A   C o m p r e h e n s i v e   M a n u a l

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Make a brochure describing your

group and distribute it widely;

If you consistently inform lgbt students

people will respect your lgbt group and

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Make a pamphlet listing the lgbt

view it as an important resource.  Your

resources on campus and in the local

group will improve the quality of life for

community;

many lesbian, gays, bisexuals, and trans 

gender people on your campus.  You will

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Set up an outreach program, for

be working against those two dread con 

instance, a speaker s bureau, and get

ditions for lgbts   isolation and invisi 

out into the residence halls and into

bility.

classes; and

How to Inform

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Meet with the editors of your campus

paper to explain what kind of cover 

Getting information out about lgbt con 

age your community needs.  You

cerns is not always easy.  Still there may

might ask for a weekly lgbt communi 

be creative ways of sharing information

ty calendar, forum, or column.  You

that haven t been tried.

might ask for a special lgbt Issues Edi 

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Make a monthly lgbt newsletter or cal 

tor to make sure there is adequate

endar.  This can really help your orga 

news and feature coverage of our

nization.  It can give your group a real

issues.  

presence and identity in the wider

community, it can increase your legit 

imacy, and it can help folks connect

with you.  A simple newsletter/calen 

dar can be a task taken on by one per 

son or a committee but, of course,

more is always better.  The basic steps

are:  

1) Gather ideas/events 

2) Write the articles

3) Put it together

4) Make copies

5) Distribute it widely (post to email);

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Use your school paper; it s there to

serve all students and it has a broad

If you don t inform lgbt students most

distribution and readership.  Insist that

people won t understand what the pur 

your school newspaper makes sure

pose of the lgbt group is or what it does.

that there are reporters to cover the

Much of your group s work may seem

lgbt "beat."  Keep in touch with who 

irrelevant to other lgbt folks if they really

ever is assigned to this beat (you may

don t know all that you do.  LGBT people

have to find a volunteer to be a

may not know their rights, the campus

reporter) and let them know what s

policies or grievance mechanisms, or that

happening with the community.  Make

any help is available.

sure you get announcements of your 

B u i l d i n g   Y o u r   G r o u p

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