New Coming Out Program

So for those of you who may still be in the early stages of coming out, or are even just questioning your sexuality, there is a new program for you: GPS. While coming out groups have been an option for people for awhile, this new program pairs up you up with a peer GPS provider. Below is more information about the new GPS program. Please let anyone you think may be interested know. Here is the e-mail about it:

The University of Michigan Spectrum Center is launching a new coming out program for students today. Entitled GPS, the program will provide students with Guidance to helpful information and resources, Perspective of a fellow student who has experience with coming out, and Support for coming out.

The GPS Program was conceived by the professional and student staff at the Spectrum Center, who recognized a need for additional resources for students seeking assistance with coming out.

“The available support structures for students coming out were proving to be insufficient,” notes Lauren Sherry, Assistant Director of the Spectrum Center. “Our coming out group continues to fill to capacity, as do the support groups at Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). Students stop by the office all the time looking for resources and support, and it was clear that there was a service gap that needed to be filled. The GPS Program fills that gap.”

After the GPS Program’s conception, a professional staff member and student volunteer at the Spectrum Center worked together to design and implement the program, including recruiting and training a team of volunteer GPS providers. With the GPS Team now in place, The GPS Program has the ability to pair a trained student provider with a student requesting assistance. Meeting times and locations are worked out by the students.

“One of the best features of this program is its flexibility,” says Bruce Kaczmarek, a student volunteer and Co-Coordinator of the GPS Program. Students requesting GPS simply need to fill out a confidential online request form, available at all times on the Spectrum Center’s website. From there, the GPS Coordinators will match the requestor with a GPS provider. The requestor and provider can then quickly arrange a time that works for both of them, including evenings and weekends. Based on the GPS requestor’s needs, they can have one meeting, two, or meet weekly for an entire semester. It is the most flexible of any existing coming out support programs and the easiest to schedule.

The GPS Program is not intended to take the place of professional counseling, but rather to be a supplemental or alternative option for students seeking assistance with coming out.

“It’s a new tool for LGBT and similarly-identified students to use as they are navigating their way out of the closet,” says Kevin Correa, Administrative and Programming Coordinator at the Spectrum Center, and Co-Coordinator of the GPS Program.

In addition to its flexibility, the GPS Program is unique in that it pairs student peers with each other, including peers who may have similar backgrounds.

“Often, a major contributing factor to depression or anxiety for an LGBT person struggling with coming out is a feeling of isolation” explains Correa. “This is particularly true for LGBT people of color, people of faith, and those in historically or perceived-to-be homophobic communities such as Athletics, Greek Life, and natural sciences. With the GPS program, we now have the ability to pair a student with another student who has come out in similar circumstances, thereby providing an increase in support and understanding and a decrease in feelings of isolation.”

More information about the GPS Program is available on the Spectrum Center’s website: spectrumcenter.umich.edu.

Virginity for Sale- but only for Kim

I don’t know if this counts as bisexual news, and I would rather that it doesn’t…But apparently some 22-year old student is selling her virginity on-line. As if that wasn’t crazy enough, the headline for her story is about how the only celebrity she mentions that she wouldn’t mind buying her was Kim Kardashian. Yes, a woman celebrity, but Natalie, the student selling herself, she is heterosexual. To read more about this train wreck click here. And for the original story on what she is doing go here.

The Informers

Openly bisexual author Bret Easton Ellis's novel The Informers is being turned into a movie. If his name sounds familiar it’s because he wrote the books American Psycho and Less than Zero. For those like me who have not read his books, or seen the movies based on the books, his style is something unique. The Informers the book is a collection of short stories set in Los Angeles in the ‘80s. Sources say that the original bisexual and gay themes of the book seem to have made it into the movie version. However, with how his characters are written don’t expect it to be a cheerful or encouraging portrayal; the only good news is that all his characters are written this way!

For a write up about the movie click here.

For more information about the book go here.

Bi 2-D Man Coming to TV

Just when you thought that the only bisexuals on TV are the Icki twins, it seems that a 2-D male will soon be on the air. FOX is apparently bringing the American adaptation of an Australian show that only lasted 13 half-hour episodes. And if that weren’t encouraging enough, almost all evidence so far points to a very stereotypical portrayal. While it could be a decent show, I’m left wonder how we in America end up with this, but the Brits get John Barrowman in Torchwood…

Read more about the FOX TV show; Sit Down, Shut Up.

New Battleground

While it is not specifically bisexual/pansexual news, it was something I was not aware of, but full hope happens. In our Post-Prop-8 world it is great to see that the push for equal rights is not stopping, nor even taking a respite. The new state we are fighting in is Maine. It this goes through there would be a strong niche forming for Sam-sex couples. Already the New England area has some of the best legislation in place to protect our equal rights. To read more here is a link to an article on this new battleground.

Bi Research Participants Needed

I wanted to let you all know about a study being conducted here on campus about bisexuality. This is your chance to get your voice and experiences heard. This was brought to our attention by one of our members, and here is what is printed on the flier:

Do you identify as bisexual? Have you “come out” to your family? How did your mother react? What about your grandfather?

If you are:

• And openly bisexual individual
• “Out” to at least one member of your family
• Over the age of 18
• Interested in being a voice in a growing body of literature about bisexuality and the family

…then please contact me for additional information about this research opportunity.

A doctoral student in sociology and social work at the University of Michigan is seeking participants for a study about bisexual identity and family.

Interviews are casual, confidential, and will last approx. 1 hour.

For more information, please contact: Kristen Scherrer- scherrek@umich.edu

Please if you have the time and fit the qualifiers, think about participating. I know from experience (of writing a paper) that there is not nearly enough research being done about bisexuality. Our voices need to be heard, and this is our chance.