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As we continue celebrating our 20th anniversary, we hope that you will continue to support our mission, invite your family and friends to become members, and make plans to join us at our tenth annual celebration weekend on January 26-27, 2018, in Bloomington.
Mike Shumate, Past President
mikedshumate@gmail.com
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1. Kenneth R.R. Gros Louis
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| At the Herman B Wells Sculpture in Bloomington |
We mourn the loss of Kenneth R.R. Gros Louis who died in his home at the age of 80 on October 20. Gros Louis had a long and distinguished career as an IU Bloomington administrator, teacher, and scholar. As vice president and chancellor for the Bloomington campus, his principled and humane vision, as well as strategic savvy, was largely responsible for the establishment of the LGBTQ+ Cultural Center in 1994, prompting Doug Bauder to remark that Gros Louis is "the best friend that the Center has ever had." Ken's support also was crucial to IU's adoption of domestic partner benefits in 2001. As an administrator as well as in retirement, he was a powerful ally and loyal friend of the LGBTQ community and a mentor to many students.
Gros Louis received his BA, magna cum laude, in English and Mathematics in 1959, and a Master's, with honors, in Renaissance Literature in 1960, from Columbia College. He received his PhD in Medieval and Renaissance Literature from the University of Wisconsin in 1964. He then moved to Bloomington, where he came to be regarded both as a beloved teacher and a noted scholar. Following six years of teaching English and Comparative Literature, he was named Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in 1970. Shortly thereafter, he was named Chair of the Department of English, and in 1978 was named Dean of the College. In 1980 he became Vice President of the University and in 1988 Chancellor of IU Bloomington. In 1994 he became Vice President for Academic Affairs of the University. As an administrator, Ken was known for his commitment to faculty, his warm relationships with student leaders, his stewardship of IU's history and traditions, and his eloquence as a speaker at countless University events and ceremonies.
After serving more than twenty years in top administrative positions, Gros Louis retired on June 30, 2001. That same year, he was awarded an IU honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, for his lifetime achievements. In 2004, he rejoined the University administration as Interim Senior Vice President and Bloomington Chancellor. In 2006 he was named successor to Herman B Wells as University Chancellor. In April, 2011, the Board of Trustees bestowed upon him the designation of University Chancellor Emeritus. He was one of our 2015 GLBTAA Distinguished Alumni Award recipients.
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| Gros Louis (center) at Our 2015 Neal-Marshall Reception |
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2. Spectrum
Spectrum is a thematic residence hall community at Teter Quad on the Bloomington campus that provides a supportive and safe environment for students who identify across the gender and sexual orientation spectrum. In its second year, Spectrum is quickly becoming a key part of the Residential Programs and Services (RPS) offering. Now in its third year, the floor is full, minus one room that is held for students who face major issues somewhere else and need an emergency space. Several residents returned to the floor, and there are already people signed up for 2018-19. Compared to other floors the students also represent a wide range of diversity in so many areas including gender identity and sexual orientation. Spectrum students identify a sense of "community" as fundamental and particularly supportive in their living arrangements. Whether it's watching movies, studying, or just talking about the day's events, students hang out with each other in the lounge throughout the day, and particularly in the evenings. The community is also establishing certain traditions like "Spooktrum" and attending the Midewest Bisexual, Lesbian, Gay, Transgender, and Ally College Conference.
Barry Magee, Assistant Director for RPS continues to work with a range of students across the gender and sexuality spectrums to find housing options that meet an individual's needs. "Placement is based on the students' needs and the kind of community they are looking for. For some students the biggest concern is the availability of single-occupant restrooms. These are the standard in Teter but we now have similar facilities several residence halls, including the newly remodeled Wells Quad and available in the spring the Forest. Some students are looking for high activity and a generally supportive atmosphere where they can be open about their identities. For many, Spectrum continues to meet their needs."
Spectrum works closely with the LGBTQ+ Cultural Center, and its staff and volunteers are available to support and advise the students. Doug Bauder, Director of the Center , has said, "In conversation with students who lived on the Spectrum floor last year and those who are continuing or beginning their experience earlier this year, the overwhelming response has been very positive. Students spend down time together, learning from each other, listening to each other's stories, and setting an example for us all about living together as diverse individuals. I'm hopeful that Spectrum will become a model for other campuses as has our Center and the GLBT Alumni Association."
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3. IU Diversity Assessment
Between December, 2015 and February, 2017, IU conducted a comprehensive diversity assessment of each of its campuses to strengthen university-wide strategic planning. An outside consultant, Halualani and Associates, conducted the assessment to ensure that an objective and comprehensive evaluation was completed. The assessment was intended to serve as a baseline measurement for diversity achievement and progress for each campus.
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James Wimbush |
Each campus has now started to implement responses to the recommendations that were made, as the university continues to strive for inclusive excellence. The multi-report assessment, which concluded with a retention and graduation report for each campus, found that IU's campuses have several themes that are consistent across the board. Based on the specific report, however, each campus is developing or aligning its strategic action plan for student success opportunities by embedding diversity into strategic plans, focusing on high-impact practices, identifying metrics and using data analytics to improve the campuses' data-driven processes.
"Following the assessment conducted by Halualani & Associates, I am thrilled to learn that Indiana University is making a valuable impact on students, faculty, staff and the respective communities in which our campuses are located," said James Wimbush, IU vice president for diversity, equity and multicultural affairs, dean of the University Graduate School and Johnson Professor for Diversity and Leadership. "That said, while there are certainly areas in which we would like to improve, I believe that IU's campuses have each outlined plans that can enable the entire IU community to thrive, regardless of an individual's background."
Here is the
release
by the Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Multicultural Affairs.
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4. NIH Grant
IU's Rural Center for AIDS/STD Prevention (RCAP) will team with the University of Chicago, the Indiana Minority Health Coalition, and Walgreens Pharmacies to expand access to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) in community pharmacy settings in the Chicago, Gary, and Indianapolis areas. The fight against HIV is most effective when people have access to PrEP or the use of antiretroviral medications to combat HIV infection among individuals who are HIV-negative. While PrEP access will help turn the tide of the HIV epidemic in the U.S. and elsewhere, not everyone or every community has equal access.
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Beth Meyerson |
The research team will develop programs to expand PrEP awareness and access, especially in communities with high rates of HIV and STD infection, but with low resource and high need. Specifically, the team will develop a community pharmacy-based PrEP educational training program, referral system for pharmacists and providers, and PrEP educational kiosk tailored to the needs of pharmacy patients and the pharmacy staff who serve them. The research team is lead by Dr. Brandon Hill, Executive Director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Inquiry and Innovation in Sexual and Reproductive Health at the University of Chicago and a recent PhD graduate in gender studies at IUB, who received a two-year grant from the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Beth Meyerson, Associate Professor of Health Policy & Management and RCAP Co-Director at the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington, conducted preliminary studies with pharmacies in Indiana and found that pharmacies are a unique and interested setting for expansion for HIV prevention.
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Bill Yarber. |
"RCAP is pleased to be part of this research team," said Dr. William Yarber, Senior Director of RCAP, Kinsey Institute Senior Scientist, Affiliate Member at IU's Department of Gender Studies, and Professor of Applied Health Science at the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington. "Our intervention development capability, pharmacy research experience, and community research partnerships can potentially advance HIV prevention here and elsewhere." Dr. Yarber, who is a co-investigator for the project, has extensive experience in developing HIV prevention educational programs including, at the federal government's request, the country's school secondary HIV/AIDS prevention curriculum.
RCAP was created, in large part, because today's rural communities, despite their stereotypical "safe" image, are not immune from many of the problems of urban areas. The spread of HIV and STDs to rural areas of the nation is an important threat to public health. Multiple factors, such as stigma, denial and isolation, contribute to the challenge of HIV/STD prevention in rural communities. Founded in 1994 with
in the Department of Applied Health Science of the School of Public Health - Bloomington, it is the only center in the nation that solely focuses on AIDS/STD prevention in rural communities. Here is the School's release
https://rcap.indiana.edu/news-events/_news/2017-10-09-teamUpWithUC.html
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5. GLBTAA Scholarship Campaign
Please continue to "spread the word" about our ground-breaking IU Student Scholarship Campaign, which has now endowed our GLBTAA Scholarship Program. We recently awarded six academic scholarships for the 2017 fall semester. We intend to feature each recipient in one of our Newsletters. After reviewing two heart-breaking stories, we also awarded emergency funds to two students. One is an IU Bloomington student, and the other is an IUPUI student. Since 2005, we have granted 86 scholarships (67 academic scholarships and 19 emergency scholarships) to IU students. Because of your generous support, we will be able to continue providing scholarships well into the future.
Shane L. Windmeyer, MS '97, Executive Director and founder of Campus Pride, has commented about our Scholarship Program, particularly about our emergency grants: "IU remains one of the best campuses for GLBT support in the country. Crisis assistance funding, for example, is now a new benchmark for the Campus Pride Index, and the GLBTAA emergency scholarship is a great example. IU has definitely raised the bar nationally. I'm proud that IU has been a leader in that. IU has always stood as an institution of higher learning that embraces diversity."
As previously reported, we have reached an important milestone in the Campaign. We now have raised in excess of $1 million! As a result, we are proceeding with the administrative steps to increase the maximum amounts of both our academic and emergency scholarships.
Contributions can be made online at
Campaign Contributions
If you have any questions or need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact
IUAA Alumni Relations Officer, Clarence Boone at boonec@indiana.edu or 800-824-3044. Again, heartfelt gratitude to everyone for supporting our Campaign.
THANK YOU, IU alumni, faculty, staff, students, allies and our many friends! You have helped endow our Scholarship Program which will allow us to continue assisting our students for a very long time.
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6. Academic Scholarship Recipient
Congratulations are extended to Justin Hamrick, one of our 2017 Fall Academic Scholarship recipients! Justin received his B.S. last year in Psychology, with minors in Public Health and Human Sexuality from IU Bloomington. He is now pursuing his MPH in Behavioral, Social and Community Health from the School of Public Health - Bloomington. Justin is presently working as a co-author on the study, "What do people want to know? Questions asked to gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals about their sexual identity and experiences." He hosted a survey table at the second and third annual Cupcakes and Condoms, now an annual IUB event sponsored by the IU Health Center to teach about the variety and importance of condoms, including condom usage and sexual health. He also served as lead statistical analyzer of the evaluation of this spring's 2017 event as well. We're proud of you, Justin!
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7. Facebook
The GLBTAA has had a Facebook page for some time now, but some of you may not be aware of it. If you haven't already done so, check out our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/iuglbtaa. "Like" our page and follow our Facebook posts regarding news, updates and information about our events. 
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8. Mark Your Calendars
Sections of the AIDS Memorial Quilt will be on display for three days, November 14-16, on the Bloomington campus at the Indiana Memorial Union in Alumni Hall from 4:00 to11:00 p.m. each day. This display will help commemorate the lives lost to AIDS, while providing HIV/AIDS education and awareness free to the IU community and general public. While the quilt is on display, free HIV testing and educational workshops will be provided in the evenings.
The display is presented by the Union Board, the LGBTQ+ Cultural Center at IUB, and Positive Link. A
Facebook page has been created for the display.
The Quarryland Men's Chorus will perform its winter concert on November 19 at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater in Bloomington. Tickets for the 7:00 p.m. concert, entitled Walking Together, are currently on sale at https://bctboxoffice.org/
Walking Together
features the nine-piece choral work Tyler's Suite. This new and lauded composition is dedicated to the memory of Tyler Clementi, a talented young musician who died by suicide after being bullied by his roommate during his first weeks of college. Several guest artists will join the chorus on stage for this moving performance, including two-time Grammy Award-winning soprano Sylvia McNair and Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton. The concert is made possible in part by a Bloomington Arts Commission 2017 Arts Project Grant. Tyler's Suite is licensed by the Tyler Clementi Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to ending online and offline bullying, harassment, and humiliation.
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9. GLBTAA Scholarships
GLBTAA Academic Scholarships
Academic Scholarships are awarded to IU students enrolled at any IU campus, who are academically strong, as well as active in promoting diversity, tolerance and social justice. Scholarships are awarded to students based upon academic achievement, career goals, financial need, leadership experience, community service and extracurricular activities. Involvement in activities promoting diversity and raising awareness of GLBT and related issues on the student's campus or in his or her community is carefully reviewed. The maximum award for an Academic Scholarship is $2,000 per semester. An individual student may not receive more than $4,000. For more information, please visit the IUAA Scholarships page. To apply for an academic scholarship, complete the IU Scholarship Application in your One.IU account. Applications are open from October 1 - March 10 for the following academic year.
IU GLBTAA Emergency Scholarships
Emergency Scholarships are awarded to those undergraduate students who experience the loss of financial support when they make the courageous decision to disclose their sexual orientation or gender identity to their families. Emergency Scholarships help to ensure that students need not choose between their education at IU and living life openly and honestly. Emergency Scholarships are awarded to students attending any IU campus and facing a loss of financial support. The maximum award for an Emergency Scholarship is $3,000 per semester, and a student may not receive more than $6,000.
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10. Membership
Encourage your friends to join the GLBTAA. They can visit our website here and join. There are no membership dues, and you do not have to be a member of the IUAA, or an IU degree-holder. We are over 2,000 members nation-wide, and we continue yo grow! We appreciate your continued commitment! It is because of you that the GLBTAA is in existence, continues to grow and continues to serve our important mission on all eight of IU's campuses. If you are a member and wish to continue receiving our e-Newsletters, please make sure we have a current e-mail address for you. You can visit https://alumni.indiana.edu/my-iu/index.html to see if your official record, including your e-mail address, is current. Thank you for your support through your membership. We look forward to serving you now and in the years to come. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Clarence Boone, Alumni Relations Officer, at: boonec@indiana.edu or Tim Lemper at lemper@gmail.com
If not already a member, please consider joining the IUAA by visiting https://alumni.indiana.edu/membership/index.html, by e-mailingiuaamemb@indiana.edu or calling (800) 824-3044. By joining the IUAA, among many other things, you help fund the various GLBTAA programs, along with gaining access to IUAA member-only events.
If you would like to unsubscribe and terminate future communications from the GLBTAA, please respond to: glbtaa@indiana.edu.
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