More than 250 people attended Syracuse University's Rainbow Banquet on April 22; during the banquet, Foundation Awards were presented to students, faculty and staff. The keynote address was given by grassroots lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activist, journalist and lecturer Leslie Feinberg. Feinberg is the author of "Stone Butch Blues" (1993), "Transgender Warriors: Making History from Joan of Arc to Dennis Rodman" (1996), and "Trans Liberation: Beyond Pink or Blue" (1998).
The Rainbow Banquet was established in 2003 as a celebration of the LGBT community at SU; the Foundation Awards were also established to recognize individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, whose personal or professional lives have positively affected the LGBT community in a significant way. The name "Foundation Award" is itself significant as a reminder of the many heroes of the LGBT movements.
The 2004 Rainbow Banquet Foundation Award recipients were: Colin Dabkowski, Outstanding Undergraduate Student; Eldar Beiseitov, Outstanding Graduate Student; Mary Doody, Outstanding Community Member; Office of Residence Life Area C, Outstanding Campus Organization or University Department; Andrew London, Outstanding Faculty Member; and Barry L. Wells and Adrea L. Jaehnig, Outstanding Staff Members.
"I feel honored to receive this award and to work with so many other dedicated faculty, staff and students who are committed to making Syracuse University a campus where lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons are welcomed, expected, supported and celebrated for the many contributions we make to the community and society more generally," says London, an associate professor in the Department of Sociology. "We have made a lot of progress with respect to improving the campus climate for LGBT persons, but there is more to be done in and outside of the classroom by all of us, regardless of our sexual orientation."
For more information on the Foundation Awards and the work of the LGBT Resource Center, call 443-3983.
