Sexuality Issues Are Focus of Leadership Conference

The theme of the annual Office of Multicultural Affairs Leadership Conference at Ithaca College, scheduled this year for March 26–28, is "Sexuality: Forbidden Thoughts." The weekend program will feature workshops and a panel discussion, as well as a keynote address, "Issues of Sexuality in the Community of Color," by lesbian writer, activist, and theologian Irene Monroe.

Conference chair Kyle Johnson ’00 says that, for all its importance to college-age students, sexuality is a topic that doesn’t get discussed enough, especially within the community of color. "It is a very charged issue, one that we tend not to talk about," says Johnson. "And it isn’t something we see played out in the mainstream media except in a stereotypical way, so it’s important to address."

Monroe has written extensively on African American sexuality, gay and lesbian history, and anti-Semitism in both the Christian and Muslim black communities. She has also written, spoken, and educated on topics such as classism, separatism, "gangsta" rap, and gang violence. Her essay "Louis Farrakhan’s Ministry of Misogyny and Homophobia" was published in the recent Grove Press anthology The Farrakhan Factor.

In December 1997 Monroe was named by Boston magazine one of that city’s 50 most intriguing women. She was also a nominee for the 1998 Bishop Carl Bean Spirituality Award, presented by the National Black Lesbian and Gay Leadership Forum. She is currently a Ford Foundation fellow at Harvard Divinity School’s program in religion, gender, and culture.

In addition to Monroe’s keynote, workshops or panel discussions will be held on the following topics:

"Different Shades of Love" — An exploration of interracial relationships

"We’re All HomoS(apiens) — A collective effort toward understanding differences between homosexuals and heterosexuals

"What Are You Afraid Of?" — An examination of homophobia

"Battle of the Sexes" — The whys and wherefores of sexism

"But You Say You’re Just Friends" — Can people be friends despite sexual attraction?

Johnson says students from Ithaca College and from several other colleges and universities in the region have been invited to attend, but participation is welcomed from anyone in the community who has an interest in these issues.

For more information or to register for the conference, contact the Office of Multicultural Affairs at 274-1692.