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PROSPECTUS:Building upon the successes of Bent On Change 2000: Rethinking Queer Issues on Campus and in Communities, the Bent On Change II conference steering committee is pleased to announce Beyond Tolerance: Rethinking Queer Issues on Campus and in Communities for November 1 & 2, 2002. With joint leadership from Ryerson University, York University and the University of Toronto, Bent On Change II will explore the theme of Beyond Tolerance on Campus and in Communities. Tolerance continues to be the predominant response of the mainstream to challenges from oppressed and marginalized communities. This is true in our communities both on and off campus. Tolerance implies reluctant and limited acceptance, acceptance granted by those in power, acceptance conditioned on good behaviour, rather than full unconditional participation negotiated on principles of justice and equity. Bent On Change II will explore problems associated with the politics of both intolerance and tolerance and will generate ideas about how LGBTQ-identified individuals, groups and allies can empower universities and communities to move beyond tolerance. Universities are important centres of challenge to dominant ideas about gender and sexuality, and many have led the way in altering policies to recognize diversity among their employees and students. In Canada and elsewhere, universities have often been among the first institutions to provide protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, to offer recognition to same-sex relationships, and to develop programs to increase general awareness of diversity issues. Historically, many queer activist groups have emerged on campuses, and many others have had significant representation from the ranks of university students, staff and faculty. For decades, university-based researchers have thought and written about how best to affect change, and have seen their scholarly work as linked to activist campaigns for equity. In more recent years, there has been an explosion of interest in a wide range of queer intellectual ideas. Many campus environments have begun to move from a politics of intolerance to a politics of tolerance, but some aspects of the academic world change slowly. Official policies may change without measures to publicize or ensure understanding of such changes. Prohibition of discrimination may be widely supported without full appreciation of the complexities of change in dynamic settings such as university campuses, inside and outside of classrooms. Universities may become more accommodating places for some gender and sexual "minorities" but not for others. Yet to be explored in meaningful ways are lived experiences of intolerance and tolerance and ways of moving beyond tolerance in university and community settings. Bent On Change II will look at university policies, academic programs, scholarly research, campus equity initiatives and community projects designed to address exclusion, discrimination, prejudice, and harassment. As well, the conference will explore lived experiences of intolerance and tolerance, responses to those experiences, and strategies for moving beyond tolerance in universities and communities. The program committee looks forward to presenting a dynamic program of papers, presentations and workshops that will bring together students, staff, faculty and community members to discuss the various environments in which LGBTQ individuals study, work, play and live. The program will place particular emphasis on discussions that explore the conference theme in relation to intersections of sexuality with race, ethnicity, class, sex, gender, gender identity, faith, size, and abilities. The conference aims to forge connections within and between universities, between universities and other educational institutions, and between universities and communities. For further information, please contact: Bent
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