Claiming our past, celebrating our present and creating our future.
In association with
History Soc. Film Soc. University of Essex. LGBT Soc.
Events Open to Staff and Student.

Monday 22nd Feb. – 6pm – LTB 9 – Film showing – ‘Milk’

Staring Oscar winning Sean Penn in the title role, this film tells the story of Harvey Milk, and his struggles as an American gay activist who fought for gay rights and became California’s first openly gay elected official in the 1960’s onwards.
Free entry to all and have the chance to win the DVD of the film at the end.

Tuesday 23rd Feb. – 6pm – LTB 4 – Film Showing – ‘If these walls could talk 2’

An Emmy Award-winning television movie, If these walls could talk 2 follows three separate storylines about lesbian couples set in the same house in three different time periods, starting in 1961 and finishing in 2000
Free entry to all and have the chance to win the DVD of the film at the end.

Wednesday 24th – 1pm – LTB 5 – lunchtime talk – “Black, White and Bi”
Dr Haidarali from The University of Essex History Department presents her talk and discussion on Bisexual Women in U.S. History. Does bisexuality have a history and what does that history look like when we examine the lives of white and African American women, many of whom maintained intimate relationships with both women and men? Can we categorize the historical gendered subject as bisexual when she (or he) did not use that name to identify their own sexual behaviours? This lecture addresses these and other questions by looking at expressions of same-sex sexuality among Black and white women across several eras in U.S. history.
Aimed and STAFF and Students is a perfect lunch time break from the office or study.

Free entry

Thursday 25th – 6.30pm – LTB 9 – The Red in the Rainbow

Some LGBT rights activists say recent reforms mean victory has been won. But liberation is about more than legal equality. Beneath the legal reforms lies the reality of oppression that gay people continue to face. The majority of working class gay people have to face institutionalized homophobia and the fear of coming out or being outed. In the meeting The Red in the Rainbow, activist and book author Hannah Dee will speak about what true sexual liberation looks like.

Free entry

Friday 26th – 6pm – LTB 9 – Film Showing – ‘Little Ashes’

Little Ashes is a 2009 Spanish-British drama film, set against the backdrop of Spain during the 20s and 30s, as three of the era’s most creative young talents meet at university and set off on a course to change their world. Luis Buñuel watches helplessly as the friendship between Salvador Dalí and the poet Federico García Lorca develops into a steamy love affair

Free entry to all and have the chance to win the DVD of the film at the end.

For more infomation and indepth timeline go too

http://www.lgbthistorymonth.org.uk/

Or email

EVENTS@ESSEXLGBT.CO.UK

All our events for next term have been decided and here they all are!

THURSDAY 21ST JANUARY – LTB – 6pm
LGBT ReMix
After the success of our Pick and Mix last term, ReMix is another chance to get to know people, come along for the first time, or reconnect with the society.

SATURDAY 23RD JANUARY – SU Bar – 9.30pm
LGBT Soc go to Enigma
Another trip to the Enigma night in Colchester, always a great laugh. If Enigma isn’t held on this night, then it’ll be on Friday and a trip to Flirt instead.

FRIDAY 29TH JANUARY – LTB – 6pm
Film Night- The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Our first film night is the cult classic musical starring Susan Sarandon, Tim Curry and Meat Loaf, it tells the story of a newlywed couple caught in the bizarre world of Dr Frank N Furter.

WEDNESDAY 3RD FEBRUARY – Meeting LTB Foyer- 7pm
Go Bananas!
A long overdue trip to the activity centre in Colchester, it’s basically a kid’s play park where we can muck around like kids for a hour. Awesome.

Email events@essexlgbt.co.uk to book a place!
£8.50 a head plus transport.

MONDAY 8TH FEBRUARY – LTB – 6pm
Film Night- My Summer of Love
A love story between a manipulative rich girl and a simple working class girl, this stars Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada) and won a BAFTA for Best British Film.

SUNDAY 14TH FEBRUARY – Meeting Su Food Bar Side- 9pm
Valentine’s GSundays
What’s more romantic than a trip to Chelmsford for a piss up? Lots of things actually, but this will still be great fun as usual, whether you’re a couple or on the prowl… or both, come to think of it.

Email events@essexlgbt.co.uk to book a place!
Return Transport £10 with FREE entry for members

WEDNESDAY 17TH FEBRUARY – LTB – 6pm
Civil Partnerships talk
Another brilliant guest speaker, this time a gay lawyer, to talk about the history and issues involving Civil Partnerships.

MONDAY 22ND – FRIDAY 26TH FEBRUARY
LGBT History Week
In celebration of LGBT History Month, there will be a week of events orginised by the SU LGBT Officer and committee in conjunction with the LGBT soc.

SATURDAY 27TH FEBRUARY Lever 2 – 10.30pm til 3am
Niche Night
After last term’s amazing on-campus night (which featured Father Keiron off of Hollyoaks), DJ Gabbi will be back with another great night, right on your doorstep
maybe even in Subzero!

FRIDAY 5TH – SUNDAY 7TH MARCH
Student Pride 2010
Our annual trip to Brighton, always an AMAZING weekend, we’ll have details on accomodation for you over the Christmas break.

WEDNESDAY 10TH MARCH – LTB – 6pm
Film Night- The History Boys
Adaptation of the play by Alan Bennett, the story of a group of sixth form students trying to get into university. Starring Richard Griffiths, Dominic Cooper, James Corden and Russell Tovey

WEDNESDAY 17TH MARCH – SU Bar – 11am
St Patrick’s Day
To promote stereotyping of the Irish, we’ll be celebrating St Paddy’s by being in the SU Bar ALL DAY. Hoorah.

SUNDAY 21ST MARCH – Su Bar 7pm
Easter Egg Hunt / GSundays
In the afternoon, an easter egg hunt all over campus, followed by another great night to Chelmsford.

Email events@essexlgbt.co.uk to book a place!
Return Transport £10 with FREE entry for members

FRIDAY 26TH MARCH – SU Bar – 8.30pm
Pre-Drinks before final event
Whatever the last event of the term in the SU is, we’ll be there. A last goodbye before the Easter break.

For more info on any of the above events or you’re worried about attending email events@essexlgbt.co.uk

THIS TERMS SOCIETY GENERAL MEETING WILL TAKE PLACE IN AN LTB AT 6PM 16/12/2009

The General Meeting is your opportunity to tell us what we have done well, what we have done badly and your suggestions for the future.

As well as the receiving your feedback the committee with also present you with a series of constitutional amendments, plans for next term and maybe even some election related business!

Don’t miss out, events like this are crucial for the survival of our society as a group that represents accurately the needs of our members.

PLUS DON’T FORGET! This takes place just before our xmas extravaganza (SU Bar) so you have no excuse!

[AGENDA TO FOLLOW]

Ashley checking out the agenda for the day.

ESSEX LGBT ATTEND NUS LGBT ACTIVIST TRAINING DAY 2009 IN LONDON.

For the third year in a row, the NUS LGBT Campaign will be running LGBT Activist Training Days and once again Essex attended. At the event we learnt how to further develop our society and about the issues that affect LGBT students, networked with regional activists,  and assessed best practice.

The event was attending by Ashley Rudge, Alice Wilson, David Giles and Robert Wayman and you will soon start to notice some significant changes take place in the society to reflect what we learnt.

World AIDS Day 2009 @ Essex University in association with the NHS and Action for Men, and raising money for the National AIDS Trust.

The days events included Sexual health testing, a series a great talks and a candle lit vigil in Square 3.

It was all a massive success and we would like to say a big thank you for all the help and support to make World Aids Day 2009 happen.

It was great to see the LGBT so supportive!

The numbers speak for themselves…
HIV test
59 females
44 males
Chlamydia tests
40 female
24 male

Over £160 raised for National Aids Trust

40 people attending two talks.

60 candles lit at the Vigil.

We feel this has been one of the best campaigns this academic year on campus so far and wouldn’t have been possible without all your help.

Vigil held at the University of Essex on Trans Remembrance Day 2009

Organised and hosted by the Human Rights Centre Post Graduate Forum

The Transgender Day of Remembrance was set aside to memorialize those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. The event is held in November to honor Rita Hester, whose murder on November 28th, 1998 kicked off the “Remembering Our Dead” web project and a San Francisco candlelight vigil in 1999. Rita Hester’s murder — like most anti-transgender murder cases — has yet to be solved.

Although not every person represented during the Day of Remembrance self-identified as transgender — that is, as a transsexual, crossdresser, or otherwise gender-variant — each was a victim of violence based on bias against transgender people.

The Transgender Day of Remembrance serves several purposes. It raises public awareness of hate crimes against transgender people, an action that current media doesn’t perform. Day of Remembrance publicly mourns and honors the lives of our brothers and sisters who might otherwise be forgotten. Through the vigil, we express love and respect for our people in the face of national indifference and hatred. Day of Remembrance reminds non-transgender people that we are their sons, daughters, parents, friends and lovers. Day of Remembrance gives our allies a chance to step forward with us and stand in vigil, memorializing those of us who’ve died by anti-transgender violence.

Note: This page was taken from http://www.rememberingourdead.org/day/what.html

This event was a massive success and our thanks go to Selbi for organising it.

**UPDATE**

Today was a massive success! We collected over 300 signatures in support of LGBT Human Rights in Uganda and raised awareness of what is happening to the Ugandan LGBT community. These petitions along with a letter of protest from students here at Essex will be sent to the Ugandan Embassy in London, the UK Embassy and to politicians around the World who openly supported the Ugandan Anti-Gay Bill.

The President of the LGBT Soc would like to convey his thanks to all of those who helped make this a fantastic day!

**

This year in association with Human Rights Day 2009 the LGBT Society are running a one day campaign based upon the Love Without Borders theme.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans people in the UK have won many rights over the past few
years, and our lives have changed dramatically as a result. We have a legal system that supports
our right to be who we are, and express our love. But around the world, many LGBT do not share
our rights. Instead, they are criminalised, persecuted, imprisoned and even murdered by their
own governments, just because of who they are, and who they love. Their governments not only
ignore their human right to protection from attacks, but actively sponsor them.
We must use our rights to fight for the rights of those who can’t fight for them themselves.

This campaign will give you opportunities to make links with LGBT students and others who
live their lives under very different conditions from our own. It will allow your student society to
play an important part in something much bigger – the international LGBT rights movement.
The campaign pack includes examples of times when LGBT student societies and individuals
have made a positive impact on the lives of LGBT people in other countries.

We live in a global community and no longer can we stand by while the suffering continues.

We can, and must, make a difference for LGBT human rights worldwide.

For more information on Human Rights Day 2009 at Essex University please visit their Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=688196&id=284300339#/group.php?gid=318989155704

]]> http://essexlgbt.co.uk/http:/essexlgbt.co.uk/love-without-borders/feed 0 http://essexlgbt.co.uk/http:/essexlgbt.co.uk/the-importance-of-lgbt-liberation-groups http://essexlgbt.co.uk/http:/essexlgbt.co.uk/the-importance-of-lgbt-liberation-groups#comments Fri, 28 Aug 2009 13:59:23 +0000 admin http://essexlgbt.co.uk/?p=567 Michael Causer 19, fresh out of a FE college, was beaten to death on his way home after a night out in Liverpool. Two teenagers kicked and punched him to death because of who he loved, so badly it was nearly impossible for his body to be identified. It took this despicable, inhuman act for the local community and religious groups to realise the effect of their intolerance. Churches held vigils, denouncing homophobic attacks, the public set up a charity raising hundreds of thousands of pounds to help other young gay people affected by the bigotry of others. In Liverpool they learnt too late, never again they proclaimed.

On the 12th February 2008, openly gay, 15 year old Larry King (top left) was shot twice in the head by his 14 year old class mate. What did Larry do to deserve this? He asked his male classmate to be his valentine. One third of young gay people aged under 19 surveyed in the UK said they had been the victim of violent homophobic abuse. Homophobic bullying in schools, colleges and university is rife, its existence continued by staff ignoring or not knowing how to deal with the issue.

Where LGBT students differ from those of other minority groups is that we do not have the inherit support granted to say ethnic minorities. A lesbian girl growing facing prejudice would find it difficult to go to her straight parents for support, unlike a girl of an ethnic minority facing an issue of prejudice being able to talk to her family of similar ethnic descent. This is one of the key factors to why LGBT youths are six times more likely to commit suicide, they feel abandoned and lonely. An LGBT society can give these students the support they need.

As a proud, openly gay man I can tell you that our society is not as tolerant as it would appear to the ‘omg i love gay people!’ gang, though your support is welcome if slightly misplaced. I see myself as lucky, I have never experienced the level of homophobia that ruins so many lives but i bear witness to the small things. Kissing my boyfriend in public, holding his hand, giving him the affection that feels so natural, draws glares and comments from those who feel love is something that must fall within the criteria set out on a really old piece of paper.

For those who I hope have taken the time to read this article and cannot comprehend the importance of LGBT equality please take a moment to consider being shunned by your closest friends, bullied in school, attacked in public, not being able to find a job, unable to show public affection, not being able to marry him or her, being beaten, just because you loved them!

- Ashley Rudge