Congrats on the new status
“Congrats on the new status!!! I know this probably took a lot of paperwork…!!!”
-M. K., former student
Archive for the 'news' Category
BV QueSt - New charitable status means new web address
Brazos Valley QueSt is pleased to announce that it has changed its Internet addresses to reflect its new status as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Addresses that previously ended in dot-com now end in dot-org to reflect BV QueSt’s non-profit status. BV QueSt’s home page is now < http://www.bvquest.org
Don’t worry if you’ve bookmarked BV QueSt’s dot-com addresses. They will automatically direct you to our new dot-org addresses. From our new addresses, you will find all the information you’ve come to expect about BV QueSt’s scholarships, OUTReach Grants, fundraising, and events for the queer and queer-supportive community.
You’ll also find information on our home page about BV QueSt’s second annual Fall Homecoming. Timed to coincide with National Coming Out Day in October, Fall Homecoming is BV QueSt’s chief mechanism for funding its scholarships for outstanding queer/ally students of the Brazos Valley.
Save the Date!
Fall Homecoming
…a BV QueSt event
October 13, 2007
7:00pm-10:30pm
http://www.bvquest.org/
“On a QueSt to Unite Our Queer/Straight Community”
BV QueSt is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization whose mission is to host events celebrating and supporting queer and queer-supportive organizations in the Brazos Valley. Founded in 2003, BV QueSt has contributed thousands of dollars to OUTreach Grants, scholarships for students, and local queer/ally organizations.
BV QueSt is now a 501(c)(3) Charitable Organization
BV QueSt is pleased to announce the Internal Revenue Service has granted it 501(c)(3) charitable organization status. Your contributions over the past four years have helped BV QueSt make thousands of dollars of donations to OUTreach Grants, scholarships for students, and local queer/ally organizations. Now your contributions are tax deductible in accordance with IRS regulations.
If you have questions or would like to make further contributions, please contact BV QueSt at info@bvquest.com.
Thank you mattherzberger.com
If you haven’t visited the site in a while, you may have noticed a new look and feel. Thanks to Matt Herzberger, we are now using some blogging software in a manner that mimics content management. This makes the site much easier to change and update and will allow us to distribute more information with better frequency.
Thank you, Matt, for a great design!
Brazos Valley QueSt seeks Coordinators and Assistants
Brazos Valley QueSt, a fundraising group for local queer/ally charities seeks volunteers for both Coordinator and Assistant positions. Coordinators meet monthly for planning purposes and are each responsible for a particular area of the organization and its events. Assistants each help a Coordinator in a particular area.
At this time, BV QueSt needs Coordinators in these areas:
- Entertainment
- Promotions (including a street team)
We also need several Assistants in each of these areas:
- Décor
- Catering
- Fundraising
As always, if you’d like to lend a hand in another area, we will gladly welcome your assistance. While we need to fill some roles soon for long-term planning, we’ll also need volunteers for the month leading up to each event and for the day of each event. Whether you can give 5 minutes, 5 months, or 5 years, we appreciate your assistance.
Our next events include Fall Homecoming on October 13, 2007 and the Spring GAYla in the early spring of 2008. We are currently in the planning stages for both events.
Come be a part of this wonderful group of volunteers. Come make a difference in your community. Come share your ideas and skills for the betterment of the whole Brazos Valley.
For more information, contact Lori Luza at lori@bvquest.com or 979 314 4532.
Rainbow Award winners are BV QueSt Coordinators!
Special congratulations are in order for two of our
BV QueSt Coordinating Committee members!
Mike Jackson and Tom Spellman
Mike & Tom have been selected as recipients of this year’s Rainbow Award, presented by Aggie ALLIES. They have been selected for their long-term leadership in the queer/ally community and, in particular, for their involvement with BV QueSt and our fundraising efforts.
A formal presentation of their award was held at the Evening of the Arts, the conclusion of Gay Awareness Week.
As part of the prize package, BV QueSt will donate $100 in their honor to the local queer/ally charity of their choice. Mike and Tom announced that they would request their donation be given to GLBTA (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Aggies). Their purpose is to suporrt the youth who will change our world for the better.
Cinderella Stories made a beautiful cake, which was donated by Brazos Progressives
Congratulations Mike & Tom. Thank you for all you do to make Aggieland a better place for everyone.
History of Gay Awareness Week at Texas A&M
This week someone asked me for the specifics on the recognition of GLBT persons at A&M and I found the following history statement from an old GLSS (Gay and Lesbian Student Services) pamphlet from 1992. I thought it appropriate to share it once again with the local community to remind and educate others as to why we celebrate Gay Awareness Week during April at A&M. It was started to commemorate the date (April 1, 1985) that the Supreme Court refused to hear the case letting the lower Courts ruling stand in favor of Gay Student Services thus opening the door for GLBT persons at A&M. We often need to remember that everyone does not know this history and so we must tell it again and again because it is OUR history and should not be forgotten.
Have A Great Gay Awareness Week! Be Sure to Participate!
Mike Jackson
On April 4, 1976, three students met with Dr. John Koldus, Vice President of Student Affairs, to ask permission to advertise on the campus the meeting times of a new service group for gays and lesbians. The triumvirate was denied campus advertising access because only officially recognized groups were allowed this privilege.
The next day, an application for recognition was filed, and almost as quickly as it was filed, it was denied, on the ground that the group was not “consistent with the philosophy and goals of TAMU.”
The group hired a lawyer in February 1977 to file a lawsuit against the University. The case was heard in District Court on November 16, 1981, and a decision was rendered in favor of TAMU.
The organization appealed the decision to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, and on August 3, 1984, the court ruled unanimously in favor of the organization, saying that TAMU’s reasons were not sufficient to deny the group its first amendment rights.
In desperation, TAMU filed an appeal to the U. S. Supreme Court with private donations in an attempt to overturn the ruling. However, the Supreme Court refused to hear the case on April 1, 1985. The 5th Circuit Court decision was allowed to stand.
On June 6, 1985, the Gay Student Services was recognized quietly by Texas A&M University.
Courtesy of Mike Jackson
Gay Student Services v. Texas A & M University
Read the full-text and history of the lawsuit between
Texas A&M University and Gay Student Services:
- go to the library’s homepage
- click on the Indexes/Databases link in Search Now
- type in Westlaw
- Click thru to the database (there are a couple of clicks when
you get there — agreement page, pop-up blocker page). When you are on
the main search page, click the law tab. - Search by the case name or number:
Gay Student Services v. Texas A & M University
737 F.2d 1317
Compliments of Nancy Northup. Texas A&M Libraries
