[note] Just in Time for the Holidays: New Supreme Court Fan Club Stuff!

Check out our latest Supreme Court Fan Club products, perfect for any law nerd on your gift list this holiday season. Look how deftly I avoid using the word Christmas!

Go here!

Click "supreme court fan club"!

If you don't see your favorite justice, let us know. We'll add'em.

[event] Out of Class!

Outlaws is excited to be hosting the second LesGayBiTransQueer grad student mixer on Thursday, November 30th @ 5pm in the lawyers club lounge (map). Spread the word--we met very nice people at the first mixer and I'd love to hear how their semester's been going.

<3, robert.

[note] Turkey and such

Last Thursday, Outlaws had its annual pre-Thanksgiving dinner (this year it was hosted by my roommate and I). Tons of food, tons of people--Outlaws, partners, friends, and a UMLS alum/Public Service Faculty Fellow and her children--and tons of photos soon to come.

I'm not sure what everyone else was thankful for, but I was pretty grateful for how well the turkey turned out. And that my oral arguments for legal practice, which happened that afternoon, were over.

[note] An Open Letter to Your Motives

Dear Mr. Romney and other interested parties,

I find your references to "sanctity," constitutional fidelity, and the democratic process to be a distraction from the real issue in the marriage debate. I stop short of calling your sound bites disingenuous. Unless you're willing to make a speech, hold a sign, or lead a rally in a televised chant of "we hate fags," then please leave gay folks alone. It's when you hide your hate in the mechanizations of the political system that I begin to worry.

If you need ideas for really mean things to say about gay people, please let me know. I've heard a few. It wasn't until recently, though, that anyone claimed the affirmation of my dignity to be the violation of their own political rights or a breach of constitutional fidelity. That form of teasing is new to me. It sounds so academic, so neutral. But, the more I hear it, the more it sounds like the same old thing. "Let the people vote! You're a fag, you're a fag, you're a fag."

Sincerely,
Robert.

[plug] Dyke the Halls at Aut Bar

**Dyke the Halls**

December 2nd 2006 at 8pm

Aut Bar
325 Braun Court
Ann Arbor
734-761-5122

A Holiday Party for Us - Girls, Drinks and Dancing!

Please Bring Non-Perishable Food Donations or Unwrapped Toys. Donations will benefit Safe House or HARC.

Raffle and Entertainment TBA

[news] Gay Donor or Gay Dad?

That's the title of the cover story in today's New York Times magazine. One part of the article mentioned how lesbian couples are drawing up long agreements with the biological fathers of their children, but these carry little weight:

"Drawing up an agreement can have what Guy called "immense stop-look-and-listen value." That is, it makes "you think for a minute about what you're doing." But as he readily admitted, such documents --even when drawn up by a lawyer -- often carry little legal weight. According to Arthur Leonard, a New York Law School professor and an expert on sexuality and the law, families can draft as many documents as they want, but "in the eyes of the law a parent is either the biological parent or an adoptive parent or, in some jurisdictions, a de facto parent." At best, co-parenting agreements serve as a way to establish intent, which state courts can choose to factor into their decisions -- or not. Charged, above all, with looking out for the best interest of the child, judges are free to ignore even the most well-drawn documents."

[event] Trans Awareness Week

Events Calendar
(Events Sponsored by the Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Affairs along with student organizations throughout UM including Outlaws)


November 13

Trans Awareness Rally - Diag 12pm
- Spoken word and other speakers, come show your support for the trans community


November 15

Challenge Gender Rules Day (all day) and Discussion (Office of LGBTA, 5:15-6:45pm)
- Sponsored by the School of Social Work TBLG Initiative
- Find new ways to break out of traditional gender roles and expressions. Use clothing to get outside of gender norms.

Cruel and Unusual (Film, School of Social Work Education Conference Center, 7pm)
- Documentary about trans women in prisons


November 16

Cruel and Unusual (Film, Dana Natural Resources Building, 7pm)
- Documentary about trans women in prisons


November 17

Transgender Coming Out Panel (Palmer Commons, Boardroom 5, 6pm)


November 18

Transgender Day of Remembrance, Observed (Rackham Graduate School, 6pm)
- Public recognition of those in the trans community subjected to violence
- 3L Denise Brogan will speak


November 20

Transgender Day of Remembrance Film (220 HH, 7:30pm)
- Join your fellow law students in viewing a poignant film about the trans community to honor Transgender Day of Remembrance

[note] Congrats to Foz!

click for pictures from the night.

Hi Everyone -

A quick note of congrats to our very own Foz, who was awarded with the prestigious Jenny Runkles Award last night at the WLSA banquet. Quite the honor, and quite deserved: The award goes to a second year law student "who possesses a selfless commitment to improving the Law School community and society as a whole, through devotion to public interest and diversity." [Fellow classmate] Malinda [E.] also received the award.

A number of Outlaws were on hand at the banquet when the award was announced - we had a great showing to cheer on the third consecutive Outlaws member to win the Jenny Runkles award.

Way to go Outlaws, and especially, way to go Foz! Congratulations!!

Jenny [our beloved Admissions/Faculty/Alumni Chair]

[news] Running Out of Steam

Lawmakers in Massachusetts, the only state where same-sex marriage is legal, dealt what appeared to be a fatal blow Thursday to a proposed constitutional amendment to ban it.

...

"For all intents and purposes, the debate has ended," said Representative Byron Rushing, a Boston Democrat and the assistant majority leader. "What members are expecting is that the majority of constituents are going to say, 'Thank you, we're glad it's over, we think it has been discussed enough.' "

from this article

[edit: 11:10am]

Viva la Mexico (City)!

Oh look, another legislature engaging in legislative activism. Que bueno. Way to go, Mexico (City).

The bill, which would not approve gay marriage, allows same-sex couples to register their union with civil authorities, granting them inheritance rights and other benefits typically given to spouses. Heterosexual couples who are not legally married can also be registered under the bill.

"This law ... does not require anyone else to change their thinking, nor does it hurt the concept of the nuclear family," said legislator Juan Bustos of the left-leaning Democratic Revolution Party, or PRD, which has pushed for the law in the capital for years.

from this article

[pics] Pictures, Pictures, Pictures.

I'm still waiting on pictures from Lavender Law, but we just got some in from Stiletto's bar night and the BLSA Date Auction.



click for Stiletto's!





click for Date Auction!

[news] NY Realizes Gender Isn't So Simple

Separating anatomy from what it means to be a man or a woman, New York City is moving forward with a plan to let people alter the sex on their birth certificate even if they have not had sex-change surgery.

from this article

And, from our dearest Nadine: "To add a bit of Michigan pride, Michael Silverman, founder and executive of the Transgender Legal and Education Defense Fund who is cited in the article, is a Michigan Law alumnus. Go Blue!!"

[event] Upcoming Events!

Thanks to everyone who made it out to Monday's Outlaws meeting!! And a special thanks goes out to our guest speaker, Professor Frier, who gave us an excellent update on Hammer v. University of Michigan (and a much-needed refresher on contracts law!).

The following are upcoming events to look out for:

1. 1L Job Search Panel - Wednesday, Nov. 8th @ 12:15 p.m. in 150HH
Come hear wise 2Ls & 3Ls discuss the job search process and give tips on landing a great summer position. Non-pizza lunch will be provided.

2. Outlaws Thanksgiving Dinner - Thursday, Nov. 16th @ 7 p.m. - Stacy & Kyle's house
It's the annual Outlaws Thanksgiving dinner. Email Stacy to sign up to bring food, drinks, utensils, etc.

3. Transgender Awareness Week, Nov. 13th-Nov. 18th; Transgender Day of Remembrance Nov. 20th
Find out about University-wide events here.

• Transgender Day of Remembrance - UM Rally/Memorial, Sat. Oct. 18th, 6-8 p.m. @ Rackham Hall. Outlaws' very own Denise Brogan will speak at this event to memorialize those who have been killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice.
  
• Outlaws Screening of "TransAmerica" - Monday, Nov. 20th @ 7 p.m. Room TBD. Come watch the critically acclaimed film which tells the story of Bree, a pre-operative, male-to-female transsexual, who is thrown a major curve ball the week before her gender-reassignment operation.

4. Outlaws' hosted LGBT Grad School Mixer, Thurs. Nov. 30th @ 5 p.m. in the LC Lounge.
Outlaws will host the second grad school social event of the year for LGBT students.

5. Perry Watkins Fellowship - Applications Due Dec. 1st @ 5 p.m.
1Ls & 2Ls who plan to work for an LGBT-related non-profit this summer are encouraged to apply for the Perry Watkins Fellowship. Download the application here.

That's all for now. Email us with questions/comments/etc.

Thanks!

Paul & Steve

[event] General Meeting

The next Outlaws General Meeting will be on...

Monday, Nov. 6th @ 6:30 p.m. in 218HH

Featuring Guest Speaker Professor Frier who will discuss Hammer v. Univ. of Michigan - a recently resolved lawsuit against UM which alleged discrimination based on sexual orientation in faculty hiring/tenure decisions.

Also, find out about upcoming Outlaws events and how you can get involved.

All welcome, especially allies!
Food will be provided.