creating a governing structure

[Valentina Pagliai]

Hi everybody,

I share the same feelings with Chris here. I too feel like I belong to more
than one category and this division makes me feel like I have to decide if
I am more into one or another. I realize that the intention in reserving
special places for some "categories" of people was well meaning, but I
still feel unconfortable with it. If we are what we say we are, namely
interested in fighting against any kind of discrimination, then we should
not need reserved places.
In practice, what we need is a general consensus and a committment to avoid
discriminations of any kind. So, again, the idea is good, but I wonder if
we could put it in a less quantitative and more qualitative way.

Valentina Pagliai
UCLA
>
>I do not like to be categorized according to my race (mixed) and
>nationality, or my sex and gender (feels mixed sometimes too).  It
>ALWAYS feels to me like discrimination AGAINST me.  I can't tell you how
>much I dislike the expression 'members of color'.  Please, if it is
>possible to change anything about this proposal, please please please drop
>this.  The idea of singling men out as a special constituency seems to me
>like a kind of reverse discrimination too.  There have been many men
>who've written in and participated in the discussions; surely out of 12
>advisors at least one will be a man, but even if that is not always the
>case, I wonder if it should matter to anyone, least of all the men who
>have been interested in this organization.  So I strongly urge you to drop
>this one too.  Similarly, the idea that there should be a special
>constituency for people of various sexual & gender identities strikes me
>the same way.  We're all people, aren't we?   We're all interested in
>and sensitive to issues involving these categories.  So far we've done a
>great job of working together civilly and intelligently, for the most
>part, regardless of anyone's race, nationality, sex, gender, or whatever,
>haven't we?  Let's keep on doing it, and not MARK people like this.
>I know it is well-intended, but it doesn't feel good.  It feels awful.  It
>reminds me of the times I have been mistreated because of my race or
>nationality or sex or whatever.  I hope you will understand my feelings
>and not be offended by my comments.
>
>Chris
>
>> Advisory council.
>
>> Twelve elected members. Six slots would be reserved for the following
>> constituencies, and would have to be filled by a member of the group
>being
>> represented (e.g., a member from the US could not fill slot 6). Six
>other
>> slots would be open to any member of the organization.
>>
>> The proposed constituencies are:
>>
>> 1. Graduate and undergraduate students
>> 2. Scholars in nontraditional employment situations (e.g., working in
>> industry; independent scholars; part-time and adjunct faculty)
>> 3. Members of color
>> 4. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transsexual members
>> 5. Men who are members of the organization
>> 6. Members outside the US, Canada, and the UK