Queering the C-U Wiki

Champaign-Urbana recently became one of the locations across the nation to adopt a wiki page devoted to community information.  While looking through the results of initial efforts, a colleague of mine noticed a complete absence of any mention of the LGBT population.  Silence surrounding LGBT safe spaces does a disservice to the large and fairly prominent community that exists within Champaign-Urbana.  Through creating this workshop, my hope is that individuals throughout the LGBT community will come together and add valuable information about LGBT owned, operated, or safe businesses and physical spaces.  With this information located on the wiki, many things are accomplished.  Individuals currently in the community are able to share their wisdom and experiences with others. People who are newly arriving to the area will also now have a list of resources available to them rather than navigating the area blindly.  Finally, it stakes a claim to LGBT existence within Champaign-Urbana that will be visible to all members of the community, LGBT or not.  In addition to working on this resource, the workshop will be held in a social setting in hopes that participants will interact in a way that helps foster community building to increase the cohesiveness of this smaller population of citizens.