Lesbian Activist/Administrator To “Consult” With Marquette on Gay Issues
Dr. Ronni Sanlo, a college administrator and LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) activist will be coming to campus on Thursday, October 28th to meet with various members of the Marquette community.
Who is Dr. Ronni Sanlo?
Her own web page describes her thus:
She describes the event as follows:
The following is the e-mail chain that contains various of the details of her visit.
Since she specializes in leading “sensitivity training sessions,” are such sessions going to be imposed on faculty and students?
Is this a sop being thrown to the campus gay lobby, still smarting over Marquette’s failure to hire a lesbian dean?
It’s clear that Chris Miller’s Office of Student Affairs is taking the lead. What created a felt need for Sanlo’s presence?
We’ll continue to report on this as we learn more.
Who is Dr. Ronni Sanlo?
Her own web page describes her thus:
Dr. Ronni Sanlo is a Senior Associate Dean of Students and Professor and Director of the UCLA Masters of Education in Student Affairs. Formerly, Ronni was the director of the UCLA Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) Center, the University of Michigan LGBT Center, and an HIV epidemiologist in Florida. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida, and a masters and doctorate in education from the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, FL. Ronni has presented many workshops and seminars about LGBT issues in companies, campuses, and organizations.Her biography tells how she knew she was a lesbian at age 11 when she was “in love with” Annette Funicello, but stayed in the closet and even got married, “coming out” only in 1979. According to the blurb:
Sanlo teaches a required course, ED 405, which focuses on identity and culture in education. And through her work at the LGBT center, she conducts sensitivity training sessions for faculty, staff and — indirectly — students.Before going to UCLA, she was at the University of Michigan, where her signal “contribution” was apparently a “lavender graduation ceremony.”
She describes the event as follows:
Lavender Graduation is a cultural celebration that recognizes LGBT students of all races and ethnicities and acknowledges their achievements and contributions to the university as students who survived the college experience. Through such recognition LGBT students may leave the university with a positive last experience of the institution thereby encouraging them to become involved mentors for current students as well as financially contributing alumni.Within the very narrow confines of student affairs offices and lesbian academia, she has been designated one of “20 Powerful Lesbian Academics.”
The following is the e-mail chain that contains various of the details of her visit.
I have secured AMU 252 for the Dr. Sanlo meeting on October 29th, 2010 from 1pm until 1:50 pm. If I have inadvertently left anyone off the list, I do apologize, but ask that you please feel free to forward this to whomever you deem appropriate. I did get more chairs than there are currently people for, so we should have plenty of room.The WGST Fellow program is described on the website of the Women and Gender Studies Program. That “gender studies” has been addeed to “women’s studies” signals a move toward a homosexual emphasis, as shown by one of the papers completed by a WGST fellow this summer: “Homonegativity and lesbian development: the impact of micro-networks and macro-contexts.”
Thank you.
Very truly yours,
Stacy Kuras
Administrative Assistant
Dr. L. Christopher Miller
Vice President for Student Affairs
Marquette University
________________________________
From: Franzoi, Stephen
Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 11:13 AM
To: Kuras, Stacy; de St. Aubin, Ed; Snow, Nancy; Engel, Stephen; Hossenlopp, Jeanne; Massingale, Bryan; Hogan, Michael J.; Zurcher, Amelia; South, James; Politano, Michael; Jodi Melamed; Dempsey, Deirdre; Moon, Dawne; Foster, Susanne; Peressini, Anthony; Krueger, Christine
Cc: Miller, Chris (L. Christopher)
Subject: RE: Attending a scheduled meeting with Ronni Sanlo--please reply as soon as possible
I can make 1 PM.
Steve Franzoi
________________________________
From: Kuras, Stacy
Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 11:02 AM
[distribution list identical to the above deleted]
Subject: RE: Attending a scheduled meeting with Ronni Sanlo--please reply as soon as possible
On the 29th of October, I can make it for 1 pm if this works out better for everyone.
________________________________
From: de St. Aubin, Ed
Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 10:48 AM
[distribution list identical to the above deleted]
Subject: RE: Attending a scheduled meeting with Ronni Sanlo--please reply as soon as possible
The inaugural WGST Fellow reception begins at 3:30 on October 29.
MANY faculty interested in meeting with Dr. Sanlo have already committed to attend this hugely important event.
Are there other options in terms of time slots to meet with Dr. Sanlo???
Ed de St. Aubin
Psychology Department
Marquette University
________________________________So . . . what precisely is the point of bringing her to Marquette? Does Marquette want to have a “lavender graduation?”
From: Snow, Nancy
Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 10:26 AM
[distribution list identical to the above deleted]
Subject: RE: Attending a scheduled meeting with Ronni Sanlo--please reply as soon as possible
Hi, All,
I’ve just called Stacy Kuras of Dr. Miller’s office. We are all invited to meet with Dr. Sanlo from 3-4:30 on Oct. 29th. She will be reserving a room for about 30 people.
Thanks,
Nancy
Nancy E. Snow
Professor of Philosophy
Marquette University
________________________________
From: Engel, Stephen
Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 10:18 AM
[distribution list identical to the above deleted]
Subject: Attending a scheduled meeting with Ronni Sanlo--please reply as soon as possible
Dear 10/21 meeting folks,
Things are moving fast with regard to Ronni Sanlo’s visit. She will be at Marquette on October 28 and 29, and Chris Miller would like to know if any of us would like to meet with her. Time has been set aside for Sanlo to meet with faculty on October 29 from 3 to 4:30 PM.
I have already agreed to meet with Sanlo at this time. I believe that Amelia and Nancy are attending this meeting as well, though I can’t confirm that. Chris Miller’s assistant needs to know who of our group would like to meet with her in order to get a list of attendees and a proper room.
Please let me know as soon as possible if you would like to attend this meeting, and I will pass that on to Miller’s office.
All best,
Steve
________________________________
[The “From” header is missing on our copy of the following, but see below for the apparent sender]
This just came (below) requesting that we meet with a consultant re: LGTB issues. Please reply at your earliest convenience as to whether or not you can attend. We do have our scheduled Faculty Council meeting earlier that day - 11-12:30. Many thanks!
Marilyn Frenn PhD, RN, CNE, ANEF
Chair, Faculty Council
Hi Marilyn and Lisa,
I don’t know if Christopher Miller contacted you directly, but he agreed that the FC and SCE should be on the list of invitees to a meeting with Dr. Ronni Sanlo, associate dean of students at UCLA and expert on LGBT issues on college campuses, who’s been invited as a consultant at MU. If you have not been contacted, could you forward this invitation to your committees and send me a list of attendees?
Thanks (BTW) I’m sorry for the late notice. I just got this message from Miller’s factota this AM.
Chris
Christine L. Krueger, PhD
Associate Professor of English
Director, Who Counts Program
Marquette University
________________________________
From: Kuras, Stacy
Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 10:05 AM
To: Hossenlopp, Jeanne; Engel, Stephen; Krueger, Christine; Snow, Nancy
Cc: Miller, Chris (L. Christopher)
Subject: Dr. Ronni Sanlo
Good morning! We are very excited to have Dr. Sanlo with us on October 28th & 29th. If it works for you and your respective groups, I can schedule you all to meet with Dr. Sanlo from 3pm to 4:30 pm on Friday, October 29th. I just need to get headcount in order to book a room for the various organizations and people. Additionally, I would like to get the individual names of the attendees so that Dr. Sanlo will have them for her contact list that I am creating for her.
Please let me know if this works for you, and we will proceed from there.
Very truly yours,
Stacy Kuras
Administrative Assistant
Dr. L. Christopher Miller
Vice President for Student Affairs
Marquette University
Since she specializes in leading “sensitivity training sessions,” are such sessions going to be imposed on faculty and students?
Is this a sop being thrown to the campus gay lobby, still smarting over Marquette’s failure to hire a lesbian dean?
It’s clear that Chris Miller’s Office of Student Affairs is taking the lead. What created a felt need for Sanlo’s presence?
We’ll continue to report on this as we learn more.
Labels: Christopher Miller, Gay Lobby, Gays and lesbians, Homosexuality, Marquette, Office for Student Affairs, Ronni Sanlo
posted by John McAdams at 4:25 PM
3 Comments:
Why is The Office of Student Affairs organizing for faculty?
This really isn't a big deal unless it results in more force-feeding, but we know Chris Miller is okay with that.
I don't really see the problem with a Lavender Graduation as it's described in the post. Is it awful to "recogniz[e] LGBT students of all races and ethnicities and acknowledg[e] their achievements and contributions to the university as students who survived the college experience"? I'm sure you won't be required to attend.
Marquette is still clearly doing damage control from the O'Brien debacle. And frankly, whether Marquette's actions were justified or not, they still probably made a significant portion of the student population (and maybe some faculty too) feel that they were living/working in a hostile environment. Perhaps that doesn't matter to some because Marquette is Catholic and that whole scene doesn't square with Catholicism. That's fine if Marquette is trying to be the Catholic equivalent of Bob Jones. However, I don't think that's the case.
Face it, there are really good scholars out there who are LGBT and, from a practical standpoint, Marquette only injures itself by projecting an image of intolerance. It won't attract diverse faculty or a diverse student population. Part of the goal of the Lavender Graduation is for LGBT students to remember college fondly and become active (and hopefully generously donating) alumni. Why ostracize portions of your future funding base?
whether Marquette's actions were justified or not, they still probably made a significant portion of the student population (and maybe some faculty too) feel that they were living/working in a hostile environment.
Which begs the question.
What you are saying is that if Marquette remains faithful to its Catholic mission, and refuses to renounce Church teaching on sexuality, gays and lesbians will feel they are in a hostile environment.
In other words, gays and lesbians have a right to have Marquette say it approves of illicit sexual behavior.
"You have to change your position and agree with us" seems to be your position.
Real tolerance accepts disagreement -- even disagreement with politically correct notions.
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