Queer Commission

INTRODUCTION

Mission Statement

The A.S. Queer Commission shall serve as an educational and advocacy forum for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT), Queer, and Intersex (LGBTQI) student’s rights, with a commitment to representing and improving the status of LGBTQI students on campus and in the community. The A.S. Queer Commission is working toward becoming a diverse group of members that increases awareness, educates, elicits appreciation, offers insights, towards the LGBTQI community at UCSB and also the Tri-County areas. The Commission will also work together with other campus and community groups to overcome problems such as homophobia, transphobia, biphobia and other forms of oppression.

Objectives of Queer Commission:

1. Be an advocacy group aimed at improving the status of queer students both on campus and in the community.
2. Be aware of and work to support the projects of other queer student’s organizations on campus and in the community.
3. Act as a referral source for students on any matter concerning LGBTQI issues.
4. Work to educate the campus on issues pertaining to the LGBTQI community.
5. Advise the Legislative Council on issues pertaining to LGBTQI students.
6. Provide student representation for A.S. on ad hoc Administrative committees concerning LGBTQI issues.
7. Work on advocating the rights of all LGBTQI students on campus.

QUEER COMMISSION OFFICERS

Danielle Patterson, Co-Chair
Justice Dumlao, Co-Chair
Kyle Argonza, Queerstorian
Ogui Gonzalez Vila, Internal Coordinator
Dylan French, External Coordinator
Chris Leal, Outreach Coordinator
Alec Ramirez, Publicity Coordinator
Marissa De la Paz, Pride Co-Chair
Kate Moser, Pride Co-Chair
Ariel Jimenez, Special Projects Coordinator
Ricky Uribe, Special Projects Coordinator
Fletcher Hurley, Special Projects Coordinator
Benjamin Butterfield, New Leader Intern

MARCH AGAINST RAPE CULTURE

During fall quarter Queer Comm participated in the March Against Rape march through Isla Vista. The march was organized by the Feminasty Guardians working with the Santa Barbara Student Activist Network. Other organizations, including Take Back the Night, the UCSB Women’s Center, and the UCSB Resource Center for Sexual & Gender Diversity also contributed to the rally.

CREATING CHANGE CONFERENCE

Queer Commission provided funding to send students to the 2017 Creating Change Conference held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from January 17th – 22nd. The annual conference is produced by the LGBTQ Task Force and created the opportunity for thousands of committed people to develop and hone their skills, celebrate victories, build community, and be inspired by visionaries of the LGBTQ movement and allied movements for justice and equality.

This conference is held each year to build power beyond the movement to achieve a goal of full equity, social justice and dignity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans*, and queer people in the United States. The conference provided 20 types of Day Long Institutes, two dozen trainings for Leadership and Action, approximately 250 workshops and caucus sessions, four keynote plenary sessions, worship gatherings, film screenings, meetings, receptions, social events, and was ultimately a space to just exist and have fun in queer spaces that were made for attendees and by attendees.

FORMATION OF THE ISLA VISTA PARTY

The AS Elections Board approved formation of the new Isla Vista Party with Nawar Nemeh as its candidate for AS President. The party reached out to Queer Comm as it was being formed so that it could represent them and other groups on campus.

SENATE PASSED A CONFERENCE BUDGET CAP

Queer Comm Co-chair Justice Dumlao expressed concern in the Daily Nexus that BCU chairs were not consulted before the vote to pass the cap. The new bylaw states that campus organizations shall spend no more than 5 percent of total Finance and Business Committee funds, or $70,000, on “student forums that foster creativity, leadership, scholarship and diversity including but not limited to conferences, seminars, retreats and similar events.” The bylaw also adds a cap of $3,500 per conference, allowing 20 organizations to request funds and ensuring that no single organization can monopolize the budget.

UCSB PRIDE WEEK

Queer Comm was part of the campus-wide collaboration that produced the annual week long UCSB Pride celebration. This included a T-shirt design contest. Here’s everything that happened:

QUEER TOWN HALL

As fall quarter came to a close, Queer Comm created a space at the annual Queer Town Hall to come together as a community to discuss all things queer at UCSB. How’s the campus climate? What are the problems facing our community? What are some cool events you saw this year or want to see next year? Ideas for the future? Compliments and critiques of the past? A Queer List of Demands?

A NIGHT OF SPOKEN WORD WITH JASMINE MANS AND ALYSIA HARRIS

This co-hosted workshop, ” How to Write and Empathetic Poem” and performance was hosted by Queer Commission and the Black Student Union.