Lauren Hannahs, the Director of LGBT Affairs at UF, speaks about relevant issues in the LGBTQ community during the Gator Allies program hosted by the Diversity and Community Relations Committee and OUTLaw at UF law on Feb. 13. (Photo by Haley Stracher)

By Francie Weinberg
Student writer

Lauren “LB” Hannahs came to the University of Florida Levin College of Law to play games and lead a lively presentation about acceptance and political correctness of the gay community. Sponsored by the Diversity and Community Relations Committee and OUTLaw, UF Law’s gay-straight alliance, the Feb. 13 Gator Allies program taught students to ‘chomp out queerphobia.’

Hannahs, the director of LGBT affairs at the University of Florida, uses Gator Allies as an educational opportunity that focuses on issues that affect the LGBTQ community, while offering the opportunity to engage with the question, what does it mean to be an ally to the LGBTQ community? The program is designed to provide participants with increased awareness and understanding of current LGBTQ issues and history, further understanding of heteronormativity and homophobia and how it affects everyone and skills and resources in being an ally across multiple contexts and communities.

“I think a lot of times when it comes to LGBT issues, people don’t really know what things are OK to say and what are not OK to say,” Hannahs said. “People feel like they’re offending someone or they’re in the wrong setting. This is an opportunity for us to figure out what’s important. Let’s leave all the PC at the door.”

Hannahs had students and faculty name stereotypes of people in the LGBT community and then worked to help everyone understand why all of these stereotypes were wrong. They also played a game in which they matched up terms with their meanings, leaving many confused and overwhelmed.

“This is surprisingly difficult, right?” Hannahs asked. “If you’re feeling overwhelmed, we’re doing our job. When it comes to LGBT issues and gender and sexuality, it’s not very clean-cut.”

Hannahs serves as a beacon for the entire LGBT community in the North-Central Florida community. The lack of education about LGBT issues in public schools, as well as the fact that only about 200 college campuses in the nation have positions like hers, is one of her biggest concerns.

“Our education about the possibility of gender and sexuality being more than man, woman, straight, not straight, is difficult for us to even think about,” Hannahs said. “If your brain hurts, you’re good.”

UF and UF Law have resources available for those who may be struggling with academic stress, personal issues or harassment or bullying. For more information visit http://www.law.ufl.edu/student-affairs/additional-information/have-a-problem-we-can-help for where to seek the best help for your situation.

Deroy Murdock, columnist with the Scripps Howard News Service, discusses gay rights, freedom of association and religious liberty with UF Law Professor Darren Hutchinson Jan. 31 at an event sponsored by the UF Federalist Society and OUTLaw. (Photo by Haley Stracher)

By Lindsey Tercilla
Student writer

On Jan. 31, the UF Federalist Society and OUTLaw, the Levin College of Law’s gay-straight alliance group, hosted a discussion on gay rights, freedom of association and religious liberty. Deroy Murdock, columnist with the Scripps Howard News Service, and visiting Professor Darren Hutchinson exchanged ideas and offered students new perspectives about the three topics.

The openly libertarian columnist discussed gay rights in relation to gay marriage.

“The best way to handle marriage is to get the government out of it,” said Murdock. “If you want to keep something sacred, keep it in the sacred sector.”

Murdock advocated for making the social benefits of marriage universal in some sense in order for gay couples to enjoy these benefits. He stressed the need for a separation of government and marriage.

Hutchinson spoke of his involvement in the Dale v. Boy Scouts trial and about the differences of expressive association and intimate association.

The government, he said, cannot evoke religious freedom to address discrimination and civil rights issues.

The discussion provided an opportunity for students to see the law in action.

“This informational session is relevant to students because it shows application of the law to real-world problems,” said Hutchinson. “While real-world application of the law is discussed in class, an info session like that can go beyond what we can talk about in class.”

The discussion, like many others hosted by these student organizations, allowed for a more in-depth analysis of concepts and connects students to professionals within the field while exposing students to other types of law.

Murdock is a nationally syndicated columnist with the Scripps Howard News Service. His column, “This Opinion Just In…,” frequently appears in the New York Post, Washington Times, and Orange County Register, among some 400 U.S. newspapers he reaches weekly.

Hutchinson teaches Constitutional Law, Equitable Remedies and seminars in Critical Race Theory, Law and Social Change, and Equal Protection Theory at the American University, Washington College of Law.

Sterling Davenport (1L), Professor Danaya Wright, Matthew Heberlein (LL.M.) and Kathryn Brightbill (2L) participated in OUTLaw’s celebration of National Coming Out Day Oct. 11. (Photo by Marcela Suter)

In celebration of National Coming Out Day Oct. 11, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s gay-straight alliance group, OUTLaw, hosted a panel of students and faculty who shared their personal and professional experiences as openly gay individuals.

OUTLaw President Kathryn Bennett (2L) began the discussion with a history of LGTBQ issues and said this day serves as a civil awareness day that helps foster an understanding about these issues and raises awareness for gay and straight people alike.

Sterling Davenport (1L), Matthew Heberlein (LL.M.T.), Kathryn Brightbill (2L) and Professor Danaya Wright spoke on issues ranging from coming out to family, friends and in the workplace, to what straight allies can do to help promote a more inclusive and understanding community.

Bennett said coming out is an important and personal decision and it is up to each person to decide when it is appropriate to come out.

“There’s no going back” once a person is out, she said, and it can “fundamentally alter relationships.”

Davenport said issues such as personal safety can be a factor when determining who to tell and when to come out.

When coming out to a friend, Wright said one of the best responses should simply be: “That’s great.”

That someone has mustered up the courage to share such an integral part of his or her life demonstrates vulnerability as well as trust in the person receiving the news, echoed the panelists.

Following individual stories, Bennett asked each panelist what he or she would tell someone about their sexuality if they were meeting for the first time and what advice they would give to allies to support someone coming out.

Davenport said his activity in equality groups makes his sexuality more obvious, but for others it may not be as clear.

Prior to graduating from Florida Coastal Law, Heberlein was hesitant to include his involvement in equality groups at the college on his resume, but decided if a firm had issue with it, then he likely did not want to work in that environment.

Heberlein said sometimes people can use terms without meaning them in a negative sense, but it’s important to let them know if their use is offensive or derogatory.

“There is nothing wrong with making a mistake,” Heberlein said. “But there is everything good about making a change.”

As for the classroom, Wright encourages faculty to use more hypothetical gay couples in class discussion to normalize their inclusion. She said students often perk up when a gay couple is brought into an estates and trusts scenario, since the vast majority of cases are straight couples.

As for acceptance in the law school community or workplace, Heberlein said “If something makes you feel uncomfortable, speak out and correct it.”

The UF Law administration has been working closely with the Diversity and Community Relations Committee to identify ways to affirm the values of a diverse community and promote an inclusive and tolerant environment. A Town Hall meeting is scheduled for Oct. 23 at noon in the Chesterfield Smith Ceremonial Classroom, HOL 180, to discuss these issues in a forum setting.

In addition, the law school has created a webpage offering resources for dealing with academic stress, tolerance issues, anxiety and a variety of other issues. Got a problem? We can help. Contact the Communications Office if you have comments or suggestions for improving the page.

To view other UF efforts to promote inclusivity, watch this video of UF students and faculty giving a message of love and acceptance to the LGBTQ community.

Are there valid secular public policy arguments against the legalization of same-sex marriage? Is the failure to legalize same-sex marriage one example of our society’s discrimination against the LGBTQ community? Will the adoption of same-sex marriage weaken the government’s ability to facilitate and incentivize procreative relationships between heterosexual couples? The UF Federalist Society and OUTLaw present a civil discourse on same-sex marriage Wednesday at noon in the Chesterfield Smith Ceremonial Classroom, HOL 180, with Professor Richard Esenberg of Marquette University Law School and UF Law Professor Rachel Rebouché.

Come hear a discussion on secular arguments for and against the legalization of same-sex marriage. Free Publix subs and chicken tenders for attendees.

About the speakers:
Professor Richard Esenberg currently teaches at Marquette University Law School. For the past ten years, Professor Esenberg served as vice president and general counsel of Rite Hite Holding Corporation in Milwaukee. From 1981 to 1997, he was an associate and then partner at Foley & Lardner. Esenberg has overseen international acquisitions and business expansions throughout Europe, Latin America, and Canada. Esenberg holds a J.D., magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review, and a B.A., summa cum laude, in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He teaches Civil Procedure, Election Law, Wisconsin Supreme Court and Law and Theology.

Professor Rachel Rebouché is an assistant professor of law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law. She received her J.D. from Harvard Law School where she was the editor-in-chief for the Harvard Journal of Law and Gender. She received her LL.M. from Queen’s University, Belfast, and her B.A. from Trinity University. Rebouché has worked as the associate director of Adolescent Health Programs, and was a law clerk to Justice Kate O’Regan of the Constitutional Court of South Africa. She is currently associate director at the UF Law Center for Children & Families, an advisor for the Family Law Society, and an affiliated faculty for the Center for Women’s Studies & Gender Research. In 2012, Rebouché received 1 of only 10 campuswide UF Excellence Awards for assistant professors. She joined the UF law faculty in 2010.

Center for the Study of Race and Race Relations hosts open house

The CSRRR will host an open house Wednesday from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. in the CSRRR meeting room, HOL 370D.

Glasser Barbecue slated for Oct. 9

The Levin College of Law is holding a free barbecue for all students, faculty and staff Tuesday, Oct. 9, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Marcia Whitney Schott Courtyard. The food is from Hill’s Bar-B-Que in Gainesville and the event is sponsored by the Gene K. and Elaine Glasser Endowment. The Glassers, who are both UF alumni, have sponsored the event for the past several years. They hope the annual event will foster a greater sense of community among people at the law school. “The law school education I received at the University of Florida has greatly influenced my professional and personal life, creating lasting memories with my friends,” said Gene Glasser, a Fort Lauderdale attorney who received his juris doctor degree from UF Law in 1972. The event is a great chance for incoming students to get to know one another and feel like a part of the law school community. During the event, the Office of Communications will post photos on the UF Law Facebook page and we invite attendees to submit their comments on the photos to thank the Glassers for their contributions to the law school.

Join UF Oct. 12 to honor black leadership

• Leadership and Law: Diverse Perspectives on the Role of Race and Participation in Professional Legal Organizations (CLE Credit Anticipated), 12-2:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 12, UF Law Martin H. Levin Advocacy Center. Welcome reception and luncheon noon-1 p.m.; panel presentation 1-2:30 p.m. with leaders from national, state, and local bar associations discussing how race has influenced the past, present, and future of their respective organizations in order to foster a dialogue on avenues for leadership and joint initiatives that transcend racial and other divides. Funded by The Florida Bar in cooperation with the 8th Judicial Circuit Bar Association, the Josiah T. Walls Bar Association and Center for the Study of Race and Race Relations. RSVP here.
• A celebration honoring the 50th Anniversary of the Graduation of the University of Florida and Levin College of Law’s First Black alumnus: W. George Allen, featuring presentations by W. George Allen and other honored guests, 3 to 4:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 12, 2012, Chesterfield Smith Ceremonial Classroom (180 HOL). Co-sponsored by the University of Florida Alumni Association and Association of Black Alumni, Levin College of Law & Center for the Study of Race and Race Relations. Read more.

Harvard law professor discusses same-sex marriage at Weyrauch Lecture Oct. 18

The Weyrauch Distinguished Lecture in Family Law will feature Harvard Law School Professor Janet Halley on “Traveling Marriage: Why the Campaign for Same Sex Marriage Gets Marriage Wrong,” Thursday, Oct. 18, at noon in the Chesterfield Smith Ceremonial Classroom, HOL 180. Hosted by the Center for Children and Families, this lecture was established in honor of Professor Walter O. Weyrauch, internationally known for his work in foreign and family law. Professor Weyrauch joined the UF Law faculty in 1957 as associate professor. He became professor in 1960, was Clarence J. TeSelle Professor 1989-94, and became Stephen C. O’Connell Chair in 1994 and distinguished professor in 1998. A reception will follow the lecture.

Halley is the Royall Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. She teaches courses in family law, comparative family law and sexuality, and legal theory. Before teaching at Harvard, she was professor of law at Stanford Law School (1991-2000) and assistant professor of English at Hamilton College (1980-85). She has a Ph.D. in English from UCLA (1980) and a J.D. from Yale Law School (1988).

Her books include After Sex? On Writing Since Queer Theory, co-edited with Andrew Parker (Duke University Press 2011); Split Decisions: How and Why to Take a Break from Feminism (Princeton University Press 2006); Left Legalism/Left Critique, co-edited with Wendy Brown (Duke University Press, 2002); Don’t: A Reader’s Guide to the Military’s Anti-Gay Policy (Duke Univ. Press, 1999); and Seeking the Woman in Late Medieval and Renaissance Literature: Essays in Feminist Contextual Criticism, co-edited with Sheila Fisher (University of Tennessee Press, 1989). Her current projects include a handbook, What’s Not to Like about Sexual Harassment Law; a paper comparing family law systems entitled “Travelling Marriage;” and a critique of the rules about sexual violence in war established by the ad hoc courts convened to adjudicate war crimes in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia.

Criminal Justice Center, Criminal Law Association hosts criminal video-advocacy competition

The Criminal Justice Center and the Criminal Law Association is pleased to host its inaugural criminal video-advocacy competition this fall. The competition solicits submissions by student teams of an original, creative and educational video portrayal of Fourth Amendment issues geared toward a college-student audience

• Cash prizes will be awarded for first through third places.
• All law students enrolled at the Levin College of Law are eligible to enter.
• Deadline for submissions is Oct. 22. Winners will be announced on Nov. 10.
• The submissions will be evaluated by members of a judging panel; criteria include clarity of thought, well-structured argumentation, creative use of videography and liveliness of expression.

Decisions of the judging panel will be final. Complete rules of the competition are available at the CJC website (www.law.ufl.edu/academics/centers/cjc) or can be obtained from Eva Achero in Room 100, Bruton-Geer Hall.

Applications open for 2013 Evan Yegelwel Summer Fellowship

The Evan Yegelwel Summer Fellowship award permits one UF Law student to participate in a paid Summer Fellowship Program at the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Florida Regional Office in Boca Raton. The Yegelwel Summer Fellowship award is $4,000. The ADL is a premier national civil rights organization that fights anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry in the U.S. and abroad, combats international terrorism, probes the roots of hatred, comes to the aid of victims of bigotry, develops educational programs, and serves as a public resource for government, media, law enforcement, all toward the goal of countering and reducing hatred. A generous gift from Evan Yegelwel (JD 80) has made this fellowship possible. Yegelwel is a partner in the Jacksonville law firm of Terrell Hogan Ellis Yegelwel, P.A. Click here for more fellowship and application information.

3Ls Christina Vilaseca, left, and Amy Levenberg, showed their support for equality at OUTLaw's Marry-In event Tuesday. Max Wihynk (2L) acted as officiator. (Photo by Maggie Powers)

By Maggie Powers

OUTLaw, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Gay-Straight Alliance group, held its third annual Marry-In event in the Marcia Whitney Schott Courtyard Tuesday.

The event aimed to bring awareness to marriage inequality by holding symbolic marriage ceremonies between people who wanted to show support.

The event welcomed anyone to marry, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, said OUTLaw President Max Wihnyk (2L), and took place from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. with the “marriage” of seven couples. Wihnyk acted as officiator and participants exchanged Ring Pops and Hersey’s Kisses as representations of traditional wedding tokens.

Wihnyk said he thinks the traditions of the legal community influence professionals’ ability to openly be part of the LGBT community. As an openly gay man, he said he wants to work at a place where he can be himself. He emphasized the importance of addressing the imbalance of rights immediately.

“We need to make sure that the issue of equality is getting raised here-and-now when we’re learning the law and ethics of being an attorney or representing somebody,” he said. “It’s important to get that down now.”

Best friends and 3Ls Christina Vilaseca and Amy Levenberg symbolically married each other to express their distaste for martial inequality. Both women are straight and they believe that members of the LGBT community should have the same martial rights that they enjoy. The two have participated in the event every year since its beginning.

“It is a deprivation of rights, and our country is founded on upholding those rights,” Vilaseca said. “It’s really frustrating.”

Levenberg had similar sentiments.

“I think it’s a disgrace that our political system treats certain people as inferior,” she said.

Gainesville Mayor Craig Lowe visited campus as part of OUTLaw's OUT in the Field lecture series late last month. (Photo by Nicole Safker)

By Max Wihnyk (2L)

Gainesville Mayor Craig Lowe visited the University of Florida Levin College of Law to share his story as an openly gay politician.

OUTLaw: UF Law’s Gay & Straight Alliance, welcomed Lowe Feb. 28 as its inaugural speaker for the OUT in the Field Lecture Series in order to give students an idea of life in the “real world” as an out individual.

The purpose of the lecture series is to provide LGBTQ students an opportunity to hear from openly gay individuals in the field and what their experiences have been like. Lowe was sworn in as Gainesville’s mayor May 20, 2010, after serving the city of Gainesville for seven years as a city commissioner.

Lowe fostered an interest in politics since an early age, starting with his eighth grade class presidential campaign, where he also experienced homophobia. In that same campaign, he was subjected to slogans such as “Say No To Homo Lowe.”

“It was my first experience with a homophobic campaign,” Lowe said. “Although at the time I didn’t even really know what homosexuality was.”

Though Lowe lost his presidential bid that year, his passion for politics was voracious.

“As a young boy I was fascinated by politics,” Lowe told the nearly 30 people that attended the lecture. “I remember watching the nominations and debates on television.”

Lowe took a break from campaigning in order to earn his bachelor of science in agriculture in soil science from the University of Georgia, and in 1982 he received a master’s degree in zoology from the University of Florida. At the age of 46, 21 years later, Lowe embarked on his historic political career in Gainesville.

From 2003 through his swearing in as Mayor in 2010, Lowe served as a Gainesville City Commissioner. “I felt that whether it be in land use planning or issues of equality, we could do better, I could do better,” Lowe said.

Cries from opponents saying he was a one-issue candidate — referring to his sexuality — didn’t stop Lowe from championing wise transportation planning, better public safety and more equality. During his campaign for mayor, Lowe experienced growing homophobia and attacks on his sexuality.

The Dove Outreach Church, “a so-called church,” Lowe said, posted a sign, reading “No Homo Mayor,” which drew the eye of the national press to the Gainesville Mayoral Campaign.

Lowe told the UF Law audience that his opponents handed out fake flyers, purporting to be from the Lowe campaign, at conservative churches and door-to-door. The flyer read “As Mayor, I (Lowe) will allow men in women’s restrooms.” And while going door-to-door, opponents made it appear that Lowe would turn Gainesville into San Francisco.

Lowe won the election by 42 votes.

Lowe’s experience is an important one to be heard. As an openly gay politician and Gainesville’s first openly gay mayor, Lowe brought a bank of experiences and knowledge to the lecture.

His insight into what life is like beyond the walls of the classroom provide a window for LGBTQ students to see what life may be like after graduation. Lowe remarked that his experience as mayor has been a rewarding one, and that things are getting better.

Lowe is proud of Gainesville’s anti-discrimination laws and domestic partnership registry. But Lowe still cautions that “we are not there yet” and much is to be done.

Lowe encouraged those in attendance and beyond to stay involved and work to change the status quo, and that while we will always have homophobia, the youth need to take up the cause.

Commenting on marriage equality, Lowe said, “One day we will have a Supreme Court that says any marriage law that is against equality is unconstitutional.” He added, “It is a good thing to champion marriage equality, especially in Gainesville. It is basic human rights similar to Loving v. Virginia.”

When asked what LGBTQ students should do regarding the prospect of entering the professional world and reconciling with their sexuality. Lowe said it is important to decide as an individual to determine how they will be who they are.

He said it’s important to become involved in LGBTQ professional groups — such as OUTLaw and Pride Student Union — saying that they are a great networking place and mechanism for activism.

In regard to looking employment after graduation, Lowe suggested students should turn to LGBTQ directories for positions, and that big firms like Holland & Knight are open to hiring, regardless of sexual orientation.

Lowe ended his question and answer session with a plea to all those of voting age to register, vote and participate in the process to work for change.

Look for future OUTLaw events, including more from this series.

Max Wihnyk is a 2L and the president of OUTLaw.

The second-year UF Law student didn’t have big goals. He pleaded for the basics.

And while Wihnyk lives in a state where he can be fired from his job or evicted from his home just for being gay, the basics are all he’s got.

“It was definitely weird going into the office of a senator and telling him or her that these were basic human rights,” said Wihnyk, president of OUTLaw, UF Law’s LGBT advocacy group.

Wihnyk traveled to Tallahassee Feb. 6 with OUTLaw secretary Kathryn Brightbill (1L) to participate in Equality Florida’s Lobby Days 2012. The two-day event brings together members of Florida’s LGBTQ community with state legislators to discuss proposed bills.

Most of these bills fight for basic human rights. And most of these bills have to be lobbied, fought and pleaded for.

“I think the general population doesn’t know you can be denied housing for being gay or be fired for being gay,” Brightbill said. “Without making our legislators aware of this problem, it’s not going to move forward.”

Brightbill joined Wihnyk for his second Lobby Days at the state capital to fight for two proposed bills in particular: the Domestic Partnership Act and the Florida Competitive Workforce Act.

The Domestic Partnership Act would create basic legal protections for unmarried, cohabitating couples regardless of sexual orientation.

“It doesn’t give nearly the amount of benefits marriage gives. It would give the very basic benefits,” Wihnyk said.

Among those marriage benefits Wihnyk lists that he’s currently denied in Florida: automatic inheritance rights, a right to make spousal health care or child care decisions, the ability to file joint tax returns, obtaining insurance through a spouse and receiving Medicare or Social Security benefits of a spouse.

So Wihnyk lobbied for the basics.

He lobbied for the Florida Competitive Workforce Act, a bill that would make it illegal in Florida to fire an employee based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

“All we need is a few courageous senators, and it’ll happen,” Wihnyk said. “I hate to say courageous, but it’s true. A lot of senators don’t want to touch these things.”

And while Wihnyk’s busy lobbying for what many take for granted, light for the Sunshine State is glowing out West.

In a double dose of victories for Wihnyk and the LGBTQ community Feb. 8, Washington state legislators voted to approve same-sex marriage while the 9th United States Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Proposition 8, a California ballot initiative defining marriage strictly as a union between one man and one woman, to be unconstitutional.

That’s good news for Florida, Wihnyk said. That’s good news for getting more than just the basics.

While more than 62 percent of Florida voters decided in 2008 to amend the state constitution to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman, Wihnyk points to the legal limbo of California’s Proposition 8.

For now, the uncertainty of how far his basic human rights stretch is good news for Wihnyk. Ultimately, the United States Supreme Court, Wihnyk said, will decide the fate of California’s marriage amendment. That ruling will affect more than California – it will untangle the nation’s messy marriage web, and it will define how we define ourselves.

But for now, Wihnyk holds on to the basics. It’s all he has.

“It’s the small things (that matter),” he said.

Jorge Montesino, Karen Middlekauff and Prof. Michael Siebecker shared their personal stories in celebration of National Coming Out Day. (Photo by Vincent Massaro)

National Coming Out Day was celebrated at a panel hosted by OutLaw, the Levin College of Law’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Straight Ally group. The event, titled “What Is It Like to Come Out?” was held Oct. 12 in the Bailey Courtroom, and included opening remarks by UF Law Dean Robert Jerry and moving personal stories by two UF Law students and a faculty member.

Dean Jerry emphasized the need for everyone in the law school community to learn from and be tolerant of one another. Diversity and the ability to get along with and work closely with others very different than yourself is important not just in law school, he said, but throughout your professional career.

OutLaw President Karen Middlekauff (2L) said the law school has formed a Diversity Committee to help create and promote a standard of professionalism and respect for everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, sexual identity, race or creed.

The importance of this was echoed by UF Law Professor Michael Siebecker, who said every faculty member should give a code of conduct to their students at the beginning of class, since creating a better atmosphere in any environment is “easier to start in management.”