Blog: LGB
The guardian of this blog.
Saturday 27th of September 2008
LGBTSoc Information ... and LGBTSoc Drinks
For those of you new to Oxford and to Christ Church, there is a University welfare and social society for the LGBT community. It is called LGBT Society (LGBTSoc).
They have a new website - http://lgbsoc.com/ - which you should check out if only to contemplate the crazy rainbow swirl graphic - and also because it has lots of helpful information about events, Oxford, and resources.
Also, I have to apologize - in my quick bar listing in the welcome post I noted The Jolly Farmer and The Castle - but I forgot to mention The Brewery Gayte. The Brewery Gayte, based on its description on the LGBTSoc page, provides a very welcoming pub scene for Lesbians, though all are welcome.
Whatever your plans for socializing in Oxford, you should check out the LGBTSoc Freshers' Drinks. Freshers' Drinks will be on Tuesday of 1st Week (14 October) in St. Edmund Hall. If you are new to Oxford, you probably are arriving in 0 week (or the week before) - so you'll have at least a week to settle in and find St. Edmund Hall before Tuesday drinks (stop by the CHCH CGR tea on 7 Oct and ask anyone there about LGBTSoc and where St. Edmund Hall is). BTW, drinks are pretty cheap - the first part of the night will be Freshers only with LGBT reps and LGBT parents (undergrads are assigned an LGBT "parent" to help them get acquainted with the scene and transition to Uni) - so it should be a great chance to meet other Freshers as well as oldtimers later in the evening.
Also, the Christ Church gay tea is taking place on Tuesday of 0 week (7 October) from 4-6 in the GCR. Magdalen LGBTers are coming as our guests. Your host tells me you will have a bit of bubbly, tea, and cakes. From his previous events, I'd say you are in for a real treat.
As always, if you have any questions, just drop me an email.
Friday 26th of September 2008
Welcome (back)!
Greetings! Though I remain in southern California, enjoying perfect blue skies, 75 degree F weather, and proximity to multiple beaches, my first thoughts are definitely of Oxford and welcoming you (back) to Christ Church.
For those of you who are new to Christ Church and / or Oxford, let me first assure you that this is a safe and welcoming place for the LGBTQ and questioning community. There are a number of "out" LGBTQ members of Christ Church - both in the Graduate Common Room and the Junior Common Room - and I hope you take advantage of various activities during Fresher's Week and beyond to get to know us (and we you). Don't hesitate to reach out and chat if you have questions, concerns, or ideas.
Speaking from my personal experience, I can say I have come to very much love Christ Church and my time at Oxford. There was a period of initial adjustment - especially as an American and having a sense of the LGBTQ social environment at American universities - which was made a lot easier by being able to talk with other LGBTQ members of the GCR about their experiences.[Let's just say I initially found Oxford to be a "bit" straight and conservative ... and that's coming from someone, who was a college Republican and served in the military :)] So if you are encountering some initial culture shock, pls reach out to me or any other returning GCR member, we are a pretty friendly bunch with a wide variety of backgrounds.
I will be out of the immediate Oxford area for much of Michaelmas - I will be spending most of it on a fellowship in Ireland - but I am always available by email. As for GCR events, one of our fellow CHCH GCR members is organizing a nice afternoon tea, I believe, for new and returning LGBTQ and supporters during Freshers week.
I encourage you to check out the LGBTSoc - esp. their weekly drink nights - don't be put off by the number of undergrads, there are always a decent group of grads there too. When you are ready to explore the local pub scene, find your way to The Jolly Farmer and or The Castle (both of which are just a short walk from St. Aldates) - and don't miss Poptarts after the LGBTSoc weekly meetings (usually Tuesdays). You may also be interested in the Queer Studies Circle, which met bi-weekly last year on Saturdays for great discussions, snacks, and the occasional movie night. And there is a modest budget for LGBTQ activities in the GCR budget, so when you want to host an event, we can probably find a way to support it.
Again, welcome (back)! I hope you find Oxford and Christ Church to be a warm and welcoming place regardless of your orientation, "out"ness, and level of activism.
Justin
Friday 8th of February 2008
LGBTQ&? Update
- February 16 2008 - Oxford Queer Studies Circle - If you are at all interested in queer issues, queer theory, or just want to see various takes on next week's theme of "queer culture" (my take will include some show and tell, just to be slightly provocative, to try and illustrate certain aspects of 1980s gay porn, well mostly show, in the performative sense, since I'm hopeful the show will speak for itself), the Oxford Queer Circle Studies Circle will meet next Saturday, Feb 16 2008, place to be announced, probably at 2000. After the last discussion (a fortnight previous), the group adjourned to The Jolly Farmer and neighboring environs, for drinks, impromptu dancing, and even a fistfight (well, not as participants). You can find the Oxford Queer Circle Studies Circle on facebook - http://yale.facebook.com/group.php?gid=5613444039.
- February 17 2008 - GCR Video Rep and GLBTQ&? Rep co-host video night- 2030 in the GCR - showing “Another Gay Movie” … OK, while trying to find Willis' cover of 9 to 5 and then being sucked into a Dolly Parton marathon on www.youtube.com I almost changed the movie to “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.” Who can resist Dolly singing “I will always love you” to Burt Reynolds to tell him why she cannot marry him and possibly ruin his run for the state legislature? But I held out … at least for the moment … which was probably a good thing since I then managed to find my way to Olivia Newtown John covering “Jolene” and then to her “Xanadu” songs and I might have given into watching “Xanadu” if not for my earlier backbone. Anyway ... refreshments will be provided, thematically appropriate for the movie.
Saturday 26th of January 2008
This Sunday - LGBTSoc Event
This Sunday, LGBTSoc is hosting a pizza and wine event ... followed by a night at Thirst Lodge ... here is the info they sent out:
"... *however* we are moving it [wine and pizza, ed.] to Sunday evening before the launch party of the new LGBT night at Thirst Lodge! It promises to be a really good evening- come along for free pizza and wine (members, non-members £5, venue tbc), meet everyone, then head on to Thirst Lodge where members showing their card will have a discount on the door. This night is billed as the best LGBT night in Oxford- cheap drinks, nice surroundings, three themed floors and decent music. Hope to see you on Sunday!"
Saturday 19th of January 2008
Queer Theory Anyone?
I didn't realize this, but Oxford has a queer theory discussion group.
http://yale.facebook.com/group.php?gid=5613444039
It meets for the first time this evening, 19 Jan, at 8 PM. Location: The Farrar Room, Hertford College to discuss:
"Why is Oxford not a very queer place?"
Facebook says "Cookies & nibbles will be provided..." [Ed. I'm not certain what the ellipsis indicates.]
Thursday 17th of January 2008
CHCH JCR LGBT Rep - Laid Back Social - Grads Invited
Tomorrow, Friday, 1600 onwards, the JCR LGBT rep is hosting a laid back, open house in his room in Peck quad. Grads are invited.
He notes:
It's quite comfy and comparatively warm in here and I have entertainment facilties such as telly, Xbox, record player and electronic-funfair-style-duck-shoot game. If people want to hang around longer then maybe we could order some pizza in, and if like me and the desperate housewives you feel better disposed after a glass of wine or two in the late afternoon then I've have a few bottles left over from last time should the demand arise."
Email me and I will forward the invite.
Thursday 17th of January 2008
Unity Dinner - Input Requested
Need your input on the Unity Dinner - are you more inclined to a dinner in the McKenna room (circa 15 pounds) or in a nearby restaurant (circa 10 pounds)? Let me know!
Wednesday 16th of January 2008
Potential Upcoming Events for Hilary Term
OK, so having now introduced myself, or at least the concept of LGBTQ (and questioning)-ness for Hilary Term, or at least, having posted at least once previously, I thought I would hint at some of the possible LGBTQ (and questioning) activities for Hilary Term.
Our Video Rep, in a gesture of warm collaboration, has agreed to take one Video Night (probably 17 Feb) and make it an LGBTQ (and questioning) Video Night.
I am pondering how best to use this evening responsibly ... Wild Reeds (classic French coming of age movie)? And the Band Played On (classic US AIDS protest movie)? Latter Days (classic religious boy finds gay love and in doing so transforms ethically questionable lover into fine upstanding citizen movie)? Best of Sean Cody.com (classic let's watch actors, claiming to be straight, experience same gender fun for the first time movie series ... which, admittedly I have never seen, but for some reason seems to be an obsession for many well-educated gay men in America)?
Right now I am thinking of abandoning a responsible approach and instead showing "Another Gay Movie." Think American Pie ... but gay. Yes, that's it.
Besides movie night, I'm thinking of at least one night at a local pub, one night in London, and if anyone is interested, and still reading this, I'd love to bring in a queer theory guest speaker.
What do you want to do? Tell me. Assuming we have a budget, it must be the biggest pound / person ratio for any of the reps (at least given the last count of known LGBTQ (and questioning) member of CHCH grad community - and surely that will translate into great things.
Wednesday 16th of January 2008
Hilary Term
Hmm, I don't know whether to start by confessing I am sitting here listening to High School Musical video songs on youtube.com or to open with a more provocative comment about the status of the queer rights movement here in the UK ...
In any case, having come to hold this position through a recess appointment, thankfully not subject to Senate confirmation, I thought I'd start by saying I am looking forward to acting as the Christ Church Graduate LGBTQ (and even questioning) rep for Hilary Term.
You might ask, what is there to look forward to in Hilary Term? Or perhaps you are asking, to what is there to look forward (you might be one of those people, who seeks to avoid hanging prepositions and I respect that).
Well, I realize that World Coming Out Day was in Michaelmas Term and that the big Pride celebrations are in Trinity Term (and the summer) but that doesn't mean Hilary Term has nothing to offer. Instead, I look forward to sharing a great, somewhat rainy, grey / overcast, possibly bitterly cold (though not quite yet), and still incredibly fabulous term with you.
At this point, the term card is still filling up - so please all you LGBTQ (and questioning) types and / or non-LGBTQ (and questioning) types, who have LGBTQ (and questioning) interests, drop me an email and let me know what will make this the LGBTQ (and questioning)-est term ever.
Ever.
Sunday 30th of September 2007
LGBT drinks
Properly this blog should be called LBGT, to stress inclusiveness and avoid confusion with Laser-Guided Bombs or the Lehmann-Gross-Bahn (a popular brand of garden railway model trains - thanks, Wikipedia), neither of which I endorse.
We'll be kicking off the term with pre-dinner drinks in the GCR next Friday (0th week) at 6pm. Everyone is welcome, regardless of sexual orientation, ethnicity, or hairstyle. So come along, you bi-curious Cornish mullet wearers. (I'd quite like to meet one of those, actually.)
Although Oxford doesn't have much of a gay scene (or precisely because? Discuss!) the city and university are very friendly and welcoming places. As LGBT Rep, my position is primarily social but please feel free to address any welfare problems you're experiencing, and I'll be able to point you in the right direction for help and advice.
I'll keep you updated on further GCR and University LGBTSoc events (http://lgbsoc.com) so watch this space and the termcard. Looking forward to meeting you!
Toodles
Arne
