Sponsorship Information
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SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION UMKC Pride Breakfast Thursday, March 12, 2015 7:30 – 9:00 am UMKC Volker Campus | Swinney Recreation Center Sponsored by The Pride Breakfast is a collaborative initiative on behalf of the UMKC Divisions of Diversity and Inclusion, Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, and Advancement. A collaborative initiative on behalf of the UMKC Divisions of Diversity and Inclusion, Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, and Advancement Benefit Scholarships The LGBTQIA Empowerment Assistance Fund began in 2010. Some students who come out to their families are faced with a sudden lack of financial support for college. The Fund provides support to those students who are experiencing financial difficulty due to loss of family support. In 2013, the first LGBTQIA Leadership Scholarship was awarded. This fund supports full-time students in good academic standing and with demonstrated financial need who work toward the advancement of the UMKC LGBTQIA community through leadership efforts, inside or outside the classroom. Event The first Pride Breakfast was in 2008. It has been a sold-out event the last three years. However, the majority of attendees have been UMKC staff, faculty and students. By expanding the event and attracting members of the community, we hope to engage and impact more people. The Breakfast has been held in Pierson Auditorium which has a maximum capacity of 500. By moving the event to Swinney Recreation Center, the event has the opportunity to double its attendance (1,100 max. capacity). Planning Committee Honorary Chairs Raymond Cattaneo MD, Chair Priority Care Pediatrics Kay Barnes Mary Boyd Shook Hardy & Bacon Cathy Jambrosic Meg Burik Hallmark Cards Mary Kay McPhee Jeff Church Coterie Theatre Dan Nilsen Angie Cottrell Office of Student Involvement Dale Smith Maurice Watson Jerry Jay Cranford KSU School of Music, Theatre & Dance Stuart Hinds UMKC Special Collections Kirk Isenhour Kansas City CARE Clinic Kurt Knapstein Knapstein Design Missy Koonce AIDS Service Foundation Jonathan Pryor UMKC LGBTQIA Services & Programs Rob Reeder Hallmark Cards Eric Rosen KC Repertory Theatre Josh Strodtman The Lintecum Group Jim Wanser Civic Volunteer Eric Weiss Account Executive A collaborative initiative on behalf of the UMKC Divisions of Diversity and Inclusion, Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, and Advancement Benefit Scholarships The LGBTQIA Leadership Scholarship supports all students who are or will be enrolled in any degree program at UMKC. Eligible students are in good academic standing and have worked towards the advancement of the LGBTQIA community through leadership efforts, inside and/or outside of the classroom environment - demonstrating continued efforts to improve the experience of the LGBTQIA community while at UMKC. These efforts include but are not limited to: • Working to establish an informed and civically engaged LGBTQIA community (i.e., UMKC, high school, and/or local community). • Educating the non-LGBTQIA community on the daily-lived experiences of the LGBTQIA community. • Educating, informing and engaging the community about the intersecting identities that make up the LGBTQIA community. • Demonstrating future efforts and goals toward establishing a positive UMKC campus climate for the LGBTQIA community. Some students who come out or are “outed” to their families are cut off by their loved ones and faced with a sudden lack of financial support for college. The LGBTQIA Pride Empowerment Fund provides support to these students by offering grants to help with expenses such as books, food, rent, and utilities. LGBTQIA students and their perspectives, experiences and values benefit and enrich the educational experiences of all students, faculty and staff. Like other groups, the LGBTQIA community has the power to influence social, political and economic issues in the community, legislature, business and civic organizations and in our institutions of higher education. The Pride Empowerment Fund supports students in harnessing and commanding their own extraordinary power. Personal Stories A student lost financial support from her grandmother after she was “outed” by another family member. This student was barely able to pay her utility bills and had difficulty finding food for her meals. During this time, she lost 10lbs from not being able to eat. With the help of the Empowerment Fund, she received Roobucks from the university, which allowed her to eat at campus cafés and buy groceries and housing supplies at the local CVS Pharmacy. She eventually found a job that allowed her to support herself while continuing her education. She is currently an English student who has been active on campus and is on track to graduate this spring. A few years ago, a student’s mother found out she was a lesbian and cut all ties with her. The student’s father who was divorced from her mother stood by his daughter and provided emotional support but couldn’t contribute financially. Tragically, he passed away while she was still going to school at UMKC leaving her with no family. Through the Empowerment Fund, this student was able to graduate from the School of Education and is now in her third year of teaching elementary school in the Kansas City Missouri School District. I’ll Paint You a Rainbow UMKC Today Published February 26, 2014 Pride Breakfast Celebrated Inclusion in the Workplace A subdued, yet celebratory atmosphere prevailed as individuals shared their life-altering experiences and the progress they’ve seen for LGBTQIA individuals in the workplace. The occasion was the annual Pride Scholarship Breakfast at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Two Hallmark Cards, Inc. executives, Carol Hallquist and Buck Wimberly, served as keynote speakers for the 6th annual fundraising event. However, it was Wimberly who shared the story of his heterosexual marriage, divorce and coming out in 2008; alumnus Quinten Sepe talked about his transgender experience while a student and work study at UMKC; and UMKC staff member Angela Cottrell fought back tears as she relived telling her mom that she is a lesbian. The progress in the workplace has been remarkable for the three: Wimberly and his partner are now raising their five sons from previous marriages. He is encouraged to be inclusive, weaving elements of the LGBT community into products and resources at Hallmark, including the “It Gets Better” video created by HERE (Hallmark’s LGBT resource employee group). Sepe is the person “he needed to be” and is sharing his life with his partner. He was empowered to be the student he truly was and “is a Roo everywhere I go.” According to Cottrell, she is “living the dream.” She is Director of UMKC Student Life and made it clear before assuming the position that she was a proud lesbian. Cottrell now serves as a resource for UMKC LGBTQIA students. The overarching theme – From 9 to 5: PRIDE in the Workplace – was one of inclusion and empowerment to “bring your full self to work.” The speakers stressed the value in being allowed to be the real you and to incorporate that into everything you do, every day. The event also featured an ensemble of the Kansas City Women’s Chorus – Heartsong – offering three songs; the lyrics of one song included “I’ll paint you a rainbow designed with love,” lyrics quite appropriate for the occasion. Funds raised from the breakfast support the LGBTQIA Scholarship and the Pride Endowment Assistance Fund, an emergency fund for students who are experiencing financial difficulty due to loss of family support. “Funds raised today are going to a good cause. They offer hope and encouragement to help students feel good about the university and their workplace,” said UMKC Chancellor Leo E. Morton. “Last year, approximately $27,000 was raised.” Donations can be made through the Division of Diversity of Inclusion, one of the sponsors of the breakfast, along with University Advancement and Student Affairs and Enrollment Management. A collaborative initiative on behalf of the UMKC Divisions of Diversity and Inclusion, Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, and Advancement Featured Speaker – Tony Kushner Tony Kushner is an American playwright, author and screenwriter best known for his two-part epic play, Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes. He wrote the screenplays for Mike Nichols’ film of Angels in America and Steven Spielberg’s Munich. In 2012, he wrote the Oscar®-nominated screenplay for Lincoln directed by Spielberg. In “After Angels,” a profile of Tony Kushner published in The New Yorker, John Lahr wrote: “[Kushner] gives voice to characters who have been rendered powerless by the forces of circumstances – a drag queen dying of AIDS, an uneducated Southern maid, contemporary Afghans – and his attempt to see all sides of their predicament has a sly subversiveness. He forces the audience to identify with the marginalized – a humanizing act of the imagination.” Some of the awards and honors Tony Kushner has received: • Pulitzer Prize for Drama • Emmy® Award • Two Tony Awards® • Three Obie Awards (Off-Broadway Theatre Awards) • Arts Award from American Academy of Arts and Letters • PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation for Theatre Award • Spirit of Justice Award from Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders • Cultural Achievement Award from The National Foundation for Jewish Culture • Chicago Tribune Literary Prize for lifetime achievement • 2012 National Medal of Arts In September 2008, Tony Kushner became the first recipient of the Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Award,