B-GLAD launches `Odyssey'

From today until next Friday, Penn will host its annual Bisexual Gay Lesbian Transgender Awareness Days, featuring various speakers, programs and workshops. This year's B-GLAD, titled "B-GLAD 2001: A Queer Odyssey," seeks to inform Penn about the history of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people at Penn and all over the world. "I think it's a very impressive array of speakers and programs and activities," Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center Director Bob Shoenberg said. Democratic Congressman Barney Frank of Massachusetts will speak at a College Green rally on Monday. He will be joined by Provost Robert Barchi. "The rally is notable because it provides a forum in the heart of our campus to discuss issues of importance to the LGBT community," Barchi said in an e-mail statement. Other events will include a dance, a film series and a speaker series called "20 Minutes on...," which will highlight LGBT community issues presented by Penn staff and faculty. The series will be featured four times throughout the week at the Houston Hall Bistro. "I'm really excited about it this year," B-GLAD Planning Committee co-chairwoman and College senior Nina Harris said. "It's a diverse array of events that reflect the diversity of the community," Harris added. Two of the more notable appearances are keynote speaker Leslie Feinberg and comedian Marga Gomez, who is appearing in collaboration with the upcoming Festival Latino. Feinberg, a transgender author and activist, will appear in Logan Hall on Thursday. "Penn is a place that she really hasn't accessed yet," Harris said, noting that now was an especially appropriate time for Feinberg to appear at the University. "A lot of it was just coordinated between our group and other groups," B-GLAD Planning Committee co-chair and College sophomore Karim Javeri said about the integrated aspect of much of the week. Those responsible for planning the week's events see an increasing level of University administrative outreach to the LGBT community at Penn in recent years. "Part of that increase is because of increasing awareness and increasing respect for the queer community," Javeri said, noting that the number of B-GLAD events has increased from a small number a decade ago to over 20 this year. "It was important that we have effective members of the community speaking," Javeri added. He stressed the importance of having "speakers who have contributed to the queer community and at the same time reflect the spirit of B-GLAD on this campus." Those involved with the week's events said that B-GLAD is designed to increase awareness about LGBT issues on campus. "I expect that the entire week of events will contribute to the awareness of the LGBT community on the Penn campus," Shoenberg said.

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