Fall event welcomes LBGT college students to Kalamazoo
KALAMAZOO鈥擬ore than 35,000 college students are in Kalamazoo for the start of fall classes.
Among the many events welcoming them to the greater Kalamazoo area is the communitywide Fall Fab Fest for lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender students and their allies.
The free public event is set for 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 15, at the Western 九一麻豆制片厂 University intramural fields between Howard Street and Rankin Avenue near Goldsworth Valley Pond. In the event of inclement weather, the event will move to the Student Recreation Center's indoor tennis courts.
Keynote speaker Ignacio G Rivera, named one of the 11 Trans Artists of Color You Should Know in 2013, will talk about community action and civic engagement. Representatives of various organizations also will be on hand to provide information about supportive resources available on area college campuses and in the local community. In addition, attendees will be able to enjoy music, food, games and giveaways.
The event is being sponsored by the WMU Office of LBGT Student Services, the Kalamazoo Gay Lesbian Resource Center, Community AIDS Resource and Education Services, Team Friendly and the Target Corp.
About Ignacio G Rivera
Rivera is a queer performance artist, activist, filmmaker, lecturer and sex educator who often incorporates spoken word and storytelling into one-person shows, skits and other presentations for international audiences.
The native Puerto Rican (black-Boricua Ta铆no) is one of the founding board members of Queers for Economic Justice, a progressive nonprofit organization committed to promoting economic justice in a context of sexual and gender liberation.
As a lecturer-trainer, Rivera makes presentations on such topics as racism, sexism, homo/transphobia, transgender issues, sexual liberation, antioppression, antiviolence and multi-issue organizing. Rivera's film work includes three shorts and a forthcoming series of educational documentary-style films.
For more information, contact Jennifer Hsu at lbgt-coordinator@wmich.edu or (269) 387-2123.