GLAM week will be celebrated on the Western New Mexico University campus beginning October 9. This year’s theme, “Soy Yo: Be Who You Wanna Be,” explores the intersections of identity and social justice while honoring students’ sense of belonging at WNMU. Organized by the Student Coordinators at The Center for Gender Equity and Social Justice, GLAM week will include an activism lecture, PFLAG panel, a non-profit workshop and a drag show. Students will also be engaging people in dialog about identity and LGBTQ issues. All events are free and open to the public.
GLAM week has been celebrated at WNMU since 2015 and is always held in conjunction with National Coming Out Day on October 11. “GLAM week is centered around creating awareness and building bridges for students who might want to explore various identities or want to know how to be allies,” said Dr. Emma Bailey, Professor of Sociology and Co-Director of The Center.
At noon on Monday, October 9, The Center’s student coordinators will be tabling, giving away LBGTQ-themed swag and answering questions or sharing info and resources about the LGBTQ community.
That evening, students, parents and university staff and faculty member panelists will tell their stories and share tools that have helped them support their LGBTQ sons, daughters and friends. The panelists will address the transition between high school and college and offer guidance to those who want to come out or be an ally. A partnership between The Center and PFLAG, this discussion and free dinner is at 6:00 p.m. at The Center (1211 Mississippi St.).
To honor WNMU’s vision of becoming an Applied Liberal Arts campus, Executive Director for Equality New Mexico Adrian Carver will share how activism and social sciences are applied in government during a work-over-lunch workshop on Monday from noon to 2:00 p.m. at The Center. The workshop will focus on Equality New Mexico’s Safe School Initiative, which has resulted in legislation to make New Mexico’s public schools safer for all students, particularly those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and gender nonconforming.
On Tuesday, October 10, at 6:00 p.m. in Light Hall Auditorium, writer and photojournalist Dr. Alice Driver will share her experiences reporting on human rights, gender equality and migration in Latin America.
Driver authored “More or Less Dead: Feminicide, Haunting, and the Ethics of Representation in Mexico,” which will be for sale after her lecture, and her work has appeared in the New York Times, Cosmopolitan Magazine, The Atlantic, Al Jazeera, and National Geographic.
“She has really insightful pieces about human rights and immigration,” said Dr. Lydia Huerta, Assistant Professor of Cultural Studies and Spanish and Co-Director of The Center.
Driver will speak about LGBTQ migrants in her “On The Road” presentation and be available during a reception afterward. The talk is sponsored by the WNMU Office of the President and made possible through collaboration with the WNMU Humanities and Expressive Arts department.
The drag show occurs on Wednesday, October 11, at 7:00 p.m. in Light Hall Theater. It will be hosted by Ward Rudick, who will perform as Liberaunchy, and judged by Patrick Conlin, Michael Acosta, WNMU Student Government President Tim Stillman, Dr. Christina Sanchez and Dr. Miguel Vicens. There will be a special performance by Lady Shug, the Navajo drag queen who was crowned Miss New Mexico Pride 2016. The first place winner will be awarded $150. High school or college students interested in participating can email thecenter@wnmu.edu.
“The drag show is a fun way to learn different forms of expression,” Huerta said. “It’s also a way for The Center to raise funds. We don’t charge, but we do pass a hat. Whatever change people have helps us keep programs going since we don’t take fees from WNMU students.”
On Thursday, October 12, students who are involved with The Center will take GLAM off campus for a community engagement project.
Learn more about Western New Mexico University’s GLAM week at http://thecenter.wnmu.edu/