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Great News!

The Institute of Gay and Lesbian Education (IGLE) will be holding its
first Weekend College on February 24-25, 1996 in San Diego.

Students from San Diego and all over the West Coast will have the
opportunity to take classes with IGLE's top instructors in the following
four fields:  film, history, literature, and psychology.

A keynote speech by noted queer scientist Dr. Simon LeVay kicks off the
event on Saturday, which includes one "major" class per student that meets
for 5 hours over the weekend and one "minor" class per student that meets
for 2.5 hours over the weekend.

Also planned are a dance party Saturday night, a San Diego gay/lesbian
history panel Sunday morning, and a film screening and discussion of a
lesbian film at one of San Diego's premier theaters.

Early Bird Registration (by Feb. 1) is only $75, and only $40 for
full-time students.

For those coming in from out of town, discounted rooms are available at
the Hillcrest Inn, starting under $40 a night.

Course Descriptions

Keynote Speech

Queer Science.  What does science say about what makes people gay or
straight?  And why does it matter?  This talk, incorporating slides and
videos, will explore biological and historical perspectives on the genesis
of sexual orientation, from gay "genes" to "cures."

Dr. Simon LeVay received national recognition for his 1991 study of the
hypothalamus and sexual orientation conducted at the Salk Institute in San
Diego.  A co-founder of IGLE and a clear, insightful speaker, Dr. LeVay
wrote The Sexual Brain, City of Friends (with Elisabeth Nonas), and the
forthcoming Queer Science.

Film

Major:  Queer Readings of Film and TV.  How do gays and lesbians watch
mainstream films and TV shows from a queer perspective?  Analysis and
discussion of clips from Hollywood movies plus entire episodes of Laverne
and Shirley, Frasier, and The Simpsons will examine subversive readings of
"straight" Hollywood.

Minor:  Lesbian Desire in Film.  Female desire in general and lesbian
desire in particular are inevitably threatening to the general culture as
represented in Hollywood film.  This course will look at sequences from
mainstream films that erase lesbian desire and recent work by lesbian
filmmakers that highlight this desire. 

Dr. Sue Scheibler's easygoing style and tremendous sense of humor make her
one of IGLE's most talented instructors.  Her students at IGLE, USC, and
Loyola Marymount have consistently praised her encyclopedic knowledge of
gay and lesbian film history and her ability to make difficult concepts
both accessible and exciting.

History

Major:  Exploring the Lesbian and Gay Past.  What were the lives of
lesbians and gays like in years past?  How do we know?  This course uses
fascinating and often surprising original source materials including
diaries, cartoons, photos, newspaper clippings, pulp novels, advice
manuals, and more to allow students to draw conclusions about the
historical experiences of gays and lesbians in America.

Minor:  Gays and the Holocaust.  A slide lecture and discussion
incorporating both the history of gays in Nazi Germany and the ways the
American gay and lesbian community has understood the Holocaust.  How was
the Nazi persecution of gays similar and different to that of Jews?  When
did American gays first wear the pink triangle?  Is AIDS a Holocaust? 
Discuss and debate these and similar issues.

David Bianco, M.A. teaches history and politics at IGLE and serves as
director of the Weekend College.  David's students at IGLE, Stanford, and
elsewhere have widely praised his knowledge, insight, and success in
making the past come alive by engaging all students in lively discussions
and hands-on historical projects.

Literature

Major:  Reading Gay and Lesbian Literature.  We have appeared in
literature since its very beginnings, but the words have changed:  friend,
lover, sodomite, invert, gay, lesbian, queer.  This course will read and
discuss gay and lesbian literature from the ancients to today, including
Gilgamesh, Sappho, Christopher Marlowe, Emily Dickinson, Allen Ginsberg
and Jeanette Winterson.

Minor:  The Avant-Garde. What is the relationship between gays and
lesbians and the avant-garde?  The course looks at two literary movements:
the literature of American and British expatriate women in early 20th
century Paris (Gertrude Stein, Djuna Barnes, and Radclyffe Hall) and also
at the postwar New York school of poets, including Frank O'Hara.

Dr. Luke Johnson has engaged gay and lesbian literature as a reader,
activist, and scholar since the late 1950s.  One of IGLE's most popular
instructors, he always succeeds in transmitting his vast knowledge of the
broad span of queer literature.  A student once told him, "You taught me
how to read as a lesbian."

Psychology

Major: Lesbian Psychology.  Psychology is the study of feeling, experience
and behavior.  How might this social science approach lesbians and their
feelings, experiences and behavior?  This course will use discussions,
readings, and lectures to examine issues such as identity development,
relationships, and parenting among women-identified women.

Minor:  Coming Out.  What are the psychological aspects of the life-long
process of coming out?  This course will explore the lives of gay men and
lesbians as they come out to themselves and others.  Issues addressed
include internalized homophobia, costs and benefits, the decision-making
process, and dealing with parents, work, and friends.

Dr. Pat Alford-Keating's students enjoy her ability to engage them in
frank and deep discussions while maintaining a comfortable atmosphere.  A
campus psychologist at UCLA and an adjunct professor at USC, she
particularly enjoys bringing her wisdom, warmth and humor into IGLE
classrooms.

Schedule

Saturday, Feb. 24

9:30-10:00 Registration
10:00-10:15 Welcome and Orientation 
10:15-11:30 Keynote:  Dr. Simon LeVay
11:30-12:00 Lunch Break
12:00-3:00 Major Classes:  Session #1
3:00-3:30 Break/Social
3:30-5:00 Minor Classes:  Session #1
5:00-7:00 Dinner Break
7:00-?  Dance Party at Kickers, 308 University Ave.

Sunday, Feb. 25

10:00-11:30 Panel Discussion:  San Diego Lesbian/Gay History
11:30-12:00 Lunch Break
12:00-2:00 Major Classes:  Session #2
2:00-2:30 Break
2:30-3:30 Minor Classes:  Session #2
3:30-4:30 Break
4:30-7:00 Film Screening and Discussion:  Johnny Guitar at the Park
Theatre, 3812 Park Blvd.

Unless otherwise noted, all events are held at the San Diego Lesbian and
Gay Men's Community Center, 3916 Normal Street.

The Institute of Gay and Lesbian Education has been providing food for
thought for Southern Californians since 1992.

The event is co-sponsored by the Lesbian and Gay Men's Community Center
(where all classes will be held), the Gay and Lesbian Times, The Hillcrest
Inn, Hamburger Mary's/Kickers, Obelisk:  The Bookstore, Landmark Theatres,
and the Metropolitan Community Church of San Diego.

If you wish to register or find out more information, return this email
with your name and address (and phone number, if possible) and we'll get
you a brochure/registration form.

Alternatively, you can quick-register by phone (credit card only) by
calling 310-652-1786 (day) or 1-800-582-3929 (evenings/weekends).

We hope to hear from you!

Dave

Dave Bianco

Weekend College Director
aribianco@aol.com