Bharat Mehra University of Tennessee Donna Braquet University of Tennessee Libraries

1. Library and Information Science Professionals as Community Action Researchers: Top Ten Directions to Further Institutional Change for People of Diverse Sexual Orientations and Gender Identities Bharat Mehra University of Tennessee Donna Braquet University of Tennessee Libraries

2. Agenda • Research Agenda • Research Methods • Data Analysis • Findings: Barriers and Challenges • Findings: Directions for Institutional Change • Examples of our role as LIS Community Action Researchers • Conclusion

3. Research Agenda • Goal: • To tell our story as openly gay library and information science professionals in the University of Tennessee at Knoxville engaged in efforts to promote equal rights of sexual minorities via community action • Findings from qualitative studies and action research include: • Typical barriers/challenges faced by local LGBTQ individuals towards self-fulfillment and social empowerment • Top ten prioritized community actions of “what we need to do” and “how do we do it” for furthering acceptance of LGBTQ people • Current directions of progress made in the UTK academic environment over a period of 2 years

4. Research Methods • Participant observations as gay LIS researchers • Narrative ethnographic interviews conducted during summer/fall 2005 with 21 LGBTQ individuals from the Knoxville metropolitan area • Action-oriented research to direct tangible outcomes that were relevant to the community

5. Acknowledgements in the Research Process • The power of our experiences as gay participant researchers: • Initially exposed us to the prevailing heterosexist mindset/climate • Shaped the process of our research to mobilize community action • Helped us gain a deeper understanding and provided an “insider-outsider” perspective • Our role as LIS researchers helped us apply: • Critical and reflective skills in understanding the information creation-organization-dissemination processes and their potentials to fulfill individual and collective needs • Collecting community narratives provided a valid and authentic method to: • Tap into the community knowledge • Build accurate and representative information resources • Extend traditional LIS roles to community action

6. Data Analysis • Thematic patterns were documented following grounded theory principles • Collected community narratives defined as stories shared by research participants present grounds for action to promote institutional changes at various levels of application • Findings identify action items that take shape, and get actualized, based on reflective analysis of the intersections between our experiences and those of our participants as expressed via their stories

7. What are the barriers and challenges faced by local LGBTQ individuals towards self-fulfillment and social representation?

8. Findings • Social isolation and lack of awareness of LGBTQ people • No formalized support and institutional protection • Lack of political representation • Conservative climate • Cloak of invisibility surrounding LGBTQ concerns and negative stereotyping • Inadequate information support services and no awareness of existing resources • Lack of LGBTQ coverage in courses and curriculum • Lack of fair services to meet LGBTQ needs • Perceived negative backlash or repercussions • Isolated disconnected LGBTQ advocacy

9. No formalized support and institutional protection “[The Campus Climate] is not that good, it is tolerant, but not accepting. They are not going out of their way to welcome gays and lesbians...I have been upset about their non-discrimination policy which doesn’t include sexuality or ethnicity. I have been thinking about that since I applied to the school. Gender is not included either. I have been in a fit about that…But when it all comes down to it, we do not have any legal protection or recourse. They need to adopt a policy that not only says you are protected, but that we want a diverse campus. Make the statement, but also put some feeling behind it and action to support that.”

10. Lack of political representation and equal rights “It is disappointing that the employees do not get health benefits for their partners. My partner and I work at the University and we cannot share benefits, our relationship is not recognized...We need the university administration saying, “Yes, we want a more diverse campus, we want a diverse faculty, we want a diverse staff, and yes, gays and lesbians are included in that diversity.”

11. Inadequate information support services “One particular doctor seemed like she would be easy to talk to about such issues and probably had information and another one was very conservative and so probably would not have. I did notice that there were a lot of information about safe sex and sexuality issues and STDs and so forth, but all in a heterosexual way, so maybe they could devote some space for information for safe sex for LGBTQs.”

12. What efforts can be made to promote progressive institutional changes on behalf of LGBTQ people?

13. Top Ten Actions for Institutional Change

14. Top Ten Actions for Institutional Change

15. Top Ten Actions for Institutional Change

16. What are the specific actions we are taking as LIS community action researchers in the University of Tennessee?

17. Using social/digital technologies to build connections between LGBTQ and allies • Informal/formal networking has helped us develop contacts, communicate, and collaborate with allies and support agencies. These include: • UT LGBT faculty, staff, and students; members of local LGBT community-based groups and social justice agencies; and members of the UT’s Office of Equity and Diversity (OED) and Diversity Council • We created a listserv “LGBTANet” in August 2005 that has helped in information sharing, communication exchange, and building institutional memory for LGBTQ individuals and allies (URL: http://listserv.utk.edu/archives/lgbtanet.html).

18. Seeking institutional commitment for legal, political, and social protection • Chancellor Crabtree’s encouraging response during our first meeting in December 2005 and his e-mail confirmation (received on December 8, 2005) that UT President John Petersen had authorized the inclusion of sexual orientation in a welcoming statement attached to the UT non-discrimination policy • Our involvement in procedural steps following administrative protocols: • Reaching a consensus amongst local LGBTQ members/allies in identifying a new name “Commission for LGBT” representative of current national trends • Developing initial Bylaws of the Commission for LGBT People in consultation with members of the UT’s Diversity Council • Creating a volunteer list of 16 UT LGBT people who were willing to serve on the board of the future Commission for LGBT People • Participating in the first organizational meeting of the Commission on 12 December 2006, and meeting with the Chancellor on 9 January 2007

19. Participating in political lobbying and building political support networks We collaborated with LGBTQ allies in preparing pro-LGBTQ resolution statements and refining vocabulary constructs representing sexual minorities in a city ordinance non-discrimination clause that were presented and discussed during focus group and individual meetings in fall 2005 with local Councilmen Bob Becker and Chris Woodhull

20. Developing “safe space” programs and sensitivity training • In OED’s Diversity Experience Workshop (DEW) Advisory Group, we have partnered with faculty/staff/students across campus to identify appropriate content on LGBTQ needs • We developed information for the workshops that focus on LGBTQ as “special populations” as well as represent LGBTQ issues in general workshops on diversity • Workshop components are being delivered during various events on campus (new student/faculty orientations, forums in fraternities/sororities, and departmental diversity evaluation sessions)

21. Creating awareness of LGBTQ issues via active programming and hosting of events We planned and participated in a workshop (18 April, 2006) sponsored by the community-based GLBTQ Task Force Against Domestic Violence on educational training for service providers in public agencies such as the police force, health services, counseling centers, and social work agencies to provide effective services to meet the needs of LGBTQ people

22. Developing accurate and fair LGBTQ information resources • The Diversity News Channel (http://www.lib.utk.edu/news/diversity/archives/glbt/), hosted on the UTK library server, presents current information about LGBTQ happenings and programs • The UTK library’s Cultural Corner (offline and online) (http://www.lib.utk.edu/diversity/culturecorner/springlist-06.html) is an effort to demarcate a visible physical and virtual space on LBGTQ issues of contemporary relevance • The recent compilation of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Resource Guide (http://www.lib.utk.edu/refs/glbt.html#local) provides online access to local LGBTQ resources and services

23. Teaching IS 592 titled “Race, Gender, and Sexuality in the Information Professions” during spring 2005 provided me opportunities for understanding the campus climate on issues related to sexual orientation from a deeper perspectiveDuring the 2007 spring semester, students in the course are partnering with the East Tennessee LGBT Youth Project to assess and evaluate child welfare and juvenile justice programs, library and social support service providers, and secondary school systems based on discussions with LGBT youth Creating specialized courses that specifically focus on LGBTQ materials

24. Conclusion • All identified actions are equally important, inter-related, and need to be applied concertedly to present a holistic plan of action to address different community facets • Future directions for the LGBTQ community require developing a comprehensive institutional diversity plan of action to systematically concretize tangible efforts in support of LGBTQ individuals • LIS professionals can play a significant role in wearing their dual hats as information providers and community action researchers to develop high prioritized community actions in support of LGBTQ issues • Efforts call for LIS partnerships with outside community agencies and build meaningful relationships between the academy and the broader community (e.g., collaborating partnerships between academic and public libraries)

25. Thank you for your attention. • Questions and Comments?