Blegen house

Ariel nominated Mexican film director Eva Aridjis (“Ninos de la Calle,” “Taxidermy”) returns to Vassar to screen her new feature “The Favor,” again a prize winner at its CineVegas premier

“Pre Gay Boys & Old Gay Men, A Life Cycle - Ethan Haymowitz '03

“Welcome to Nollywood” - Vassar film professor Jamie Meltzer '96 screens his moving documentary on the birth of a cinema industry in Nigeria, where local films, now produced by the hundreds, are much preferred to American blockbusters.

Break - House is open.

National Coming Out Day - 6:00pm: Dean of Admissions David Borus addresses our first Circles conference for LGBTQ High School students on strategies for admission to college. Also present - representatives from Marist College, Dutchess Community College, the Culinary Institute of America and Bard College.

“Sexuality in a Time of Change - Socio-Economic Transformations in Bulgaria and the Shaping of Sexual Identities and Culture” - 6:00pm: Boris Petrov '01 looks at the post-communist gay youth movements in Sofia

Open House - Decompress after Freshman Parents Weekend. House closes at sundown for Yom Kippur.

“Afghanistan Before & After” - 6:00pm: A mother and daughter's hazardous journey to rediscover their homeland and each other. Wazina Zondon, sex educator for Circles LGBT Youth Program, accompanied by her Mom.

Orientation Open House - 6:00 - 7:00pm: Stop by for hors doeuvres, lots of info, a rummage sale that will buy armor for a Circles student sent to fight in Afghanistan. Stay for a screening of Alejandra Islas' film on the third-gender people of Juchitan, Mexico: “Muxes - Authentic Intrepid Seekers of Danger.”

Collaboration with QCVC on Pride Week, including panels on Poughkeepsie/ Vassar Life, the State of our own Community at Vassar, and History of LGBTQ People at Vassar; a rededication of the 1991 Vassar AIDS quilt; and a community dinner.
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Lifetime Transition - Kiana Moore, who worked three years as Blegen Head Intern, spoke frankly on her life as a transgendered person. Her visit coincided with the faculty vote to include gender identity and expression in the Vassar nondiscrimination policy.

Colgate University conference: “Big Gay Weekend for Northeastern schools.” Vassar sent eight representatives.

Sunday Community Brunch - cooking by Blegen House Interns.

Rachel Simmons, author of bestselling book “Odd Girl Out,” on aggression and bullying between girls. This program will be co-sponsored with the Women’s Center.
Press Release

Super Bowl Sunday alternative event - food, and videos of the Sydney Gay Games, (where the only restriction is that anyone who wants to can compete.)

Visit of Blegen interns and other LGBTQ students to the US Military Academy at West Point at the invitation of the USMA Sociology Dept. to speak to classes on Deviance and Social Control.

Screening of Sundance - prizewinning feature film “Brother to Brother”, with a discussion afterward with Rodney Evans, the writer/director, who just won the HBO ‘New Director to Watch’ prize at the 2005 Black Movie Awards.

Keith Boykin - lecture, “Beyond the Down Low: Black and Gay In America.” With Women’s Studies, Sociology, Africana Studies. Press Release

First WAM night (Women, Art, Music) with dinner cooked at house. Elana Santana, Sascha Atkins-Loria. (Women's Center Interns.)

Participation in “Eyes Wide Open” exhibit, 2000 pairs of boots representing American dead, and slippers to represent the dead Iraqis.

Art Exhibit “Gender, Body, Sexuality” Anna Gutman '06 Artists reception 11/19.

Cooking event: “Food for Thought: A Gathering of Women.” Eating Disorder Reach-out Service, ALANA Center, Women's Center.

Lecture, Dr. Toby Melter spoke about the Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association’s standards of care and current surgical techniques for GRS (Gender Reassignment Surgery) and ancillary procedures.

LGBTQ Community Discussion on The Imperialist, right-wing campus publication

CIRCLES county-wide annual Halloween party.

“Two Colonels” programs. Discussions on two topics: Gays in the Military and the Case for a Universal Draft, and, Life in the Military. Included fire-side chats in the dorms, a lecture at Taylor Hall, followed by a reception at Main. Sponsored by The Blegen House/Campus Life, the Women's Studies Programs, the Women's Center, and Residential Life.

N.Y. Anti-violence project training for CARES/Blegen.

National Coming Out Day events, including QCVC Faculty Panel on Gay Marriage.

Freshman Parents Weekend open house & films for students.

CIRCLES radio program WTBQ 1110AM begins broadcasts 1:30 Fridays.

Queer Alphabets Class (Freshman Course) begins meeting at house.

All-College Program, The U.S. Constitution: Who Is Protected? with Professors Molly Shanley, Diane Harriford, and Wilfred Rumble, and students Rick Rodems and Daniel Ross.

Open House/ Welcome BBQ - Pasta Bar

Meeting with staff of tri-county Circles, high school program.

Freshman Orientation (“Gays of Our Lives”) facilitated by Blegen interns.

Blegen Intern Ashkan Sepahvand: “Khomeini Wore Pearls.”

“Ninos de la Calle” - Eva Aridjis gave the first American screening of her film, which won two Mexican academy awards.

Blegen Intern Dustin Kight gave a reading of poems by Mark Doty.

Professor of English Paul Russell read from his latest novel“War Against the Animals.”

Jill Schneiderman and Meg Stewart talked about living together and with their two children in Trinidad and Tobago.

“Hope along the Wind”: screening of his film on gay rights pioneer Harry Hay by cinematographer and Vassar film professor Philippe Roque

“Is There A Biological Basis for Sexual Orientation?” Vassar professor of genetics, Nancy Pokrywka says yes.

Eyes to See Otherwise / Ojos de Otro Mirar. World celebrated poet/novelist Homero Aridjis, president of International P.E.N., the worldwide association of writers, and former Mexican ambassador to the Netherlands and Switzerland, with his wife, author Betty Ferber, co-founders of the Group of 100, the first environmental movement in Mexico.

Ed Pittman, Associate Dean of the College: “In The Case of Bayard Rustin.” The creator of Martin Luther King's march on Washington was a gay man.

Jane Elven, Planned Parenthood, “Reflections on Forty Years in the Gay Rights Movement and Where We're Going Next.”

Yolanda Ramos ‘94, Meet the new Director of ALANA Center.

Ethan Haymovitz ‘03 - Senior Thesis: “Effects of Homophobia on the Social Functioning of Gay Men.”

Visiting Prof Women’s Studies Jamie Weinstein: “Queer Identity, Buddhism and Lacan.”

David George, Prof Emeritus University of Pennsylvania: “Gay Men: Sex, Love and Relationships.”

Development staff member Lance Ringel, on his role as the New York Governor’s Liaison to the Lesbian/Gay Community.

ALANA Director Lisa Thompson: The Meaning of Coming Out in Different Cultures.

Philippe Roques, Associate Professor of Film, “Circumventing Oppression: Gay and Lesbian Meeting Places in Castro’s Cuba.”

Anne MacKay’49, Cristina Biaggi ‘59, Gail Ellen Dunlap ‘59 “The Wolf Girls Howl Again” interviews with the subjects of the book.

Vassar's former vice president of College Relations, Dixie Sheridan ‘65, Photographs and stories of same-sex love and the history of Vassar.

Professors Paul Russell and Judith Nichols read from recent works.

Eric Marcus ‘85 -- “Making Gay History, One Person at a Time.”

Metcalf Counselor Tracy Ungar: “The Divided Self... or maybe not. A discussion about Dual Identity.”

Josh Simmons ‘01: “The Golden Girls of Television: Gender Transgression and Alternative Portrayals of the Family.”

Former Vassarite James Saslow, NYU: “Inventing Michaelangelo”

John Schoonbeck: “Red Giselle.”

Panel, Boris Petrov ‘01, Michael Murray, Nancy Pokrywka: “Evolutionary Theory, Sexual Orientation and Prejudice.”

Mark Lipton, Mellon Fellow: “Out of my Way: Sex Tourism and my Auto-Ethnography.”

Greg Morisse, ‘00 recovering Blegen intern visits from Harvard Divinity

Show: “The Making of Michael Gold” performed by Michael Goldfried ‘94

AIDS update from Vassar health educator Bill Kernan

Sarah From, ‘00 “Check It At the Door: Identity Boundaries and Sexual Place-making at Gay Nightspots in Amsterdam.”

“Genetics, Gender and Sexual Identity” Assistant Professor of Biology Nancy Pokrywka

Isle of Klezbos, performance of traditional music

Jason Fleetwood-Boldt ‘01, “Opposition to Gay Marriage from the Left”

Nicole Wyland,’00, “Lipstick Lesbian; Invisibly Queer.”

Blegen Founder Shirley Idelson, now of Minnesota Public Radio: “Lesbian Rabbis.”

“The Earth Around Us”, Celebration of new book by Jill Schneiderman

Kiana Moore ‘02, “Struggles of a Transgendered Student”

Professor of Philosophy Michael Murray: “Current Controversies in Queer Theory”

Associate Professor of Film Philippe Roques: “HIV in Cuba”

“The Sleeping Ballerina” John Schoonbeck on the rescue of Olga Spessivtzeva from an asylum by a gay man who pretended to love her.

“Closets, closets and more closets... The life and work of Elizabeth Bishop”, by Associate Dean of Faculty and Professor of English Barbara Page.

Adjunct Professor of Women's Studies Robin Hackett “Sexology, Primitivism and Lesbian Modernism.”

Associate Professor of Italian Eugenio Giusti: “New and Not-so-new Iconographies in the Gay Communities.”

Visitor Marc Adams, employee of Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University, author “The Preacher’s Son” talked about being a former “ex-gay.”

Associate Professor of Political Science Tim Longman screened “Dakan”, the first African feature-length film on homosexuality.

Asstistant Professor of Geology Kirsten Menking talked about a community education program she ran in Santa Cruz, CA

“Homosexuality and Religion.” K. Kyriell Muhammad, ‘94 Harvard Committee on the Study of Religion.

Judith Nichols: “Naming and Other Tricks of Learning.”

Prof Geography Brian Godfrey: “Becoming Visibly Queer: from Private Spaces to Public Places.” Slide lecture.

Judith Nichols, Jill Schneiderman, John Schoonbeck discussed their various experiences as lesbians and a gay man raising children.

Ann Northrop ‘70, News Anchor, leader of ACT-UP, discussed the takeover of St Patrick’s Cathedral and its aftermath.

Robin Nussbaum ‘99 Senior Thesis: “Gaydar - Does It Really Exist?”

Wolf Girls at Vassar author Anne MacKay ‘49 with the book’s subjects, Cristina Biaggi ‘59 and gail Ellen Dunlap ‘59.

Assistant Professor of German Jeff Schneider: “The Return of the Same: Queer Continuities at the Turn of Two Centuries.”

Jen Markovics ‘99 led a panel on genetics with Associate Professor of Biology J. William Straus, and Professor of Psychology Steve Clark.

Professor of English Paul Russell read an essay of his from the book Queer 13.

Vassar/Juilliard grad Bill Gross ‘93 performed his N.Y. cabaret show `entitled “First Fruits.”

Blegen Director John Schoonbeck read his paper “Liberace and the Second Law of Thermodynamics.”

University of Iowa Law School Dean Pat Cain ‘74: “Litigating for Gay and Lesbian Rights.”

N.Y. State Scholar/Athlete Kirt Vogt ‘96 discussed lesbians in sports.

Jeff Dupre ‘94 screened and discussed his Sundance winner “Out of the Past” on the eve of its nationwide PBS airing.

Judy Green ‘72, Candidate for New York State Assembly spoke on being an out lesbian in a political campaign.

Carlos Baguer ‘98 showed slides of his clandestine return to Cuba, which his uncle had once fled with his life companion: Batista’s son.

Professor of Women’s Studies Diane Harriford: “Homophobia: Is it worse in the black community?”

Film; “Black Lizard”, with Akihiro Maruyama, transgendered star of Japanese cinema.

Vassar's former Vice President of College Relations Dixie Sheridan: “My Vassar, a Homophobic Lesbian Oasis.”

Asstistant Professor of German Jeff Schneider: “The Problem of Male Prostitution by Soldiers in Imperial Germany.”

Women’s Studies Instructor Dee Deporto discussed life after Vassar for lesbians and gay men.

Asstistant Professor of Political Science Tim Longman: “Homosexuality in Africa: Does It Exist?”

Development Department’s Cindy Sterling discussed financial issues pertinent to lesbians and gay men.

Former local schoolteacher Dave Johnson told of his life as a transgendered person.

Assistant Professor of Drama Denise Whalen showed film examples of Modern Lesbian and Gay Theater.

Associate Professor of Psychology Jannay Morrow spoke on “Coming Out and Coming of Age.”

Professor of English Paul Russell read his short story about a gay college student’s awakening.

Associate Professor of Geology Jill Schneiderman discussed “Lesbians and Motherhood.”

Instructor of Film Philippe Roques screened and discussed his documentary on the Radical Faeries, called “Faerie Tales.”

Assistant Professor of Music Charles Kamm on “Peter Grimes” and its composer Benjamin Britten, his life partner Peter Pears, and friend W.H. Auden.

Assistant Professor of English Judith Nichols read her essay, “Lesbian Homebody”