Pouring Tea: Black Gay Men of the South

Feb. 9th, 7:30pm, Fredrick March Play Circle, Memorial Union: E. Patrick Johnson will perform Pouring Tea: Black Gay Men of the South, a one-man performance based on stories collected for his new book Sweet Tea: Black Gay Men of the South, an oral history of black gay men who live in the southern United States. The free performance covers some of the themes discussed in Sweet Tea, with Johnson performing the narratives of nine men. Johnson, a professor of African-American studies and professor, chairman and director of graduate studies in the performance studies department at Northwestern University, has performed Pouring Tea at colleges and universities nationwide.

First Annual Spring Semester Film Festival

Starting February 1st, the LGBT Campus Center with be hosting a weekly film viewing at 7pm on Mondays in the CC. The schedule of films and links to their descriptions is available here.

Queer Emerging Leaders Program

The Queer Emerging Leaders Program (QELP) starts Thursday, February 4th and continues every Thursday through April 15th from 5:30 to 7pm in the Red Gym Mezzanine Room (signs will be up). QELP is an 8-week program for LGBT and Allied students to develop leadership skills and explore sexual identity in the social justice realm. It is designed for first and second year students, although everyone is welcome. Read more about QELP or contact Kelsey Nelson ( kanelson4@wisc.edu) with any questions!

Haiti Earthquake Relief

The following is a list of recommended options for participating in Haiti Earthquake Relief: The Rainbow World Fund, Red Cross, and White House website. More information about each is located on our Haiti Earthquake Relief page.

Point Foundation Scholarships

Point Foundation Scholarship applications become available on Dec. 11 with an application deadline of Feb 12, 2010. Point scholarships provide financial support through scholarships, leadership training, mentoring and hope to LGBTQ students who are marginalized because of their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. More at www.pointfoundation.org

Imputed Income Calculator Now Available

The Office of Human Resources has developed an imputed income calculator to assist employees with estimating the tax implications of extending health insurance coverage to a domestic partner or eligible adult children under age 27. http://www.bussvc.wisc.edu/ecbs/2010/imputed_income.html. Calculators for biweekly and monthly employees, as well as Graduate Assistants, are available. UW-Madison employees can access their earning statements at My UW, under the Work Record tab.

Domestic Partnership Benefits Update

There will be a new ETF affidavit that has to be signed by both partners and notarized to be valid. However, once that affidavit is filed, there is only a 30-day window to sign up for benefits (health insurance, life insurance, etc.), which is the same as the 30-day window after a marriage and many other "qualifying events". Be aware that benefits don't begin until Jan 1, 2010, and that they are subject to federal income tax. More details on the FAQ, which covers many different areas (benefits, affidavits, taxation, starting/stopping/changing rules, children of the partner, retirement).
Affidavit form 2371, Frequently Asked Questions

Join the Speaker's Bureau!

Interested in being trained in topics relating to LGBTQ/Ally issues? Want to have the opportunity to speak to people across campus and make a difference while gaining valuable experience? Want something to put on your resume? Then the Speaker's Bureau is for you! If interested, please contact Schuyler Meredith, our Educational Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator, at lgbtspeakers@gmail.com to get trained in.

Doing some research? Unsure how to find what you need?

The UW-Libraries page now has a research guide for LGBTQ Studies resources! Check it out for helpful search tips in MadCat and article databases, definitions, and extensive discipline-specific information that includes suggestions on which databases to search, lists of core book/movie titles, and website links.