30th Anniversary Registration is Live!

We’ve been asking you for input, talking about panels, brainstorming awards, and telling you for months that a 30th Anniversary Celebration is coming–and it’s finally official! Registration is live for our biggest event in years! Come back to the hill for a weekend of fun, food, friendship, and a celebration of all the progress we have made.

Information about the weekend of events, a list of registrants, and hotel accommodations is now available. Check it out, register, and get ready for a great weekend. See you back on the hill in March, 2019!

30th Anniversary Information and Registration

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DenisonPride Reunion Recap!

Denison Pride once again hosted returning alums and allies at its Reunion Weekend gathering on Saturday, June 2, 2018.

Roughly two dozen alumni, faculty, current students, recent grads, allies, and friends of the groups gathered for socializing and discussion of campus issues in the Faculty Common Room of the Burton D. Morgan Center. The event was hosted by Patrick Hewitt ’10.

Among the many faculty and staff present, President Adam Weinberg, Vice President for Institutional Advancement Julie Houpt ’75, and Associate Provost for Diversity and Intercultural Education Alison Williams joined the group for an update on campus climate. Also in attendance was Mary Frazell ’79, director of Alumni and Family Engagement, whose efforts to coordinate the event should be commended.

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Alums, current students, allies, faculty, and staff at the Denison Pride Reunion gathering

This year, DenisonPride’s members, current students, faculty, and staff were asked to think back to their first LGBTQ+ event on campus and where it was located. The discussion was enlightening—from quiet, initial meetings in the basement of Doane Library to the more than 100 students who currently pack space on campus for the year’s first Outlook meeting. The difficulties, priorities, and experiences of being an LGBTQ student or ally were uniquely on display.

After this discussion, Outlook’s Hannah Getto provided an update on Outlook’s current initiatives. Special importance was given to the issue of a permanent space for the group on campus. Outlook has worked diligently to identify potential meeting spaces that could provide a permanent home for the group as it has outgrown existing spaces.

A Big Red thanks to all students, faculty, alums, and friends who attended the event–every year the stories that are shared provide new insights into past and current life for Denisonians. These shared experiences have shaped the struggles for inclusion and acceptance on campus and in the world. Thanks to all who attended and participated!

Fresh news

The May 2018 Denison Pride newsletter has been published.  Take a look for:newsletter

  • updates on the work of Outlook, Denison’s LGBTQ students and allies organization, from 2017-18 president Rhea Patil ’19;
  • a recap of the Queer Studies program’s activities and faculty scholarship;
  • a sneak peak of Communications professor Hollis Griffin’s new book

    Feeling Normal: Sexuality and Media Culture in the Digital Age, on LGBTQ tv, cinema, and online media;

  • personal and professional updates from Denison Pride alumni;

  • Prof. David Woodyard’s tribute to early “out” Professor of Music Lee Bostian; and
  • much more

Huge thanks to editor Rick Carson for his work gathering and editing, as he keeps us up to date on events, people, and programs on campus and among Denison Pride alums.

Denison Pride May 2018

 

DenisonPride @ Reunion 2018!

Reunion Weekend is coming up, and we are reminding everyone who’ll be on/near campus to come to the Denison Pride gathering on Saturday afternoon. Denison Pride postcardWe’ll have some updates on LGBTQ campus culture from college leaders and Outlook members, and Q&A and discussion about what’s up and out at Denison.

Even if you won’t be in Granville, please encourage returning friends, including allies of our group, to attend. The details:

Denison Pride Reunion Weekend gathering for LGBTQ Alumni, Students, Faculty, Staff, Friends, and Allies:

Saturday, June 2
3-5 p.m.
Faculty Common Room, Burton D. Morgan Center

Remarks and discussion starting at 3:15 p.m., with social time before and after.

Celebration Survey Results!

Thanks to all those who participated in the DenisonPride 30th Anniversary Celebration Survey! Those who responded ranged from current students and faculty to alumni from all of the past five decades. Your answers and feedback will help provide us with direction as we plan the weekend of events to celebrate the history and future of our group.

In total, 66 Denisonians responded to the survey. Here are some of the findings:

  • 87.8% said they would be interested in attending the weekend of events
  • 75.0% said they would be interested in serving on a panel
  • 70.3% said they would be willing to contribute to the event
  • Respondents were most interested in social events, panel discussions, meetings with students/faculty, and entertainment.

Thanks for taking the time to respond. We look forward to seeing you back on the hill!

A touch of Denison magazine glamour

There’s a nice shout-out to Andrew Levitt ’01 and his drag persona Nina West in the new Denison magazine — reIMG_5222 2cognizing community engagement and more than $1M raised for Columbus charities benefiting children in the LGBTQ community.  We haven’t done the archival research, but is this the first drag photo to appear in the magazine’s pages?  See p. 19.

You can read more about Andrew as one of Columbus Dispatch‘s “Everyday Heroes” — “showcasing Central Ohio residents who quietly work to heal, unite and improve our communities.”

Congratulations, Andrew!

Denison Pride at 2018 Reunion Weekend ~ with 2017 recap

As we save the date and plan for Denison Pride’s reunion gathering in June 2018, here’s a review of 2017’s very well-attended event.  Once again, alums, allies, and other members of the Denison community are warmly invited.


Denison Pride hosted a large group of returning alums and allies at its Reunion Weekend gathering on Saturday, June 3, 2017.

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Some of the many allies, alums, faculty, members of the Denison administration, and students gathered at the June Reunion event.

More than thirty alumni, faculty, current students, recent grads, straight allies, and friends of the groups gathered for socializing and discussion of campus issues in the Faculty Common Room of the Burton D. Morgan Center. Brian Paul Allen ’17Jeffrey Masten ’86, and Valerie Mockus ’94 co-hosted the event. Continue reading

Reunion Weekend 2017 approaches . . .

We’re counting down to Reunion Weekend and reminding everyone who’ll be on/near campus to come to the Denison Pride gathering on Sat. afternoon. Denison Pride postcardBrian Paul Allen ’17, Jeffrey Masten ’86, and Valerie Mockus ’94, will co-host.

We’ll have some updates on LGBTQ campus culture, from college leaders and from the incoming Outlook president, and Q&A and discussion about what’s up and out at Denison.

Even if you won’t be in Granville, please encourage returning friends, including allies of our group, to attend. The details:

Denison Pride Reunion Weekend gathering for LGBTQ Alumni, Students, Faculty, Staff, Friends, and Allies:

Saturday, June 3
3-5 p.m.
Faculty Common Room, Burton D. Morgan Center

Remarks and discussion starting at 3:15 p.m., with social time before and after.

Update on Transgender Rights at Denison

In response to new guidance from the Trump administration that rescinded Obama-era policies regarding the rights of transgender students on college campuses, Denison released their response. The University reaffirmed its commitments to transgender students and their rights on campus.

With the many changes occuring at the federal level, the continued support of the University for the rights of current students is even more important.

The text of the response is below and can be found at this link: Transgender Rights at Denison

“On Wednesday, February 22, 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Education issued a joint Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) that rescinded and withdrew earlier guidance on transgender students’ Title IX rights that had been issued in May 2016 during the Obama administration. The earlier guidance sought to clarify, among other things, that Title IX provided protection against discrimination based upon gender identity and protected a student’s right to use the sex-segregated bathroom and/or locker room facility that corresponded with an individual’s gender identity.

While the February 22, 2017 DCL withdraws earlier guidance, it also states that students are not “without protections from discrimination, bullying, or harassment. All schools must ensure that all students, including LGBT students, are able to learn and thrive in a safe environment.”

Denison University remains committed to the rights of transgender people living, learning and working in our community, as captured in the following reaffirmation of our policy:

Denison University will not exclude, separate, deny benefits to, or otherwise treat differently transgender persons in any of its activities. This is to include the right of all people at the university to use the restroom and locker room of the individual’s gender identity. Restricting this right would be considered discrimination based upon sex and violate university policy. The university is committed to gender equity, and broadly considers rights and protections based upon sex to include biological sex, sexual conduct, gender, gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation.”