BY ASHIA TROIANO

In print | Published March 19, 2009

While the Sager Symposium and the Genderfuck Party have never officially been associated with one another, the party is generally publicized as the culminating event of the Symposium. This year, however, the Symposium Planning Committee has formally terminated its unofficial affiliation with the party, on the grounds that the party’s atmosphere is antithetical to the “safe space” that the Symposium strives to cultivate.

Sager Symposoum Committee Co-Chair Maria Kelly ’10, alluded to the heightened incidence of sexual misconduct and harassment at last year’s party as one factor motivating the decision. “After last year, with the occurrence of homophobic events, even from people within the campus, we were getting so disheartened about the party,” Kelly said. Kelly emphasized the extreme divergence between the party and the events that precede it. “The goals of the Symposium and the party are becoming separate. We talked about it and concluded that it wouldn’t be associated with us. The party has been detrimental to the Symposium,” Kelly said.

Started 21 years ago by Swarthmore alumnus Richard Sager ’73, the Symposium was designed to explore issues concerning the queer community. “It was pretty much the only queer thing in town. The party was originally just an after-party,” said Sasha Raskin ’09, co-chair of the Sager Symposium Planning Committee. “Now, the Sager committee would have to plan around the party … There was almost no dialogue [between the Symposium Committee and the Party Committee]. We had to look up who was on the committee from last year.”

Erika Slaymaker ’11 expressed disappointment that the party no longer embodies the goals of the Symposium. “[The party] should be an empowering space for queer people and celebrate this fabulous symposium … Unfortunately, the party has not been safe for women and queer people. It has not reflected the intentions of the symposium,” she said. According to Slaymaker, the party has taken on a life of its own, and the Committee is powerless to control the message it conveys and the behavior of its participants. “Over the years, we have worked hard to make the party a more safe space, but the party had become bigger than us, with a whole culture around it. It has become too big for us to tackle and this year we decided we did not want to put the energy towards changing it. It is time for something new,” Slaymaker said.

The Symposium Committee brought their concerns to the Social Affairs Committee, which agreed to assume responsibility for hosting this year’s party. “All of us on the Party Planning Committee find the concerns of the Sager Symposium Committee legitimate and important. We are working to make the party a safe and fun space for all students,” said Alex Weintraub ’11, a member of the Party Planning Committee.

In lieu of the Genderfuck Party, the Symposium will host a separate after-party associated with the Symposium. “We will have our own culminating event closed to Symposium attendees,” Kelly said. “The space will be different; it will be for people who are interested in the goals of the Symposium.”
The Genderfuck Party and the Symposium will occur on two separate weekends. “Since the party is a tradition and its theme of exploring gender is important for the Swarthmore community, we took (by default as the heads of SAC) an active role in ensuring that the party took place this year,” Jessica Hamilton ’09, head of the Social Affairs Committee and member of the Genderfuck Party Planning Committee, said in an e-mail.

Weintraub said he views the party as an asset to campus life and a venue for community-building. “Personally, as a queer Swarthmore student, I believe the party is an important one for the school’s social calendar, and one that could be an asset for fostering community on campus. I would be disappointed if, when met with homophobia and sexism, we decide to abandon a queer-positive party, instead of striving to improve it. I have spoken to other queer students on campus, most of whom want to see it happen,” Weintraub said.

In light of the Symposium Committee’s concerns about the safety of the Genderfuck party, the Party
Committee, which is still looking for members, has taken some extra measures to ensure that the space is safe for everyone.

First, the party will only be open to Swarthmore students who register and receive their wristband prior to the party. Second, the traditional theme of “Boys wear a dress, and girls wear less” will be dropped. Third, the Women’s Resource Center will be less dimly lit and the music will be lower during the event so as to make it more conversation-friendly. Lastly, if any one encounters a problem, SMART team members and other students who can escort that person out will be available at the party.

“Due to the nature of the party and the symposium’s reasons for not wanting to throw it, SAC’s approach is aimed at creating a safe and comfortable environment for all students. Thus, we are not just planning the party as we would the Halloween party or the formals, but we are working to correct some of the problems in the past,” Hamilton said.

Sager ’73, who endowed the Sager Fund, voiced a different set of initiatives to re-focus the Symposium. The Fund was initially intended to fund events specific to queer communities but which would appeal to the campus community as a whole. Traditionally, the Fund has been used to support the Sager Symposium’s events and over the years has become closely associated with it. “The Symposium has become synonymous with the Fund in people’s minds. It’s important to make a distinction between the Sager Fund, which is the vehicle I set up, and the Sager Symposium, which the Fund sponsors,” Sager said in response to the news. “The goals of the Sager Fund, which have morphed, were something the initial committee decided a symposium could achieve best.”

While the Symposium is funded by the Sager Fund, it is not the only event for which the fund can be used. “The Sager Fund was set up to fund multiple items and events,” Sager said. “There was never a rule or understanding that the [events] had to be held at the same time.”

“The goals of the Fund are to provide LGBT specific materials, activities and programs that are of particular interest to the LGBT community, and also to the whole community,” Sager added. 
Consequently, the administration is working to increase the involvement of faculty, staff and alumni in managing the Sager Fund. 

“We are re-thinking it so we get back to the original intent. Faculty involvement will be reinstated, and they would get credit as if they were on any other committee … There are people who have historical and institutional memories that students don’t have by virtue of being students. Students don’t always have connections and contacts to bring in people [that faculty, staff and alumni can],” Sager said. “There were a lot more alums who were more involved, but [if the events aren’t reaching the whole community], they are less motivated to get there and less motivated to fund it. If outside funding has stopped, that indicates to me that the events are more limited in their appeal.”

Sager expressed high hopes for the Symposium and the Sager Fund. “The money in the endowment is there, and my commitment hasn’t changed,” Sager said.

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