Vanderbilt University Lambda

Welcome to the official blog of the Vanderbilt Lambda Association! We are the undergraduate gender, sexuality, and intersex alliance at Vanderbilt University. All are welcome and valued!

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Join Lambda for lunch and a study break! Express yourself and enjoy some paintin’ and picnickin’ with friends. We'll have sandwiches from Urban Cookhouse as well as vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.

For additional fun, check out the rejected names for this event below:

Paintin’ & Picknickining’

Paint Away the Pain

Brush Hour

Big Time Brush

Paint the Rainbow 2: The Pickühnickühning

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We have one more chance to get together before finals, so let's make it a good one! Join Lambda on Library Lawn (outside Central Library and Stevenson) for a pre-finals, pre-summer, pre-Pride extravaganza! Show off your personal pride (or just give some love to our community) and commit to making this semester one to remember!

We'll have something for everyone here, from a face-painting booth to an inflatable wrecking ball to a huge variety of food and summertime desserts! Still looking for more? We'll also have five (5) ridiculously cool raffle prizes that you'll have a chance to win! And finally, we'll be hosting a veritable menagerie of some of the most pet-able baby animals you've ever seen in your life. That's right--we're getting a petting zoo.

It is 100% free to get into this event! The raffle is free! The games are free! The food is free! So please--join us in saying our farewells to this semester in the most ostentatious way imaginable and make some memories along the way.

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Join Lambda for our final GBM of the semester: a discussion based in historical, theoretical and personal concepts of the gender binary. We will be looking at how institutions such as white supremacy, capitalism, and religion resulted in the woman/man dichotomy that we have today. Furthermore, we will discuss theories that offer solutions in deconstructing the gender binary, as well as examining and analyzing how LGBT identities rebel against the gender binary. We will have food!

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Today (March 31) is International Transgender Day of Visibility, and I’m sending love to all trans folks today, and always.

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Happy International Transgender Day of Visibility, Tumblr! 

Consider starting off your day’s celebrations by laying your peepers on all of those beautiful, smiling selfies in the TDOV tag. 

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Join Lambda for a presentation and discussion about transgender history in America, as well as conversation about how being trans affects identity, relationships, and how trans people fit into the LGBT community.

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Hi, everyone! Just wanted to let you all know that Belmont University's Bridge Builders is having an event similar to Lambda Prom next Friday at 7 PM! They extended an invitation to our general body. There's no cost to get in, but if you are able to bring menstrual products or clothing to donate, please do so 💖

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The Vanderbilt Lambda Association has decided to formally endorse Nico & Taylor for VSG President and Vice President! We look forward to helping construct a system wherein all LGBTQ+ students on Vanderbilt's campus feel safe and able to address their concerns head-on! All of us on Lambda's executive board highly encourage our general body and supporters to vote in the VSG election this Tuesday, 3/19!

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Come learn about the rich individual histories of lesbian, bisexual, and queer women and how elements of that community's culture have evolved over time. Be ready to pay attention, though! There may be a trivia-style competition to test you on what you learned, with a delicious prize for the winning team! Candy will be provided for all 💕

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"I’ve been Lambda’s media manager for two years, but I still feel like people don’t really know me, especially since most of my work is behind the scenes. I’m known more for my graphics than for who I am as a person, so here’s me. I’m Jess, I’m genderqueer and pansexual, and I like they/them pronouns best. Being autistic and having social anxiety, it’s really difficult for me to connect with people at first, but once I’m comfortable with someone, they’re usually surprised by how talkative I can be. Being involved with Lambda over the last four years has really helped me come out of my shell, and I’ll be forever grateful for this community."

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"A lot of people's first impressions of me seem to be either I am arrogant/intimidating or I have my life together. Both of them are the farthest from the true. Deep within I am an anxious little baby who has no idea what they're doing. I also actually don't know how to talk to people so please approach me. I don't bite (usually)."

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There are two surveys going on right now

Someone mentioned yesterday that they almost didn’t take part in the second survey because they thought it was the first survey, so I’m making this post to clarify!

Both are aimed at people whose genders are not described by the gender binary of M/F.

THE GENDER CENSUS - Link: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/gendercensus2019/

Is a survey investigating language.

Short, non-intrusive, anonymous, non-Google-Forms.

Run annually by the @gendercensus​ account.

Has over 10,000 responses so far.

Open for a month: Started on 25th February 2019, due to close on 25th March 2019.

A?AB - Link: https://goo.gl/forms/sib52KNGYtwgEFu72

Asks more personal questions about gender assigned at birth, medical transition details, etc.

Longer, uses Google Forms.

Run by me, as a one-time thing.

May be used to inform and perfect a similar survey from the @gendercensus​ account.

Has over 600 responses so far.

Open for a week: Started on 10th March 2019, due to close on 17th March 2019.

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"Although people’s first impression of me is often that I’m reserved and perhaps even standoffish, I actually love getting to know people and make new friends! Lambda has been so helpful in making me feel more comfortable reaching out to people and forming new connections. As corny and sappy as it may sound, the community and friendships I have found through this organization have changed my life for the better and made my college experience more full of love, happiness, and laughter than I could have hoped for. They’ve provided me with a second family and memories I’ll treasure for a long time."

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"Frequently on campus, I feel like I compress who I am and how I feel in order to conform to stereotypes and make certain impressions. It’s important to practice breaking down the barriers we put up when in public. Let the truest version of yourself shine through too!"

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"Being the President of Lambda is incredibly rewarding and wonderful, but I still haven't figured out how to switch myself ‘off.’ I see myself as a constant representative of the organization and almost as a resource for other students to use, to the point that I often struggle to understand my own feelings, thoughts, or needs. I feel that it's important that other people not be able to tell when I'm having a hard time getting things done or even existing as a person. It's like I'm afraid that being human will make me seem weak or lose respectability. The culture for student leaders at Vanderbilt manifests like this for a lot of us, so I know I'm not alone. However, the perpetual fear of showing any crack in the facade (and worse--being the only one to show any sign of it!) keeps us quiet and unable to seek out help. The same campus resources we constantly point others to feel completely closed to us, whether because of shame or overcommitment. I've been trying to make a concerted effort to work on myself this year, but being open about any issues I'm having is still a huge struggle for me."

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To kick off Rainbow ReVU Week, Activism Committee is leading another donation drive to support the Oasis Center in helping homeless LGBTQ+ youth. Please drop off any of the items listed below in order to help out!