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What's New | About UMPA | Advice | Campaigns | Events | Funding | Graduate Centre | Publications | Student Groups | Postgraduate Issues | Links | Search
Who are you calling strange? | Get involved | Contacts, Links Library
Jono Major is a Queer Liaison. If you would like advice from the Queer Officer, or would like to bring an issue to the attention of UMPA, but prefer to speak to a male, please feel free to contact Jono.
"Hi I'm Jono, I'm doing a Postgrad Diploma in Theology. I'm happy to talk to anyone, whether you have any particular concerns, or if you just want to chat."
Email: jono_melbourne(at)yahoo.com.au
Phone: 0416 885 894
'Queer' does not mean 'strange', although from about the 16th century to the mid-19th century, this is exactly what the word meant (it had nothing to do with sexuality).
'Queer' is not a homophobic insult, although from about the late 19th century through much of the 20th century, it was used in this way. Towards the end of the 20th century, 'queer' was reclaimed as a positive term of self-identification, which stripped the word of its derogatory power.
'Queer' is not necessarily a political term. It certainly can be, however, and since the 1980s, it has been embraced by numerous anti-assimilationist and radical gay groups.
I'm using Queer as an umbrella term for identities such as lesbian, bisexual, gay, transgender, transsexual, intersex, genderqueer, and any other non-heterosexual and non-gender-normative identification. Put simply, 'queer' is more manageable than the cumbersome 'LGBT', and a lot more inclusive. Unlike LGBT, Queer does not attempt to conflate the histories and social and political causes of the various sexual and gender identities, but acknowledges their complexities and differences. Queer posits their binding trait as their affirmative difference from heteronormative sexuality and gender presentation.
Who are you calling strange? | Get involved | Contacts, Links Library
Queer postgraduate students get together during semester for film nights and other events. To find out more, subscribe to our email bulletin. To get in touch with the postgrad Queer Officer email queer@umpa.unimelb.edu.au
21 September:
Eyecandy/Talkfest 2 - Sexual stereotypes: what can we do with them? Adopt them with pride as they allow us easily-recognisable social positions? Use them for a political purpose? Scorn and bemoan them? What's pop culture doing with queer sexual stereotypes – and is this a good thing?
20 September:
Eyecandy/Talkfest 1 - Gay sex then and now:
Links relating to this event:
8 March: Drinks at Deep Dish Bar, Graduate Centre
20 April: Queer Film and Discussion Night: 'Travelling Sexualities and Queer Globalisation' in the Gryphon Gallery, Graduate Centre. Featured a presentation from PhD student Katsuhiko Suganuma, and the film ‘Cut Sleeve Boys’.
25 May: Poetry reading by Jill Jones and Michael Farrell in the FLMR, Graduate Centre, followed by dinner on Lygon Street.
24 August: Queer Film and Discussion Night II: Freaks in the Family! Featured presentation by PhD student Jonathan Williams and the film 'By Hook or by Crook'.
Who are you calling strange? | Get involved | Contacts, Links Library
Support other queer postgrads on campus; be supported; connect! This is an initiative that will depend solely on your involvement. We need people to nominate themselves as willing 'buddies': a person who would like to meet another queer postgrads for a coffee and a chat, and a chance to talk about any issues or problems that they're having as a queer student. Or maybe you don't have any issues to discuss but would just like to meet more queer people on campus. This is your chance to meet new people and form supportive networks at university. It isn't demanding: you can just meet up once if you like, or you may find that you form a long-lasting and involved friendship.
What you need to do: email Paula if you would like to be involved. Let her know if you would like to meet someone who identifies similarly to yourself (e.g. lesbian, gay, trans, questioning, etc) or if that doesn't matter; whether you would like to meet someone in a similar area of study; whether you need to be supported more than you can offer support, or vice versa; and any other specifics. Then we'll match you up with someone as closely as possibly to your requests, we'll email you both, and then leave it up to you to arrange a time to meet (this is sounding a bit like a romantic match-making program—but that's not the intention!). The more people who put up their hands to take part, the better this will work—so we want to hear from you!
We're looking for students who identify differently to the current queer officer (i.e. a queer woman) to act as 'queer liaisons'. You would need to be available to students who would like to contact or talk to people who identify similarly to themselves. This means that this year we're after (for example) a queer male and a genderqueer or trans person to nominate themselves to be a point of contact for other students. Ideally, you would have a photo of yourself and an email address on the UMPA queer page (i.e., here). Again, there won't be much of a time commitment involved, but it's another step towards making 'queer' (and the diversity that this word indicates) more visible on campus and creating an open and supportive network. Email Paula if you'd like to be a liaison.
Who are you calling strange? | Get involved | Contacts, Links Library
Keep in touch by joining the postgrad queer email list.To subscribe, simply email queer@umpa.unimelb.edu.au with 'Subscribe Queer List' in the subject heading. If you have subscibed before April 2007, please re-subscribe due to mailing list upgrade, we're starting the list from scratch.
Queer Officers have collected a library of Queer/Gay and Lesbian literature and a few films for postgrads to borrow. Click here for details.
UMPA Council adopted the following policies in August 2001:
An Open Letter to the Prime Minister re. Vilification of Gay and Lesbian Families (pdf or word document)
Melbourne University Student Union
National Union of Students (NUS)
National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU)
A Guide to the Law for Gays and Lesbians in Victoria
Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby (VGLRL)