So the school year has finally ended, and I feel like I can honestly say that I’m proud of the work I’ve done with OPEN. Everyone warned me that junior year is the hardest, and those warnings proved true. Besides the boat load of work, I managed to make it out alive with good grades and a successful club. Talk about a job well done. :)

This summer will largely be spent getting in contact with the people OPEN hopes to work with next year. For starters, the first group I’ll be hitting up is the local Boys and Girls Club. A wonderful volunteer and Clark alum started up a program to help eliminate the bullying and homophobia shared by patrons and staff members alike there. I’m hoping to continue the program with OPEN next year as we spread out into the Worcester community.

The club is really excited for a queer prom this upcoming year. I’m not really sure what it will consist of or where it will be held, but hopefully contacting the other LGBTQA groups in the area will start something. Any advice?

I’ll keep you posted over the summer with any developments!

After endless banner making, facebook spamming, and rainbow-ifying, OPEN’s Week of Awareness went off with a minimal number of hitches and horror stories. Alright, well no real horror stories, but the realization that you’re out a sound tech before a benefit concert is mildly gut-wrenching. Ahem, let me recap:

Robyn Ochs, long-time bisexual activist and author, stopped by Clark for her annual visit last week. She’s a wonderful presenter, and we have her every year. This year she presented her workshop Beyond Binaries: Identity and the Sexuality Spectrum, which is a great introduction to sexual fluidity and the spectrum of attraction, and even touches on complicated issues for veterans in this train of thought. Being my second time at this workshop, it was really fun to sit back and watch all the newcomers come to realizations about attraction and continuity. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the workshop; we’re looking forward to having her again next year!

What rides on eight wheels and wears pink flannel?

Me. :)

OPEN recently attended Roll-on America's Pride Skate Night. Everyone had a blast, and hopefully there will be more skate nights in the future. I suggest that other schools try this one out. Check out your local roller rinks, see how they feel about a pride skate. Or just go for a casual outing with members. Chances are at least a third of ya will fall on your butts—which really only makes it better!

I have a good feeling about Spring 2010. I’ve been investigating the other schools in Worcester, thinking about something maybe a little Prom-esque we could share? Yeah, I dig it.

This blog caught me after all the action of last semester, so I’m excited to take you all along for the adventure that will be this year. We have our Week of Awareness to plan, fundraising through Day of Silence/Night of Noise, and hopefully some good movie screenings and an inexpensive speaker here and there. I’m personally looking forward to some serious collaborating, so I’ll keep you all posted.

And I've heard a few whispers about a gay skate night at Roll-On-America. That’ll make for an interesting blog, and one step closer to my dream of creating a gay roller derby team. :)

Hey everyone! Sorry about the brief hiatus; finals and papers have got me bogged down like never before. Just one more week!

OPEN finished up our semester with a lovely holiday party. We’ve been collaborating with several other clubs and events, including CureFest— a flea market type event with artists and vendors from the area, with a portion of the proceeds went toCentral Massachusetts Health Awareness Services in honor of World AIDS Day. We also worked with VOX (student advocates for Planned Parenthood) at their annual Sex Fest—a FUNdraiser promoting sexual health and awareness (we had a “Pin the Gender/Bender on the Person” game table!).

I feel really good about this semester. It’s been an eventful one for OPEN, and a monumental one for me.I can’t help but feel like the tireless hours I’ve put toward the organization have helped us bring about some majorly successful events. The intimate relationships I’ve worked to create and maintain with the members have been a great source of joy, and my Executive Board and I have become very close friends. I’ve learned a lot about what are realistic goals, what are not, and why realizeability shouldn’t always be my main concern (a queer’s gotta have dreams, ya dig?). It feels really good to look back on four months with great events and member turnout and think, “Wow, I helped make that.”

OPEN. That’s the name of Clark University’s LGBTQA organization that I lead. It’s not an acronym at all, so recently we put it up to vote; “Open People Exclude No one” was the answer to our inquiry. Great thinking, but it seems like something’s missing.

OPEN. Open-minded, open to everyone, out in the open, open up, open-ended, our doors are always open, open arms, open up the closet, open to discussion, open to interpretation. “OPEN” packs a punch; it’s short, sweet, encompassing.

As for me, the many ambitions of OPEN keep me busy. My name is Hillary Gleason, and I’m an undergraduate student at Clark University in Worcester, MA. I’m a Junior, double majoring in Women’s and Gender Studies as well as Psychology. I’m a Point Scholar, CU’s OPEN President, a queer theory enthusiast, and a gay woman. I’m fascinated by the gender continuum in all of its fluidity and expressions. I’m a proud queer feminist and trust me—it’s a full-time job...