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African
American History Month
Women's History Month
Sile Singleton
Elizabeth Birch
Tolerance in the Workplace:
A panel discussion
Parthenon
LGBT hosts gay rights speaker
By Samir Abdel-Aziz
Marshall students and others of the
community gathered last night to listen to Elizabeth Birch, former executive
director of the Human Rights Campaign.
The Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Outreach Office, which sponsored the
event titled "The State of Gay Rights Today" opened up the program.
"This is the biggest thing we've ever done," Doug Evans, one director of the
LGBT, said.
The Human Rights Campaign is the largest LGBT advocacy group in the United
States. While Birch was executive director, the organization grew from 100,000
members to 500,000 members.
Birch began her speech by talking about the reason why she came to West Virginia
and the story of two male penguins from a New York zoo. The penguins are unusual
because they are apparently homosexual and she used this as a loose example for
homosexual relationship. Then she spoke about her own background.
"I was this little girl running through the forest," Birch said. "I started
realizing I was different and if I didn't leave my small town, it would crush my
spirit. I traveled the world and realized that for all its foibles that at least
we can survive here. There are places you can barely survive as a woman, let
alone as an out lesbian."
Birch criticized how with all the problems America faces, why gay marriage is
something that has to be stopped right now.
In a country where three out of five lesbians are mothers and one out of every
five gay men were fathers it was an important issue, Birch said.
"Gay people are not just born in nice, left liberal families," Birch said. "They
are born even in Evangelical Christian households."
Turning her attention towards the past November election, Birch commented on how
Gay rights were more jeopardy than ever.
"We are screwed," Birch said. "We are in a dangerous time, and we have two giant
waves coming together to form the perfect storm. We have spent 300 years trying
to expunge our worse carnal sins from the Constitution such as racism and
slavery. I believe people are fundamentally good at heart, until you put two
words together: gay marriage."
Many students agreed with her assessment of where Gay rights are in the United
States.
"I hope we are moving forward with Gay rights," Christina Wass, senior
elementary education major, said. "However, I feel in my gut that we are moving
backwards. There are many influential people who are against homosexuality and
many people will just continue to believe what they believe."
To end her speech, Birch then commented on how in order for equality Gays and
their opponents need to reach that middle ground which will promote
understanding.
Press Releases
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, April 04, 2005
Contact: Dave Wellman,
Director of Communications (304) 696-7153 |
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Former Human Rights
Campaign director speaks Wednesday at MU
HUNTINGTON, W.Va.
– Elizabeth Birch, former executive director of the Human Rights
Campaign, speaks on “The State of Gay Rights Today” at 8 p.m.
Wednesday, April 6, in the Marshall University Memorial Student
Center Alumni Lounge.
Birch’s visit to campus is
sponsored by Marshall’s LGBT (Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender)
Outreach Office and the Office of Multicultural Affairs and is
free to the public.
The Human Rights Campaign is the largest LGBT advocacy group in
the United States. Under Birch’s leadership, the group grew from
100,000 members in 1995 to 500,000 in 2003. During her tenure,
the group became recognized as one of the top political
organizations dealing with the equal treatment of LGBT people.
The organization is one of the largest bipartisan political
action committees in the United States. The programs Birch
helped engineer include HRC Network, a comprehensive resource
center for LGBT workplace advocacy; HRC family Familynet, a
virtual online community for LGBT families; the National Coming
Out Project, dedicated to helping thousands of LGBT people come
out every year, and Equality Rocks, the largest LGBT concert
ever.
Birch was honored in 2002 by the Leadership Conference on Civil
Rights for her work in the civil rights community. Additionally,
she has served as worldwide director for Apple Computer, Inc.,
and as general counsel to Claris Corporation to help implement
non-discrimination and domestic partner benefits policies.
Birch graduated from the University of Santa Clara School of Law
in California with honors and from the University of Hawaii in
Political Science and Oceanography in 1980.
For more information on Birch’s visit to Marshall, persons may
call (304) 696-6623, or visit
www.marshall.edu/lgbo. |
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, March 10, 2005
Contact: Kelli Kerbawy , (304) 696-6623 |
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Drag King Sile Singleton
to visit MU, discuss race and gender identity
HUNTINGTON, W.Va.
– Sile Singleton, a male impersonator who has been in the Drag
King and Queen business for 10 years, speaks at Marshall
University on Tuesday, March 15.
Singleton will
conduct a discussion on race and gender identity from 2 to 3
p.m. in Prichard Hall room 143. The film “Drag Kings on Tour”
will be shown from 7 to 9 p.m. the same day in Corbly Hall room
105.
Singleton’s
appearance and the film are sponsored by the MU Women’s Center
and the Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender (LGBT) Outreach Office.
Singleton
co-founded and produced IDKE – the annual International Drag
King Extravaganza, a three-day event that includes
presentations, workshops and performances. She also appeared in
the Discovery Channel documentary “Kings on the Road.”
For more
information, persons may call Kelli Kerbawy at (304) 696-6623. |
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