Hello IQ!

Hope you are all prepared for midterms this week! Good luck to all of you!

Another thing you should also be prepared for…

CLUB Q!

This Friday is Irvine Queers’ quarterly dance, CLUB Q: A Nightmare before Queermas! The theme is Nightmare Before Christmas. No costume is required but feel free to come dressed in costume!

Also, this Tuesday is our weekly meeting. This week in order to take a break from studying and midterms we will be having a pajama and board game night, so bring your favorite pair of PJ’s and have fun with everyone playing board games! Or just come in regular clothes, that’s cool too. Just come to our meetings!

Club Q event page: http://www.facebook.com/events/222833554513961/

Words From Justin :)

So yesterday was interesting. I got to see a multitude of news articles about people who hate me and my queer family so much that they were willing to sit in mile-long lines just to show it. I really can’t put into words how disheartening and infuriating that is. To know that so many people think that I’m somehow less, that I’m undeserving of the rights they take for granted.

This isn’t just about gay marriage. Right now there are so many kids out there–struggling with their sexualities, gender identities, or any number of other things–going through the same things I did when I was younger. Worrying about which of their friends will turn on them, or having to seriously consider whether they’ll even have a place to live once they come out. Perhaps living in denial or hating themselves, even to the point of being suicidal. Learning for themselves that it’s *okay* to be who you are, because no one else will teach them. Try telling those kids how supposedly non-hateful our society is.

I speak from experience; I’ve felt all of those things at some point in my life. Growing up gay in a conservative household is, to put it lightly, difficult. I was lucky enough to meet my friend Adam online when we were in our early teens. We ended up coming out to each other at some point. I don’t recall exactly how that came about, but just having one person that I could be completely open with was so helpful. I can honestly say I probably wouldn’t be here today if I hadn’t had that friendship to lean on. But even so, I had my share of denial and self-hatred. I told myself I was really straight for years, that my attraction to guys was just a phase. When I couldn’t make myself believe that anymore, I told myself I must be bisexual instead, to hang on to the idea that I could still at least have some heterosexual attractions like I was “supposed” to. It was such a self-destructive way to live, and I wasn’t able to fully come to terms with myself until more recently than I care to admit. While I’m absolutely proud of myself as I am today, not everyone is that lucky.

Every time I heard someone I respected condemn queers when I was younger, it killed me a little inside. When I think of how a closeted queer kid might have felt yesterday, seeing those thousands upon thousands of people proudly displaying their ignorance and bigotry, it tears me apart. I’m tired of the Chick-fil-A controversy, of institutionalized queerphobia and of this insane religious hegemony that consistently puts doctrine ahead of basic human compassion. As tired as I am, though, this is why I’m so vocal about queer rights. The simple truth is that the queer community needs to take care of itself, because if we don’t there are so few others who will. That’s why I advocate, even if some weeks it’s just a link here or putting in my two cents there in the hopes that someone might see it and be encouraged. As long as the queer community is treated like second-class citizens, as long as there are kids out there going through the same things I had to go through, closeted and unable to stand up for themselves, I’m going to do what I can on their behalf. I urge all of you, especially the many queer allies I know, to do the same.

-Justin Lara (I.Q. Co-Chair)

Week 6: 5/8

Hello everyone! Sorry for the delayed post but midterms have been..well midterms, you get the idea.

This week we had a workshop from the Student Health Center about stress and how to deal with it. Remember, just take a deep breath and try to relax.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Drag Show

• All the World’s a Stage! IQ’s fourth annual Drag Show will be taking place Thursday May 17th at 7:00 pm in HIB 100.
• If you are interested in performing e-mail ucidragshow@gmail.com for an application. It’s not too late to apply! Performers meet tomorrow May 11th at 6:00 pm in HIB 100. Come if you are interested in performing, even if you are unsure of what to peform. We can help you come up with an idea!
• Drag Show will also be fundraising Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of next week. We will be promoting the show by giving out flyers and selling pizza and/or clothes. If you have any clothes you can donate for the sale it would be greatly appreciated if you could drop them off at the LGBT resource center. Thanks!

TAG TEAM

• TAG TEAM, the Transgender Alliance Group To Educate And Motivate, is meeting Wednesday of next week, May 16th in the LGBT resource center at 6:00 pm.

Queer History Week

• Next week we’re celebrating Queer History Week which is based around Harvey Milk Day!
• Safe Zone training will take place Tuesday and Thursday. You must attend both training sessions in order to complete the training.
• For more event information visit lgbtrc.uci.edu.

Long Beach Pride

• IQ will be part of the parade at Long Beach Pride next Sunday May 20th. Come march with us!

Goodsearch!

• Don’t forget to continue using goodsearch to support IQ!

Be part of a public service announcement!

• A PSA regarding bullying of LGBTQ students at schools is being filmed this Saturday May 12th at 10:00 am at CSU Fullerton. The PSA is said to air during ELLEN and GLEE!
• For more information contact Karyl Ketchum at 714.625.3616 or ketchum@fullerton.edu, or Michelle Rouse at (805) 660-1501 or mich@csu.fullerton.edu

Have a great end of the week!
-Adam

Events this Friday!

Just a reminder to all of our followers, there will be several things going on this Friday, all coincidentally involving food (because who doesn’t like to eat? :D) and here they are:

Drag Show Fundraiser

• Irvine Queers will be selling pizza and beverages on Ring Road from 11 am to 3 pm. Come out and support both IQ and the annual drag show hosted by IQ.

AV Pride

• Don’t forget that there will be a Pride event in the Arroyo Vista Rec Center this Friday from 5 to 7 pm hosted by Spectrum House. There will be food, information booths and workshops.

Queer Shabbat!

• Hillel at UCI will be holding a Queer Shabbat this Friday from 6:30 to 9:30 pm. Come enjoy a home cooked meal and embrace both Jewish and queer identities. The facebook event can be found here.

So if you don’t have plans for Friday those are some suggestions and we hope to see you there.

Have a good night!
-Adam

5/1: Week 5

Hello again!
Hopefully midterms are going well for you all and if you have other midterms coming up we wish you luck!
So here’s what’s happening this week.

IQ Meeting

• This week’s meeting was an arts and crafts meeting. We had different fabrics and strings and yarns and whatnot to make whatever came to mind.
• Applications for applied positions for next year’s board were due today at midnight so if you still want to apply, HURRY!!
• Remember that meetings are Tuesdays at 7:00 pm in Newport Beach A inside the student center. See you there next week!

Drag Show Committee Meeting

• Drag show committee meets tomorrow, Wednesday, at 7:00 pm in SST 220B. Come if you are interested in performing or being involved in any way.
• If interested in performing and you want a submission form e-mail ucidragshow@gmail.com.

AV Pride

• Spectrum House in the Arroyo Vista housing community will be hosting AV Pride this Friday from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm.
• It will be held in the Arroyo Vista Rec Center and there will be food and workshops.

TAG TEAM

• TAG TEAM, the Transgender Alliance Group To Educate And Motivate, will be meeting tomorrow at 6:00 pm in the LGBT Resource Center. It is located on the third floor of the student center.

Lavender Graduation

• If you are a graduating senior be sure to sign up for Lavander Grad with the LGBT center!
• For more information go to the LGBT Resource Center website (click on the link).
  

 

Those are the announcements for week 5. Feel free to come to our events and good luck on midterms to everyone.
-Adam

Week 4 Meeting: 4/24

Hello!

This is Adam, your new publicity chair for the 2012-2013 school year! Wooooo! I am taking over for Anaiz and hopefully this transition is not troublesome to our followers.
Onto announcements!

Pink Kitty!This Thursday, April 26th Irvine Queers will be heading over to Pink Kitty, the only sex shop in Irvine. The store owner will give a brief workshop/presentation and we will spend some time browsing/shopping. There will also be a 20% discount to those that go with Irvine Queers! If you need a ride meet at the flagpoles at 5:30 pm. Click here to find the facebook event.

Drag Show!Interested in performing in, giving ideas to, or just having some association with Irvine Queers’ 4th annual Drag Show? Then you should definitely come to the meeting today and every Wednesday held in SST 220B at 7:00 pm…which is roughly an hour away. Hope to see you there!

AV Pride!
The Arollo Vista housing community will be hosting a Pride event next Friday May 4th! It will go from 5:00-7:00 pm. Go support!

So I think those are all the announcements for this week. If I missed any of them, send me a message and I will add it.

Your new Publicity chair,
Adam

Congratulations!

Congratulations to everyone who made it on next year's board!

Your board for 2012-2013 is as follows:

Chairs: Justin and Anaiz
Secretary: James
Treasurer: Jordan
Historian: Jeff
Publicity: Adam

Starting today Adam and I will both be updating the blogs. Eventually I will stop posting and he will take over.

Bye,

Anaiz :)
Fundraising and Publicity Chair