary symposium is to examine how terrorism – whether overt homophobia, culturally sanctioned censure, religious oppression, internal fears, or other representations — have shaped the identities and ideologies, past, present, and future of GLBTQ individuals and issues.
Following is the schedule of events and their locations:
Thursday, April 4
Galanti Lounge, University Library
Registration and continental breakfast, 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.
9:30 a.m. Conference welcome
Panel 1: 10 to 10:50 a.m.: From Without and Within: Terrorism and the Community. Two papers will be read, followed by Q. and A.
Fragile Citizens: GLBTQs in the Aftermath of Terrorism
-JoAnne Myers, Marist College
Queer It Still Hurts
-Marc Paige, independent scholar
Panel 2: 11 to 11:50 a.m.: The GLBTQ Subject in Popular Culture
Two papers will be read, followed by Q. and A.
From Ellens Disgrace to Will and Grace: Erasing/Embracing the Lesbian/Gay
Subject on Network Television
-Theresa DeFrancis, University of Rhode Island
Are You Gonna Watch Me Again’: Speaking and Seeing Competitive Discourses of Sexuality in ER
-Kate Monteiro, Brown University
Noon to 1:30 p.m. Lunch on your own
Panel 3: 1:30 to 2:20 p.m.: Roundtable
Poverty and Terrorism of Gays and Lesbians
-Jan Lightfoot-Lane, Proud Lesbians of Poverty, Maine
Panel 4: 2:30 to 3:20 p.m.: Queer Ethics? Two papers will be read, followed by Q. and A.
An Ethical Analysis of the Boy Scouts of Americas Ban on Transgendered
People, Bisexuals, and Gays
-Jason L. Mallory, SUNY Binghamton
Sexual Desire Undoing Cultures of Silence
-Susan Driver, University of Waterloo
Panel 5: 3:30 to 5 p.m.: A Passel of Poets: Readings of Poetry
-Scott Hightower, Fordham University, author of Tin Can Tourist (Fordham University Press); Yvette Christianse, Fordham University, author of Castaway (Duke University Press); Walter Holland, The New School, author of Transatlantic (Painted Leaf Press), and Mark Bibbins, The New School, author of Swerve (Take Three Series, Agni, Graywolf Press)
5 to 7 p.m. Dinner on your own
7 to 8 p.m. Independence Auditorium
Cyber Becomes Electra: An Errata(ca) (Performance Art)
-Susan McCully, University of Maryland-Baltimore County
8 to 10 p.m. Short films provided by Frameline Distribution
Summer in My Veins directed by Nish Saran; The Potluck and the Passion directed by Cheryl Dunne; Which Is Scary directed by Paula Gauthier; Deaf Heaven directed by Steve Levitt.
Friday, April 5
Galanti Lounge, University Library
Registration and continental breakfast, 8 to 8:45 a.m.
Welcome address: 8:45 a.m.
Panel 6: 9 to 9:50 a.m.: Literary Terrorism
Two papers will be read, followed by Q. and A.
September 11 and the Queer Subjectivity in Kafkas Metamorphosis
-Margaret Sonser Breen, University of Connecticut, Avery Point
Life on a Raft: The Role of Terror in Huckleberry Finn and the GLBTQ
Community
-Joyce Cote, Rhode Island College
Panel 7: 10 to 10:50 a.m. Roundtable
E-males: The New Face of Male Prostitution
-Shane Luitjens and Daniel Lee, HOOK Magazine
Panel 8: 11 to 11:50 a.m.: Queer Pedagogy
Two papers, followed by a Q. and A.
Expanding Potential for Changing Stereotypical Beliefs: Aesthetic Elements
and Simulation Principles as Tools for Affective Learning
-Nancye McCrary, University of Kentucky
Some Reflections on Queer Theory/Queer Studies in the University
-John Leo, professor of English, URI
Noon to 1:30 p.m.: Lunch on your own.
Panel 9: 1:30 to 2:20 p.m.: Literary Identities
Two papers will be read, followed by a Q. and A.
The Horror of Heterosexism: E. M. Forester’s Maurice and the Happy Ending of
Identity
-Jeff King, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
The Search for Sexuality on Samuel Becketts Stage
-Amanda Cagle, University of Connecticut
Panel 10: 2:30 to 3:20 p.m.: Issues of Resonance Roundtable
A roundtable, in the wake of recent events, with local activists and community
leaders to discuss issues important to the Rhode Island GLBTQ community and to GLBTQ communities nationwide.
Roundtable convener: Andrew Winters, assistant to the Vice President of Student Affairs, URI
Participants: Wally Sillanpoa, Kate Monteiro, president, Rhode Island Alliance for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights
Panel 11: 3:30 to 5 p.m.: A Flock of Fiction: Readings of Fictive Works
Anna Joy Springer, Brown University, Martha Marinara, University of Central Florida, Tucker Lieberman, Brown University, Michael G. Cornelius, URI, author of Creating Man (Vineyard Press)
5 to 7 p.m. Dinner on your own
7:30 p.m. Edwards Auditorium
Keynote address: Representative Barney Frank (D-Mass,)
Reception follows.
Saturday, April 6
Galanti Lounge, University Library
NOTE: Saturday is a day reserved for student panels and presenters.
8 to 8:30 a.m: Registration and continental breakfast
8:30 to 8:45 a.m.: Welcome Address
Panel 12: 8:45 to 9:50 a.m.: Violence and the Community
This is a panel designed to examine the role both internal and external violence plays in modern GLBTQ lives. Two papers will be read, followed by a Q. and A.
Domestic Violence in GLBTQ Relationships
-Matt Miller and the Community College of Rhode Island Triangle Alliance
Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in the Bay State: What You Can Do
-Lauree A. Hayden, Brandeis University
Verbal Terrorism – Kiev Tuen Patrides, URI
Panel 13: 10 to 10:50 a.m.: Transgender 101
This panel examines issues surrounding transgender individuals.
-Kael Parker, University of Southern Maine, Farmington
Panel 14: 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Roundtable: Student Activism in the 21st Century This panel, whose members are comprised of student leaders from across New England, will examine the role of activism in the new century amongst campus GLBTQ organizations. The panel will first have a presentation, followed by a roundtable discussion.
Presentation: Building and Maintaining Strong GLBTQ Student Groups
-Christine Wilson, assistant director, Center for Leadership Development, URI
Panelists include Matt Miller, president, Community College of Rhode Island Triangle Alliance; Colby Perez-DAmico: University of Connecticut AQUA,
Christina Wolney, president: Eastern Connecticut State University Alliance of Bisexuals, Gays, and Lesbians, and members of the New England Queer College Organization.
12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Lunch at Multicultural Center
Panel 15: 1:30 to 2:20 p.m.: Coming to Terms with Other Communities
This panel examines issues surrounding GLBTQ youth and the communities they often find themselves in.
Working Together to Create a Safe Environment for GLBTQ Youth in High Schools
-Susan Flesher, Nashua High School South
Finding God -Megan Marshall, URI
Panel 16: 2:30 to 3:20 p.m.: Roundtable: Gender Identity and Terrorism
This roundtable examines gender and the relationship between sexuality and gender and the terrorism that individuals face because of it. Panelists include:
Kevin McCaskill, president, RIC Rainbow Alliance;
Aly Mase, former president Roger Williams University Rainbow Alliance;
Kael Parker, University of Southern Maine, Farmington
Panel 17: 3:30 to 4:20 p.m.: Our Bodies, Our Selves
This panel examines health and body image issues facing GLBTQ people and women.
Examining Discrimination Against Rhode Island Lesbians by Physicians
-Kim Barrett, University of Rhode Island
Bio-terrorism and Body Image -Jessica Palmer-Piteo, University of Rhode Island
Panel 18: 4:30 to 5 p.m.: Sexuality and Gender in Art: A Slide-Show by the Artist
-Carolyn Caizzi, Brown University
5 to 7 p.m. Dinner on your own
Multicultural Center Forum, 1st Floor
Evening Entertainment
7 p.m. Queer open-mic night, Multicultural Center Lounge, 2nd floor
9 p.m. to 1 a.m. GLBTQ dance, drag show and contests,
Books written by conference participants for sale will be on sale during the conference in the Galanti Lounge.
For Information: Andrew Winters, 401-874-2894, Jan Wenzel, 401-874-2116
at annual symposium on gay, lesbian issues at URI
KINGSTON, R.I. — February 27, 2002 — Congressman Barney Frank will be the keynote speaker at the Eighth Annual Rhode Island Symposium on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (GBLTQ) Issues to be held at the Kingston Campus of the University of Rhode Island. The symposium, crammed with panels and roundtables on relevant issues, runs Thursday, April 4 through Saturday, April 6. Unless otherwise indicated, all events are free and open to the public.
Frank, who will speak on Friday night April 5 at 7:30, has represented the Fourth Congressional District of Massachusetts since he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1980. Frank is the senior Democrat on the Housing Subcommittee. In addition to housing, the Congressman has focused his efforts on opposing discrimination, providing fair treatment for immigrants, improving both the quantity and quality of healthcare in the U.S. and in formulating an international economic policy that combines support for economic growth with respect for economic fairness and environmental protection. He frequently writes about politics with an emphasis on how people can best seek political change.
Frank is gay and has not only advocated for gay rights but continues to champion civil rights wherever they are threatened.
The theme of this year’s symposium is Identity, Ideology, and Terrorism. After the events of September 11, Americans are forced to examine the fact that terrorism now plays a significant role in their lives. For GBLTQ individuals, terrorism is nothing new. The goal of this interdisclipinary symposium is to examine how terrorism – whether overt homophobia, culturally sanctioned censure, religious oppression, internal fears, or other representations — have shaped the identities and ideologies, past, present, and future of GLBTQ individuals and issues.
Following is the schedule of events and their locations:
Thursday, April 4
Galanti Lounge, University Library
Registration and continental breakfast, 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.
9:30 a.m. Conference welcome
Panel 1: 10 to 10:50 a.m.: From Without and Within: Terrorism and the Community. Two papers will be read, followed by Q. and A.
Fragile Citizens: GLBTQs in the Aftermath of Terrorism
-JoAnne Myers, Marist College
Queer It Still Hurts
-Marc Paige, independent scholar
Panel 2: 11 to 11:50 a.m.: The GLBTQ Subject in Popular Culture
Two papers will be read, followed by Q. and A.
From Ellens Disgrace to Will and Grace: Erasing/Embracing the Lesbian/Gay
Subject on Network Television
-Theresa DeFrancis, University of Rhode Island
Are You Gonna Watch Me Again’: Speaking and Seeing Competitive Discourses of Sexuality in ER
-Kate Monteiro, Brown University
Noon to 1:30 p.m. Lunch on your own
Panel 3: 1:30 to 2:20 p.m.: Roundtable
Poverty and Terrorism of Gays and Lesbians
-Jan Lightfoot-Lane, Proud Lesbians of Poverty, Maine
Panel 4: 2:30 to 3:20 p.m.: Queer Ethics? Two papers will be read, followed by Q. and A.
An Ethical Analysis of the Boy Scouts of Americas Ban on Transgendered
People, Bisexuals, and Gays
-Jason L. Mallory, SUNY Binghamton
Sexual Desire Undoing Cultures of Silence
-Susan Driver, University of Waterloo
Panel 5: 3:30 to 5 p.m.: A Passel of Poets: Readings of Poetry
-Scott Hightower, Fordham University, author of Tin Can Tourist (Fordham University Press); Yvette Christianse, Fordham University, author of Castaway (Duke University Press); Walter Holland, The New School, author of Transatlantic (Painted Leaf Press), and Mark Bibbins, The New School, author of Swerve (Take Three Series, Agni, Graywolf Press)
5 to 7 p.m. Dinner on your own
7 to 8 p.m. Independence Auditorium
Cyber Becomes Electra: An Errata(ca) (Performance Art)
-Susan McCully, University of Maryland-Baltimore County
8 to 10 p.m. Short films provided by Frameline Distribution
Summer in My Veins directed by Nish Saran; The Potluck and the Passion directed by Cheryl Dunne; Which Is Scary directed by Paula Gauthier; Deaf Heaven directed by Steve Levitt.
Friday, April 5
Galanti Lounge, University Library
Registration and continental breakfast, 8 to 8:45 a.m.
Welcome address: 8:45 a.m.
Panel 6: 9 to 9:50 a.m.: Literary Terrorism
Two papers will be read, followed by Q. and A.
September 11 and the Queer Subjectivity in Kafkas Metamorphosis
-Margaret Sonser Breen, University of Connecticut, Avery Point
Life on a Raft: The Role of Terror in Huckleberry Finn and the GLBTQ
Community
-Joyce Cote, Rhode Island College
Panel 7: 10 to 10:50 a.m. Roundtable
E-males: The New Face of Male Prostitution
-Shane Luitjens and Daniel Lee, HOOK Magazine
Panel 8: 11 to 11:50 a.m.: Queer Pedagogy
Two papers, followed by a Q. and A.
Expanding Potential for Changing Stereotypical Beliefs: Aesthetic Elements
and Simulation Principles as Tools for Affective Learning
-Nancye McCrary, University of Kentucky
Some Reflections on Queer Theory/Queer Studies in the University
-John Leo, professor of English, URI
Noon to 1:30 p.m.: Lunch on your own.
Panel 9: 1:30 to 2:20 p.m.: Literary Identities
Two papers will be read, followed by a Q. and A.
The Horror of Heterosexism: E. M. Forester’s Maurice and the Happy Ending of
Identity
-Jeff King, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
The Search for Sexuality on Samuel Becketts Stage
-Amanda Cagle, University of Connecticut
Panel 10: 2:30 to 3:20 p.m.: Issues of Resonance Roundtable
A roundtable, in the wake of recent events, with local activists and community
leaders to discuss issues important to the Rhode Island GLBTQ community and to GLBTQ communities nationwide.
Roundtable convener: Andrew Winters, assistant to the Vice President of Student Affairs, URI
Participants: Wally Sillanpoa, Kate Monteiro, president, Rhode Island Alliance for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights
Panel 11: 3:30 to 5 p.m.: A Flock of Fiction: Readings of Fictive Works
Anna Joy Springer, Brown University, Martha Marinara, University of Central Florida, Tucker Lieberman, Brown University, Michael G. Cornelius, URI, author of Creating Man (Vineyard Press)
5 to 7 p.m. Dinner on your own
7:30 p.m. Edwards Auditorium
Keynote address: Representative Barney Frank (D-Mass,)
Reception follows.
Saturday, April 6
Galanti Lounge, University Library
NOTE: Saturday is a day reserved for student panels and presenters.
8 to 8:30 a.m: Registration and continental breakfast
8:30 to 8:45 a.m.: Welcome Address
Panel 12: 8:45 to 9:50 a.m.: Violence and the Community
This is a panel designed to examine the role both internal and external violence plays in modern GLBTQ lives. Two papers will be read, followed by a Q. and A.
Domestic Violence in GLBTQ Relationships
-Matt Miller and the Community College of Rhode Island Triangle Alliance
Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in the Bay State: What You Can Do
-Lauree A. Hayden, Brandeis University
Verbal Terrorism – Kiev Tuen Patrides, URI
Panel 13: 10 to 10:50 a.m.: Transgender 101
This panel examines issues surrounding transgender individuals.
-Kael Parker, University of Southern Maine, Farmington
Panel 14: 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Roundtable: Student Activism in the 21st Century This panel, whose members are comprised of student leaders from across New England, will examine the role of activism in the new century amongst campus GLBTQ organizations. The panel will first have a presentation, followed by a roundtable discussion.
Presentation: Building and Maintaining Strong GLBTQ Student Groups
-Christine Wilson, assistant director, Center for Leadership Development, URI
Panelists include Matt Miller, president, Community College of Rhode Island Triangle Alliance; Colby Perez-DAmico: University of Connecticut AQUA,
Christina Wolney, president: Eastern Connecticut State University Alliance of Bisexuals, Gays, and Lesbians, and members of the New England Queer College Organization.
12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Lunch at Multicultural Center
Panel 15: 1:30 to 2:20 p.m.: Coming to Terms with Other Communities
This panel examines issues surrounding GLBTQ youth and the communities they often find themselves in.
Working Together to Create a Safe Environment for GLBTQ Youth in High Schools
-Susan Flesher, Nashua High School South
Finding God -Megan Marshall, URI
Panel 16: 2:30 to 3:20 p.m.: Roundtable: Gender Identity and Terrorism
This roundtable examines gender and the relationship between sexuality and gender and the terrorism that individuals face because of it. Panelists include:
Kevin McCaskill, president, RIC Rainbow Alliance;
Aly Mase, former president Roger Williams University Rainbow Alliance;
Kael Parker, University of Southern Maine, Farmington
Panel 17: 3:30 to 4:20 p.m.: Our Bodies, Our Selves
This panel examines health and body image issues facing GLBTQ people and women.
Examining Discrimination Against Rhode Island Lesbians by Physicians
-Kim Barrett, University of Rhode Island
Bio-terrorism and Body Image -Jessica Palmer-Piteo, University of Rhode Island
Panel 18: 4:30 to 5 p.m.: Sexuality and Gender in Art: A Slide-Show by the Artist
-Carolyn Caizzi, Brown University
5 to 7 p.m. Dinner on your own
Multicultural Center Forum, 1st Floor
Evening Entertainment
7 p.m. Queer open-mic night, Multicultural Center Lounge, 2nd floor
9 p.m. to 1 a.m. GLBTQ dance, drag show and contests,
Books written by conference participants for sale will be on sale during the conference in the Galanti Lounge.
For Information: Andrew Winters, 401-874-2894, Jan Wenzel, 401-874-2116