Transgender, Other-identified, Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, and Allies for Diversity (TOBGLAD)

Contact

E-mail: tobglad@poets.whittier.edu

TOBGLAD is a confidential group that serves as a support system for students and involves them in crucial political issues affecting the bisexual, gay, and lesbian community. The organization's focus is to end discrimination through educating the Whittier College community.

Day of Silence
A now-annual event coordinated and sponsored by TOBGLAD is the campus "Day of Silence." During this event, participants and supporters maintain silence while using small note cards to explain the reason for their silence—a symbolic metaphor for the silencing of the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender community on a variety of issues in society.

TOBGLAD Reception
Students and alumni are also invited each year to attend a reception hosted by TOBGLAD during Whittier Weekend, in celebration of differences and diversity among the extended college community.

Educational Campaign
TOBGLAD is sponsoring the "That's So (not) Gay" campaign, by passing out awareness/ally ribbons as well as the "That's so (not) Gay" buttons during the homecoming carnival. The campaign is TOBGLAD's challenge to the entire Whittier campus to remove this phrase from daily life. It implies that gay is synonymous with annoying or stupid and those implications tend to shape how people view the LGBT community. The phrase also implies a negative connotation which perpetuates society's recognition of the LGBT community as a lesser people than those who are straight.

If you want to support the campaign to take "That's so gay" out of your vocabulary, please log on here, click on the black box with "Have something to say?" and speak your mind! You can also read what others have to say!

Allies training was also held this year on February 19th, facilitated by Dr. Vincent Vigil, Director of the LGBT Resource Center at USC and a graduate of Whittier College. The goal of Allies Training is to create a more compassionate and educated campus environment. Dr. Vigil’s workshop gave participants the opportunity to learn about the challenges that LGBT persons face, challenged individuals to change the pervasive socialized perceptions of the LGBT community that perpetuate discrimination and oppression, offered tools to actively advocate for LGBT persons and encouraged participants to create safe zones on campus. Allies Training was open to administrators, faculty, staff and students. There was a great turn out of about 20-25 people and we are looking forward to next year's Allies Training.

On March 4th, TOBGLAD is partnering with Poet Entertainment to host Isis King, the first transgender contestant to compete in America’s Next Top Model. Since Isis is post-op, she is open for all questions and has agreed to a Q&A after her presentation. She will also be participating in a photo shoot with three lucky drawing winners at the end of the presentation. This event is sponsored by ASWC Senate, RHA and Gender and Women’s Studies.