A Letter from the GLBTAA President

September 2009

Hi All!

My name is Rob DeCleene and I have just started my second term as president of the IU GLBT Alumni Association. The past few years have flown by and I’m excited to continue many great projects and events and plan some new ones as well.

As of the September 2009 board meeting, Brian Whitman is the vice president; Deanna Lahre, BS’76, is the treasurer; and Jon Kitto, AAGS’06, is the secretary. We have also voted in some new board members and have a new student board member and intern, Solomon Hursey. Please check out the board of directors page on for a complete list of current members.

Here’s a quick recap of things this summer’s accomplishments, as well as an update on approved plans for the current fiscal year:

  • IU GLBTAA had a presence at Indy Pride and Chicago Pride. In Indianapolis, we were joined by the IU Office of Admissions — a great partnership we hope to continue! In Chicago, we had a convertible in the Pride Parade, and several members marched along — this was another partnership as we were joined by members of the Chicago Chapter of the IUAA.
  • In June, the IU Board of Trustees unanimously voted to include gender identity as part of the university-wide nondiscrimination policy. Many thanks to Steve Sanders, BA’84, for his efforts in making this a reality.
  • Two academic scholarships were awarded for the current school year. The deserving recipients are a law student on the Bloomington campus and an undergraduate on the IU Kokomo campus who identifies as transgender.
  • The second IU GLBT Homecoming will be Jan. 29 to 31, 2010 — coinciding with the PRIDE Film Festival in Bloomington. More details to come, but initial plans call for a social at the Kinsey Institute, a silent auction and reception at Grazie! Italian Eatery, and a Sunday brunch in the Indiana Memorial Union Tudor Room.
  • A line item in the current budget has been established for student leadership development and $3,000 was allocated. Initial plans call for this money to be used to pay for motor coach transportation for IU students to attend the 2010 MBLGTA Collegiate Conference at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.
  • The last print newsletter will be the winter 2009–10 issue. The GLBTAA is attempting to move to an all-electronic newsletter format in order to save money and be sensitive to the environment. This move allows the GLBTAA to allocate up to $1,000 towards other programs and membership services.

Perhaps, the most exciting and ambitious project will be the launching of a development campaign to raise $100,000 for scholarships and the furnishing of a renovated GLBT Student Support Services Office on the Bloomington campus. The money will be divided evenly, with $50,000 going towards scholarships (both academic and emergency) and $50,000 going towards furnishing the renovated office. There are many more details to come about this great opportunity for the GLBTAA to give back to our students in an unprecedented way.

I would like to thank all of our members for making the GLBTAA one of the largest and most active affiliate groups within the IUAA. I would also like to invite potential members to become dues-paying members. Your IUAA membership dues are now 80 percent tax deductible and support GLBTAA events and programs, which allow us to serve our members and community. So remember, whether you’re giving a little or a lot, membership dues and donations are tax deductible.

It’s my pleasure to serve as your board president and I look forward to working with the rest of the board. Please don’t ever hesitate to contact me with any questions, comments, suggestions, etc., at . In the meantime, go Hoosiers and hail to old IU!

Best,
Rob DeCleene, BS‘94