“All faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends, please join us for this fabulous weekend and see why IU has received five stars and has been ranked in the top 50 LGBT-friendly universities and colleges in the nation,” said Mike Shumate, IU Foundation director and former GLBTAA president.
Quarryland, a men’s choir comprised of local GLBT community members and allies, will entertain ?attendees during the social.
GLBTAA will provide free buffet-type food and a cash bar.
The Association will also honor this year’s two recipients of the Distinguished Alumni Award: University Chancellor Emeritus and Vice President Kenneth R.R. Gros Louis and IU alumnus Steven L. Tuchman. Vice Chair MaryEllen Bishop will be in attendance, presenting the Distinguished Alumni Award to Tuchman.
Doug Bauder, director of GLBT Student Support Services, will ?present the GLBTSSS Spirit Award to Sigma Phi Beta, IU’s gay men’s social fraternity.
Overlapping with the Bloomington PRIDE Film Festival, GLBTAA Celebration Weekend will host many additional events throughout the weekend.
The GLBTAA Annual Board meeting will be from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at the DeVault Alumni Center. The meeting is open to the public and will include an election to determine which members’ terms will be expiring, Shumate said.
A silent auction will take place from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Grazie Italian Eatery. Proceeds will support the IU LGBT community’s scholarship fund, Bauder said. Tickets are $20 and include rainbow ?martinis, hors d’oeuvres and more.
Bauder said many attendees of the alumni weekend likely will attend Bloomington PRIDE Film Festival and the dance on Saturday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater.
As a member of the Quarryland Men’s Chorus and sporadic PRIDE Film Festival-goer, Bauder said he is most excited for the liveliness the festivities of the weekend brings to Bloomington.
“The fact that both events enliven and enrich the gay community, even after the events are over, is a huge plus to these types of events,” Bauder said.
Bauder said many alumni who have moved to other states are known to come back for this weekend to celebrate the community, relive Bloomington and enjoy the film festival.
He said the GLBTAA brings an energy to the weekend that complements the film festival.
“I think the film festival has become a jewel in the crown of Bloomington’s arts community,” Bauder said.
He said not only does he feel the LGBT community benefits, but many people from the larger community of Bloomington look forward to the weekend of celebration. Both Bauder and Shumate said they look forward to the celebration weekend and expect record numbers in attendance.
Shumate said he is especially excited for the public announcement of the outcome concerning the GLBTAA Scholarship Campaign. He said the GLBTAA is very proud of the success and ground-breaking results of the scholarship campaign.
The exact dollar amount raised by this year’s campaign will be kept secret ?until the social Friday night.
