Hello QCF family…

Below are a plethora of QCF and UPenn events covering January and February.  Please mark especially the dinner February 11th at the Christian Association House with the Rev. Chris Glaser, former CA intern and author of a new book on same-sex marriage.  If you have any ideas on programs or events you would like to see, please e-mail us at: qcf.penn (at) gmail (dot) com. All the best for a blessed 2010! 
 

 QCF EVENTS
 
~ QCF Dinner and a movie ~
Tuesday, 2 February
7:00 PM
 
Come start out the new semester with a yummy, homemade dinner made by fellow QCF’ers with lively dinner discussion around the table.  Following dinner, we will retire to the living room and view “Latter Days” (2003):
 
Film synopsis: Aaron Davis (Steve Sandvoss) and Christian Markelli (Wes Ramsey) are the two most opposite people in the world. Aaron is a young Elder (or a Mormon missionary) who wants to do his family proud and is quite passionate about his religion and film. Christian is a shallow WeHo waiter/party boy who only looks forward to bedding a new guy every night. After Aaron and three other missionaries move into the apartment across from Christian, his friends bet him $50 that he can't get one of them to jump into the sack, so he instantly latches onto Aaron. There are two problems, though - Christian is falling in love with Aaron and the Mormons are not the biggest fans of the homosexual community. Once Aaron is discovered, the two have to go through trials of regret, loss, perseverance, and forgiveness if they both want to get to the thing that matters to them most: each other.
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~ Dinner with the Rev. Chris Glaser ~
Author of As My Own Soul: The Blessing of Same Gender Marriage
Thursday, 11 February
7:00 PM
 
QCF is very excited to welcome the Rev. Chris Glaser back to the Christian Association, where he was the first gay Seminary Intern in the 1970s.  On the Penn campus, he helped found the first LGBT Counseling Center on campus. 
We will discuss his new book, “As My Own Soul: The Blessing of Same Gender Marriage” (Seabury, $20 pb). 
Rev. Glaser is an ordained Presbyterian and MCC minister.
"What we want can be simply put:
"...we want to belong. We want to belong to each other in marriage. We want to belong to our congregations in ministry. We want to belong to our vocations in service. And we want everyone to belong, even those whose privilege grants them immediate access to blessings we can only pray for, work for, struggle for, and sometimes die for."
-The Rev. Chris Glaser
 
Ever wonder why marriage for same-gender couples generates such passion? Why is it so important to gay people? And why is it felt as an attack on "traditional" marriage by others?  Writing accessibly for the general reader, author Chris Glaser narrows it down-first to taboos around sexuality, then to taboos around the sacred.
www.chrisglaser.com
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~ IvyQ ~
(QCF members participating)
Thursday, February 18th-Sunday, February 21st
UPenn campus
 
IvyQ 2010 is the first annual Ivy League conference for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer students and their allies.
 
Our VisionIvyQ builds a vision of equality, where strong LGBTQ students can grow the confidence and skills to lead by example and thrive beyond stereotypes. The goals of the conference are threefold: networking to create a strong and social pan-Ivy LGBTQ community; educating students about the history and different voices of the movement; and empowering tomorrow's world leaders to be proud LGBTQ leaders.
 
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~ QCF trip  to Dignity Service ~
Sunday, 28 February
6:00 PM, Meet at CA house
7:00 PM, Service at St. Luke & the Epiphany,
330 South 13th St. (between Spruce and Pine), Philadelphia, PA 19107
 
Come meet us at the CA house to go down to the gayborhood as a group, or meet us at the church.  QCF will have a planned trip to the Dignity service the last Sunday of February, March, and April.
 
“Dignity” is a caring, supportive community of gay, lesbian,
bisexual, transgender Catholics, our families and friends.
www.dignityphila.org
 
 
~ “Homosexuality and Religion” clip from Oprah ~
 
Our friend Anthony Banks shared with QCF the clip below. He says, “I found this 8 minute video clip on homosexuality and religion to be very empowering.

”
 
http://www.oprah.com/media/20090227-sas-gay-religion

 
 

PENN EVENTS
 
 
~ BEYOND MARRIAGE:  THE STATE OF LGBTQ RIGHTS IN AMERICA~

Wednesday, January 27 at 7pm@ the Penn LGBT Center (3907 Spruce)

For many, the right to marry seems to be the biggest issue of concern for LGBTQ Americans. Guest speaker, Kenyon Farrow, Executive Director of Queers for Economic Justice, will discuss the breadth of political issues impacting the LGBT community, including employment discrimination, economic disparities, access to benefits, health care reform, transphobia and much more.Respondents include Rue Landau, Executive Director of the Philadelphia Human Relations Commission, and Soda Nobuhle, Executive Director of the Womyn's Village.
 
Refreshments will be served. Your RSVP is requested but not required.For more info and to RSVP, please contact Nina at ninah (at) upenn (dot) edu or call 215-898-5044 or find us on Facebook under "Beyond Marriage".
 
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~ QSA General Body Meeting – “Come See who UC at the QSA” ~

Wednesday, Jan. 27th at 8:00 PM
Location: TBD
Come meet the new board as we introduce everyone to more than just Penn.  People from Drexel, USP, and Temple will also come to see what makes the Penn LGBT community so awesome! 
We will have food, refreshments and plenty of new faces! 
We will also be going over our plans for the rest of the semester, QPenn (including the drag show and applications), IvyQ,
outreach, advocacy, and so much more! 
Come join a committee, grab food, and meet awesome new people!
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~ Drag Show Applications ~
The QSA Drag Show is still accepting applications for board members!  Attached is the application for board positions as well as descriptions of the positions’ duties.  The Drag Show solicits the participation of all students, faculty, and administration, so all are welcome to apply.  If you are interested, please send your applications to both quintinmarcus (at) gmail (dot) com and tdowad01 (at) gmail (dot) com. 
Applications are due this Tuesday, January 26. (TODAY!!)
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~ LBTQ Women’s Group ~
This year, CAPS is offering a wonderful resource for undergraduate and graduate women who identify as lesbian, bisexual, transsexual, queer, or questioning.  The group provides a safe, affirming space in which to explore issues that may be affecting their lives. Students do not need to be in individual counseling at CAPS to participate.
The group will meet Tuesday afternoons (time to be determined).  Anyone interested or with questions should feel free to contact Debra Weigl at dweigl (at) upenn (dot) edu or Betsy Conston at econston (at) upenn (dot) edu.
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~ Questioning Event ~
Thursday, Feb. 4th, 8:30 PM
Location: Confidential
Do you or anyone you know need help figuring things out? Come to a confidential, no risk meeting with questions involving sexual identity and the coming out process. Email question-us (at) lists.upenn (dot) edu to get the confidential location. If you cannot attend, individual appointments can be scheduled.
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~ MYA Trips ~

Friday, Feb. 26th and Friday, Mar. 19th; Times: both 5:15 PM
Go with QSA members to the Mainline Youth Alliance to chat about college life.  One or both of these nights may also include a transgender panel organized by MYA.  Look for updates as these dates approach.  For both trips, anyone interested in going will meet at the LGBT Center at 5:15 PM.

 

PHILLY EVENTS
 
~ Out and Faithful’s Interfaith Breakfast ~
Friday, 12 February, 7:30 AM
William Way LGBT Community Center
1315 Spruce St., Philadelphia, PA 19107
 
Join the William Way Center’s Out and Faithful Committee as they host the second annual Interfaith Breakfast featuring guest speaker, the Rev. Christ Glaser.  This year’s topic remains marriage equality for same-sex partners.  This time last year, Proposition 8 rocked the community and 12 months later, the state of New Jersey becomes the latest state to deny full marriage equality for all: the struggle continues.  Join us as Rev. Glaser speaks about what you can do in your congregation to support LGBT people, why marriage matters, and why it’s been so hard for our community to get!