The three Rotary Clubs of Bloomington are excited to announce that this year’s Friday, November 1, Toast will honor Doug Bauder, whose extraordinary life of service exemplifies Rotary’s motto
of “Service Above Self.”

Tickets for this important Bloomington community event are now available.

What: Rotary Toast to benefit Quarryland Men’s Chorus

When: Friday, November 1, 6:00-9:00 p.m.

Where: Ivy Tech’s Shreve Hall, 200 N. Daniels Way, Bloomington.

Hosted by: The three Bloomington Rotary clubs

Tickets: Now through October 13 (or until we sell out), you can buy your tickets by clicking on the orange buttons above or below.

Or you can send your check payable to
Bloomington Rotary Foundation
P.O. Box 3412
Bloomington, IN 47402.

Sponsorship and program access: $10,000 Diamond level; $5,000 Platinum; $2,000 Gold; $1,250, Blue; $250 Friends of Doug.

For the tenth straight year, IMA Foundation will serve as a Platinum sponsor.

About the Toast

Established in 2015, the Toast recognizes community leaders who reflect the Rotary motto of “service above self.”

Half of the proceeds from this year’s Toast will benefit Quarryland Men’s Chorus

The other half will benefit local charitable causes championed by the three clubs. Recent projects include partnerships with Exodus Refugee Immigration to co-sponsor an Afghan refugee family and to provide meals, childcare and financial literacy training for refugee families, with Friends of Lake Monroe for events to promote water quality; and with Girls Inc. and Leadership Bloomington to install and supply free feminine hygiene dispensers and products.

In the first eight years the Toast has raised more than $300,000 for local charities.

Previous Honorees are Dr. Larry Rink (2015), Ron Remak (2016), Becky Hrisomalos (2017), Connie and Steve Ferguson (2018), Cary Curry (2019), Bob Hammel (2020), Charlotte Zietlow (2021), Dr Gladys DeVane (2022) and retired Judge Stephen Galvin (2023). You can learn more about these Honorees and their charities in the menu above.

About Doug 

Doug Bauder was born in 1949 and raised in the historic town of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. From a young age, Doug’s passion for history and music was evident through his active participation in various choirs and a nationally recognized high school marching band. His education in Bethlehem’s public school system and the nurturing fellowship of the Moravian Church laid a solid foundation for his lifelong spirituality and commitment to community service.

The Moravian Church, one of the oldest Protestant denominations, profoundly influenced Doug’s values with its humble approach to faith, dedication to supporting the oppressed, commitment to universal education, and profound appreciation for music. These experiences inspired Doug to pursue a degree in Sociology, earning a B.A. from Moravian College in 1971.

Doug’s calling to ministry led him to Princeton Theological Seminary, where he obtained a degree in practical theology in 1975. That same year, Doug married and embarked on a diverse career serving churches in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. He also volunteered in hospice care and directed and counseled youth camps, reflecting his deep commitment to helping others.

In 1992, following a later-in-life realization of his identity as a gay man, Doug moved to Bloomington, Indiana, to share his life with IU Professor of Informatics and Education Marty Siegel. Doug’s early years in Bloomington were marked by his work with Stone Belt and his volunteer service as a chaplain at Bloomington Hospital. In response to a 1994 announcement from Indiana University, Doug applied for and became the founding Director of the GLB Office and what later became known as the LGBTQ+ Culture Center, a role in which he served for 25 years.

Under Doug’s stewardship, Indiana University became a national leader in serving the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer students. His contributions extended to various diversity and multicultural committees, earning him numerous awards, including the IU Presidential Medal for Distinguished Service. He also served on the Human Rights Commission for the City of Bloomington, co-chaired Bloomington United, and was a founding member of the Quarryland Men’s Chorus and a board member of Beacon. Doug retired in 2019, significantly contributing to the university and the wider community. In 2021, he wrote a book, The Privilege of Being Queer: A Life Full of Surprises. Doug describes it as part memoir and part queer history, with a few life lessons.

Today, Doug resides in Bloomington with his husband, Marty. Their supportive family includes four adult children, Tiffani, Courtney, Adam, and Mara, who live in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois, along with ten beloved grandchildren.

Doug reflects on his journey with characteristic humility and humor, saying, “I didn’t choose to be gay. I just got lucky.”

 

About the November 1 Program

About Quarryland Men’s Chorus