Reasonably Logical

I learned today that the Prairie Flame has stopped publication for good. The Flame was a newspaper for the GLBT community in downstate Illinois that ran for more than 12 years. Beyond news coverage, the Flame also included a insert that listed area resources and organizations. (I still have several copies scattered around.) This listing provided the majority of the resources that are now tracked by the Champaign County LGBTQA Resource Guide website I still maintain.

While it might not have been the best of papers - honestly I usually got my news elsewhere - it was a good central source for things happening in the GLBT community in downstate. The Flame was somewhat of an area institution; one that I at least will miss.

Putting out the flame
After 11 years of publishing a newspaper for the gay community, Buff Carmichael calls it quits
SEPTEMBER 11, 2008
BY DUSTY RHODES, Illinois Times

Thought I’d go ahead and share this article from UIUC’s ACES News. According to a study done by an assistant professor there - Ramona Faith Oswald - legal recognition of same sex relationships is most often sought by parents and people of religious faith. While not exactly a surprise, it sure contradicts the messaging of the religious right.

In the interest of full disclosure, Oswald is an acquaintance of mine whom I’ve worked with on various community initiatives including the Champaign County LGBTQA Resource Guide website which I still maintain.

Belief in God, Parenthood Prompt Gay Partners to Make Commitment
Published: Jul. 30, 2008
Source: Ramona Faith Oswald, (217) 333-2547, roswald@uiuc.edu

URBANA - Which gay and lesbian couples are more likely to legalize their relationship and hold a commitment ceremony? Those with children and strong religious beliefs, says a new University of Illinois study.

“Opponents of relationship recognition for same-sex couples often say that we have to protect children, or that same-sex relationships are against God. But this study suggests that lesbians and gay men who seek relationship recognition may be acting to protect their children and enact their own religious beliefs,” said Ramona Faith Oswald, a U of I associate professor of family studies.

…

I don’t have any details yet, but I got a facebook message from someone I know in PRIDE at UIUC indicating there had been an assault late Saturday night on Green Street. The only blog entry I can find is - shall we say - not very reliable, so I don’t know much yet. I would appreciate any information anyone might have. I will update this when I know more.

Update (4-23-08): I spoke with a knowledgeable friend who confirmed that there was a hate based attack last weekend (4/12-13). Apparently, the attacker spotted someone he thought to be gay and punched the victim knocking him out. It turns out the victim is someone I know, though not very well. He was kept overnight at the hospital then released. He is physically fine, but understandably a bit shaken up. The attacker was arrested and is now out on bail.

There is a response being organized from Friday night after Day of Silence. If you’re in Champaign, I would encourage you to go.

I just got back from the MBLGTACC 2008 conference. I was there for four days, but the time went by so fast it felt more like four hours. I spent a lot of time volunteering at the conference, and the rest spending as much time with as many friends as possible. Being back in Champaign reminded me just how much a part of me wishes I hadn’t left.

The end result of everything else I was doing was that I only attended two workshops and one of the three keynotes. Probably my lowest attendance record ever for a conference. Well, that happens when you spend all your time running the thing. (For once, I was not in charge. Yeah!)

And on that note, let me offer my congratulations to the conference committee and in particular the co-chairs. Nicely done guys! Now go get some sleep. You all need it.

Well, my Europe trip has officially been over for a couple of days. I got back late Friday evening after some hellish security at Heathrow. (I’m not complaining mind you.) Talked with a friend for a while then crashed.

Saturday, I got up and drove with two friends to the Equal Marriage Illinois statewide conference. I hadn’t planned on being able to go, but since I was back anyways, I figured what the heck. It was a productive day. I got a chance to briefly meet Representative Greg Harris - the author of Illinois Civil Union bill - and saw a wonderful play that illustrates why marriage is often so important for same sex couples. (I’ll probably be writing more about that latter.)

On Sunday, I spent the day madly packing and then had dinner with a good friend. Monday, I got up continued the packing until the movers showed up at noon then made a series of panicked phone calls to arrange the rest of the move. Ryan and I finally got out of Champaign around 5:30 pm. We drove through the night and arrived here in Stamford, CT at around 11am. The rest of the day has been spent moving in, resting, and taking care of outstanding bills from Europe.

Thanks everyone for reading my blog and keeping in touch with me while I was in Europe. Hope you enjoyed the trip as much as I did.

— Stamford, Connecticut at 6pm local time

Well, after four years, I’m finally done. This last weekend I went through the graduation ceremonies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I am graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with the International Minor in Japan Studies.

I attended three graduation ceremonies, not including the “campuswide” one. (Which isn’t actually the entire campus at once.) Of the three, the one that meant the most to me personally was the Lavender Graduation hosted by the LGBT Resource Office. At that ceremony, I received a award (the “Unsung Activist” award) for my work in the GLBT community and had a chance to say good bye to many of my friends who are also graduating.

The other event I actually cared about was the Computer Science graduation reception. I had a chance to say good bye to friends (different ones, well mostly) and introduce my dad to a number of people who have been important to my time here.

The final ceremony I participated in was the College of Engineering commencement. Why did I do that again? Oh yeah, the pictures. Took way too long and was utterly pointless. I did find out that I was supposed to have gotten an extra sash for my International minor though. I picked that up today (Tuesday). Oh I did wear my rainbow tassel from the LGBT graduation for the engineering one. Technically I wasn’t supposed to, but f*** that. It was important to me.

I’m going to miss the friends I’ve made here in Champaign-Urbana. I’ll even miss the town and the area itself. I won’t miss the university at all. (Still slightly bitter on that one.)

Well, as seems to happen every year, there has been a string of laptop thefts from popular study spots and offices. Don’t leave your laptop unattended.

The University Police Department would like to inform our community about
eight reports of laptop computers being stolen from campus buildings since
April 27, 2007. In each instance, the owner of the computer has left their
possessions unattended for brief periods of time. Computers have been
taken from study areas, unlocked offices, classrooms and the Illini Union.
Thefts have occurred between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.
Additionally, purses and wallets have been taken under similar circumstances.

We realize many are studying for final exams and it is easy to become
complacent about securing items. It is imperative that everyone secure
their possessions or ask a trusted friend to watch them even for brief
trips to vending areas or restrooms. University of Illinois Police
officers are conducting additional walking patrols throughout campus. We
seek your assistance in preventing the thefts and encourage everyone to
report suspicious individuals to the police.

Chief Krystal Fitzpatrick

To Members of the Campus Community:

The massacre of 32 students at Virginia Tech Monday has left us shocked and
saddened. As chancellor, I want to express the sympathy and concern I know
each of us feels for the families and friends of the victims.

I also want to take a moment to remind you that while it is impossible to
prevent all incidents of violence, some of our best defenses are early
detection and reporting.

Our police department has plans in place for a wide range of emergencies.
However, if you notice that someone is demonstrating or implying
threatening behaviors or actions, it is critical that you contact campus
police immediately at 911 or 9-911 from campus phones. Students can also
contact the Dean of Students office at 333-2121 and employees can report
concerns to their supervisors. In a world where random violence is all too
common, we must-as members of this campus community-watch out for each other.

We are a family. You are an important member of it.

For students who want to talk about the Virginia Tech incident, the
Counseling Center will be accepting walk-in clients, as well as individual
and group appointments. The number is 333-3704 and the address is 610 East
John Street, Champaign. Faculty and staff can call the Faculty Staff
Assistance Program at 244-5312.

As we grieve for the innocent victims of this shooting, please remember
that the best way to help protect our campus community is to treat others
with respect and civility and to report threatening behavior to the
appropriate authorities immediately.

Thank you,

Richard Herman
Chancellor

Just passing this along for those of you who attend UIUC. Be careful folks.

The Division of Public Safety at Urbana-Champaign works hard with our
community to provide a safe and secure campus for our students, faculty and
staff. I write this morning to inform you of four armed robberies that
very recently happened in the campus district.

Between midnight and 2:40 a.m. today (March 31, 2007) four armed robberies
happened in the campus area. These crimes took place in Illini Grove, the
natural area located at the northwest corner of Lincoln Avenue and
Pennsylvania Avenue; at Busey Avenue and Nevada Street in Urbana; at Wright
Street and White Street in Champaign; and at Locust Street and Chalmers
Street in Champaign. In each case a man approached the victims and
displayed a handgun. This suspect was described as a black male,
approximately 5′ 08″ and heavyset. He was wearing black clothing including
a black knit cap. Another suspect was seen standing near where the crimes
happened. This suspect is described as a black male, thin and
approximately 6′01″. In each incidents, the suspect took personal items,
but no one was physically injured. Both suspects walked or ran from the
scene following the robberies.

University Police are working closely with city police departments to
apprehend the criminals. If you have any information to assist with this
investigation please call Crimestoppers at 217-373-TIPS or the University
Police at 217-333-1216. Most importantly, if you feel something is
suspicious, immediately call our local emergency number:
911 from your cell phone or 9-911 from campus phones.

These robberies are known as “crimes of opportunity,” because the criminals
look for people they consider easiest to victimize. That means that we can
all take steps to reduce our chances of becoming a target. First, pay
close attention to your surroundings; do not place yourself in a position
where you are unable to detect individuals who may be approaching you. Use
well lit and populated routes whenever possible. Always walk with a friend
or join a group. Better yet, use the services of either SafeRides
(217-265-7433) or SafeWalks (217-333-1216).

Your safety is very important to us. In meeting our goal of keeping our
campus safe, you need to always be aware of your surroundings and to let us
know if you see any suspicious activity. If you would like to talk to an
officer about additional safety tips, please call us at 217-333-1216.

Thank You,

Chief Krystal Fitzpatrick

I though that Friday’s massmail was pretty interesting given that U of I is one of the few schools that doesn’t just hand information over to the RIAA without a subpoena. I wonder if that will change with the new policy? I hope not.

As you may have read in the popular press, the Motion Picture Association
of America (MPAA) and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)
among others are increasing their copyright enforcement activities. As
part of this increased effort, the RIAA has begun to target college
students specifically, which means that students who engage in unlawful
peer-to-peer file sharing are more likely than ever to be identified and
sued by the RIAA.

We think that these increased enforcement activities warrant taking a
moment to discuss the relevant policies and practices at the Urbana-
Champaign campus of the University of Illinois.

The University does not condone the use of peer-to-peer software for
illegal file sharing. Those who engage in it violate U.S. Copyright laws
as well as the campus’s own policies, including the Student Code and
Policy on the Appropriate Use of the Computer Network. Additionally the
University bears significant costs associated with responding to DMCA
violation notices and the network capacity absorbed by file sharing
reduces its availability for general research, teaching, and
administrative purposes. For additional information of University
related copyright issues, see
http://www.cio.uiuc.edu/policies/copyright/copyright.html.

Often the software used for the purposes of illegal file sharing comes
bundled with ’spyware’ and other software that maliciously captures
personal information that contributes to identity theft. You can learn
more about protecting yourself from identity theft by reviewing the
information at http://www.cites.uiuc.edu/security/index.html. Further,
some file sharing programs, even when used for legitimate purposes, will
use your computer to transfer illegally obtained material between other
users. I strongly encourage you to remove software used for file sharing
as well as to immediately remove any illegally obtained material such as
music or movies.

Students who are found to have illegally obtained copyrighted material
through the campus network will have their computers immediately removed
from the network and will not be allowed access to the network until they
have undergone a disciplinary process with the Dean of Students Office.
With the announcement by RIAA, MPAA, and others of the intent to target
college students with law suits, it should be noted that many of the
students sued have settled out of court for amounts on the order of $4-
5000.

In addition to information on our own security website, both the
University of Michigan and Chicago provide excellent information on
disabling peer to peer programs, see

http://www.cites.uiuc.edu/security/filesharing/index.html
http://security.uchicago.edu/guidelines/peer-to-peer/
http://www.copyright.umich.edu

We are both legally and ethically obligated to respond to every
notification of copyright violation we receive. I fully believe members
of the UIUC campus community will recognize the seriousness of this
situation and respond accordingly.

Linda Katehi, Provost
Paula Kaufman, Interim Chief Information Office