By Matt Simonette

Staff writer

Faculty and graduate students from the University of Illinois-Chicago gathered March 12 for the Lavender Research Forum, a conference presenting research pertaining to GLBTs in a variety of academic disciplines.

The forum, the first of its kind at the university, was intended as a venue for researchers from a multitude of disciplines to share their research, according to Brian Mustanski, assistant professor of psychiatry and psychology at UIC, who was one of the conference’s organizers.

“We’ve got people from nursing, psychiatry, history and gender studies, among other things,” said Mustanski, who added, “In many cases, we’re speaking different languages, but we’re essentially studying the same thing.”

In addition to Mustanski, who spoke on the development and health of GLBT youth, Stacey Horn, associate professor of educational and developmental psychology, presented research on heterosexual students’ perceptions of their GLBT peers. Other presenters included Jennifer Brier, assistant professor in the gender and women’s studies program, who spoke on AIDS and U.S. politics from 1980 to 2006. Briar’s colleague from the same department, Professor John D’Emilio, presented work on GLBT life in Chicago from the 1950s through the 1980s.

“UIC is a national leader in terms of LGBT scholarship,” said Mustanski. “A number of foundations are looking to begin a fund for more of that kind of research.”

Last week’s forum was sponsored by the UIC Chancellor’s Committee on the Status of LGBT Issues, which represents the concerns of GLBTs as they pertain to the school’s academic concerns.

Mustanski said UIC is generally hospitable to its GLBT students, staff and faculty. The university, for example, offered domestic partner benefits many years before they were ordered for all state employees. In addition to the LGBT Issues Committee, another panel, the Chancellor’s Committee on the Status of LGBT Concerns, addresses the needs for GLBT students on campus. Mustanski estimated that about 200 students access that office each month.