As associate director of First Year Seminar, Jimmy Luckman helps provide a warm, welcoming and engaging atmosphere for the thousands of first-year students who arrive at the University each year.

When Jimmy Luckman prepared to embark on his college journey at SUNY Brockport, he desperately sought a meaningful connection with the campus community, opting from the get-go to become involved with a multitude of activities.

“I wanted to be a part of that process to welcome students into the college experience,” Luckman says.

Today, as associate director of the University’s (FYS) in the , Luckman helps provide a warm, welcoming and engaging atmosphere for the thousands of who arrive at the University each year.

His professional career and accompanying research studies the emerging field of orientation, transition and retention, which aims to examine why some college students excel and engage with their campus community while others feel disconnected once they arrive on campus.

Jimmy Luckman

“Every day I get to bring in the things that I’m passionate about, what I learned in the classroom, and figure out how we can continue to enhance the student experience and help students figure out their identities. That’s important because I didn’t really find out who I was and discover all the elements of my identity until graduate school. I’m still learning who I am,” says Luckman, a passionate advocate for LGBTQ+ issues who identifies as a queer man.

Recently, Luckman completed a doctoral degree from St. John Fisher University in executive leadership and successfully defended his dissertation, “More than Just a Sticker of LGBTQ+ Inclusivity: Exploring College and University-Based LGBTQ+ Center Director’s Process and Perceptions of LGBTQ+ Campus Climate Assessments.”

Among the goals of his research: collecting and leveraging the stories of LGBTQ+ students at various universities to both ensure their experiences are being heard and to create meaningful changes and to explore what universities are doing to connect students with local LGBTQ+ community resources.

“By being outspoken and an advocate in public spaces, hopefully, I can inspire queer scholars, queer community members and allies in our community to make a difference. We have an obligation to inspire queer youth and we must support those who want to support the LGBTQ+ community, and that starts with setting an example. I’m grateful for these opportunities,” says Luckman, entering his fourth-year teaching FYS.

Luckman sat down with SU News to discuss how he uses his lived experiences to enhance his FYS teachings, how he hopes to use his dissertation research to make a difference and effect change and why you can find him wearing his trademark bow tie in class and around campus.

How does First Year Seminar enhance the development of our students?

Jimmy Luckman (second from right) poses with the Department of the Year award.

I tell my students that my classroom is a space for them to actively make a difference on campus. FYS helps students with their transition to the University.

Another thing I love is making students a little uncomfortable. When we think about the transition to college, we think about how to make a comfortable and inclusive environment, and I recognize that. But when I talk to my students about my LGBTQ+ identity, specifically my queer identity, I automatically tell my students on the first day that, based on the way I sound, you’re potentially going to assume certain things about me. This doesn’t make you a bad person if you did. That’s part of FYS, learning about yourself and the opinions we form and learning to get uncomfortable.

���ϲ����� is a place to engage in conversations, and for some of our students, they’ve never talked to someone who was so out before. I often share my queer identity and that openness invites students to share the elements of who they are, and potentially to expand what they know about the LGBTQ+ community.

How has your time on campus helped you discover your queer identity?

Some people say coming out, but I say I came into my identity at age 24 because that reflects how I was able to truly embrace who I am. I came into my queer identity in my graduate program [at Northern Arizona University] and ���ϲ����� was the space and the place where I first explored how my identity looks as a working professional and as a role model who engages with and forms friendships and connections in the community.

I started volunteering at the immediately when I came to ���ϲ����� in 2019. The majority of my really close friends are members of the LGBTQ+ community because we have similar interests and that commonality of seeking spaces where we can be authentically queer, which is something that I didn’t get to do when I was younger.

���ϲ����� has given me an opportunity to learn, reflect and try to find those alliances, resources and people to help propel our community forward. The has been very intentional and inclusive in its efforts to provide counseling and resources to the community. The has invited me to do a on my dissertation. We have a space to celebrate queer work and I know we have people on campus who feel a sense of support through the people and the resources available to them.

How did you decide on your dissertation?

There’s not a lot of literature specifically focusing on LGBTQ+ campus climate assessments to see how we are actually supporting students. I wanted to look at it from a lens of what do colleges and universities say or do to bring in students while offering an inclusive space, collecting data from LGBTQ+ centers and then utilizing that data to share that out from the perspective of these centers. How do we leverage this data to make changes on campus?

For my dissertation, what I really focused on was the importance of storytelling. We have students who share their stories of their experiences on a college campus, and I explored how can we leverage this information and these stories to make sure their voices are being heard and then go about creating change. How can we support LGBTQ+ students and create inclusive environments and affirming spaces that allow our campus community members to feel safe sharing their life experiences.

What’s the significance of the bow ties you frequently wear?

Jimmy Luckman poses with a First Year Seminar participant.

It’s all about having fun. Students are spending their Friday afternoons with me, so why not dress up for them? I’ve lost track of how many bow ties I own. I have different color bow ties. Holiday-themed bow ties. Floral bow ties. Even an SU-themed bow tie! It’s just a fun and different way to engage with my students. For them to see their professor dressed up and excited for class, I’ve noticed that they will open up with me and trust me more than previous students might have. I’m known on campus hopefully for my positive demeanor and for being a queer leader, but the bow ties help me standout and they’re a conversation starter. Plus, it brings me happiness!

The History of TWoL and International Day of Visibility

Originating in 2010 from the efforts of Rachel Candall, a leader of Transgender Michigan, was created in response to the overwhelming media coverage regarding transgender people being focused on violence. Candall sought to shift the narrative by empowering transgender people to feel celebrated and live authentically while also highlighting the discrimination faced by the community and keeping in mind not every transgender person wants to be visible.

“The LGBTQ Resource Center shifts the focus from remembrance to liberation as visibility is not enough and embracing trans joy and expression is important to our survival. We hope to encourage and challenge our ���ϲ����� and global communities to explore how transgender people have contributed to our shared experiences and history, as well as continue to enhance our world and community with our contributions,” shares Meegs Longacre, coordinator of the LGBTQ Resource Center. “To celebrate our transgender family, we are excited to have a week of events dedicated to transgender liberation, transcending boundaries and reaching for the stars! We hope to build spaces for transgender students, staff, faculty, for people who are questioning their gender and want to explore that part of themselves, and for others to learn more about our community and how to support us.”

Trans Week of Liberation 2024

Tommy DaSilva ’26 emphasizes the importance of celebrating trans joy and expression, “Expectation based on gender identity and gender norms is suffocating, and Trans Week of Liberation allows us to celebrate the trans people doing the work to deconstruct these systems and others that bind us. We must uplift trans joy and expression now more than ever as we live in a time where people are out and proud with all forms of hate,” he says.

Throughout the week, a series of events aimed at fostering celebration, understanding, inclusivity and support for transgender individuals will include the following:

Ways to Support Transgender Individuals

“Trans Week of Liberation holds a special place in my heart as a fem-presenting non-binary individual,” says Tatiyyanah Nelums ’25. ” It’s a time when people come together to recognize and celebrate the complexities of gender identities. This week serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of inclusivity and understanding. It’s about creating a community where everyone feels seen, heard and respected for who they are. Trans Week of Liberation is a beacon of hope, signaling progress toward a world where gender diversity is embraced and celebrated. It’s a collective effort to foster empathy, dismantle stereotypes and build a more inclusive future for all.”

All campus community members are welcome to participate in TWoL and support by attending events and learning more. Educational opportunities include learning more about what transgender is and what cisgender is, respecting people’s and , attending a , and/or training.

For more information about Trans Week of Liberation, please contact the LGBTQ Resource Center at lgbtq@syr.edu or call 315.443.0228.

Story by Student Experience Communications Graduate Assistant Kalaya Sibley ’24, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications ��������

The feedback and information gathered from this focus group will contribute to the development of a transgender employee toolkit. This toolkit will assist with onboarding efforts, provide information for supervisors and managers to support our transgender community better, and include campus and community resources for transgender and nonbinary individuals.

To attend a focus group, for one of the following sessions:

• Thursday, Dec. 14: Noon-2 p.m., lunch provided (in-person)
• Friday, Dec. 15: 12:30-2 p.m., ��meal voucher for Schine provided (Zoom)

If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Diversity and Inclusion by email at diversity@syr.edu.

Anti-trans legislation—including proposed bills and laws that attempt to limit health care access, remove Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) materials from schools and ban trans athletes from sports—have recently passed in some states.

For transgender and nonbinary individuals, these actions may compound on a personal level, resulting in negative impacts on their mental health and wellness while echoing throughout a lifetime of intersecting identities within work, education, personal relationships and more.

On Wednesday, Nov. 29, from 4 to 5:30 p.m., the University campus community is invited to learn more about this topic by attending the in 214 Slocum Hall.

���ϲ����� has a wide-array of resources available for transgender and nonbinary individuals (photo by Marilyn Hesler)

Staff members from the Barnes Center at The Arch, the LGBTQ Resource Center and the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics’ marriage and family therapy program will explore the health and wellness impact these legislations can have on the trans and gender non-conforming community, and what the University��can do to mitigate these negative impacts while providing critical supports for LGBTQ individuals.

“We see this panel as an opportunity to increase knowledge and awareness of the impact of the current sociopolitical landscape on our LGBTQ+ students, faculty, staff and community members,” says Carrie Brown, counseling director at the Barnes Center at The Arch. “We hope this inspires and empowers all, as it is everyone’s responsibility to further support cultivating a welcoming, validating and accepting community on campus and beyond.”

���ϲ����� Trans and Gender-Affirming Support

As a connected campus community, faculty, staff and students actively work to remove barriers and increase access to student-focused and student-guided Trans and Gender Affirming support. Highlighted campus resources include but are not limited to the following:

Trans and Gender Affirming Health and Wellness

• Wellness exams, supplies (e.g. chest binders, KT Tape), hormone therapy and more;
• Official letters and documentation of name and gender;
• A diverse team of Barnes Center counselors provide group therapy and individual counseling; and
• Free, discreet and inclusive Safer Sex Express sexual health care supplies.

For more information, visit the .

Discovering Community

• : ,

For more information, visit the .

Strengthening a Welcoming Campus

• Workshops: ,
• Trainings: , ,
• .

Each October, the unveils a calendar that through the lenses of intersectionality, LGBTQ and global communities reflects on their history and contributions while looking to the future. The University’s is Monday, Oct. 2.

LGBTQ History Month was created in 1994 by Rodney Wilson, a high school history teacher in Missouri. In 1995, a resolution passed by the General Assembly of the National Education Association included LGBTQ History Month within a list of commemorative months. October was selected to coincide with National Coming Out Day (Oct. 11), which was already established, and the anniversary of the first march on Washington for gay and lesbian rights in 1979.

This month provides an opportunity for the campus community to learn more about and celebrate the history, culture and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual communities through a host of educational events, social events and discussions. With planning led by the LGBTQ Resource Center, the month supports the ongoing efforts of the center to raise awareness and offer support to queer and trans students, staff and faculty and promote a sense of belonging and inclusion on campus and beyond.

This year’s events are more important than ever. “At a time when attempts are being made to erase our community through anti-LGBTQ bills—banning books about us, eliminating access to health care for our trans siblings, or keeping some of us from public spaces by enforcing antiquated gendered dress codes—it is imperative that as a community, of both queer and trans people as well as allies, we educate ourselves about who we are and where we came from,” says Jorge A. Castillo, director of the LGBTQ Resource Center. “This month’s calendar of events and programs celebrates and acknowledges the achievements, milestones and ongoing challenges faced by our community as we collectively imagine our future.”

Members of both the ���ϲ����� and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry communities are invited to participate. Explore event highlights below and the complete list on the .

• Friday, Oct. 6, 5-7 p.m.:
• Wednesday, Oct. 11, Noon-4 p.m.:
• Thursday, Oct. 19, 7-8:30 p.m.:
• Friday, Oct. 20, 6-8 p.m.:
• Saturday, Oct. 21, 10 p.m.-Midnight:

Call-to-Sign: Queer and Trans Solidarity List 2023-24

As a visual representation, the helps to highlight and further the support within our campus communities. The LGBTQ Resource Center will collect names throughout the academic year for online publication; those who would like to have their name included in the print version of the list in The Daily Orange must submit their name by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 8.

For more information or to request accommodations, contact the by calling 315.443.0228 or emailing lgbtq@syr.edu.

Story by Esteban Quiñones ’24, Student Experience intern

Latine Heritage Month will take place from Friday, Sept. 15 through Sunday, Oct. 15. (Photos by Angela Ryan)

���ϲ����� is proud to announce its vibrant lineup of events celebrating from Friday, Sept. 15 to Sunday, Oct. 15. This annual celebration, which honors the rich cultural heritage and contributions of the Latine community, will feature a diverse range of activities that are sure to engage and enlighten participants.

“This year’s Latine Heritage Month celebrations are hosted by ���ϲ�����’s in collaboration with numerous University partners and community organizations, which include the , , , , , , ��and Latine such as Las Naranjas,” says Breana Nieves Vergara, assistant director in Multicultural Affairs and co-chair of the Latine Heritage Month planning committee. “These events provide an opportunity for our campus and the broader community to come together, learn and celebrate the diverse and rich culture of the Latine community, inclusive of Americans whose ancestry can be traced to more than 20 Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America, including Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean. Latine Heritage Month aims to promote the history of solidarity with and intersectionality across identities and cultures. To celebrate Latine, Latinx, Latino, Latina and Hispanic heritage is to celebrate American culture.”

Students enjoying themselves during last year’s festivities.

The Latine Heritage Month celebration kicks off with an and on Friday, Sept. 15, in the Schine Student Center atrium. These events will set the stage for a monthlong journey through Latine culture, featuring performances, speakers, discussions, sporting events and more.

One of the most anticipated events of the month is the , scheduled for Friday, Oct. 6. The event features Latine cuisine and live entertainment from Trio Los Claveles, Raices Dance Troupe and the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations.

Sports enthusiasts won’t want to miss the annual , where friendly competition and community spirit will be on full display. Teams can register now through Wednesday, Sept. 13. All are invited to the tournament on Saturday, Sept. 16.

As part of the festivities, the Latine Heritage Month planning committee is once again partnering with the LGBTQ Resource Center to host a joint commemorative speaker. The Latine Heritage Month and LGBTQ+ History Month Potash Collaborative Keynote will feature acclaimed drag performer, recently featured on RuPaul’s Drag Race season 15, , who will deliver a drag performance and keynote remarks revolving around her queer and Latine identities, as well as leave time for audience Q&A.

For more information about the Latine Heritage Month celebration and a complete schedule of events, please visit the .

Written by Kalaya Sibley G’24 graduate assistant in Student Experience Communications

Originally when Pasha enrolled, they felt passionately that becoming a lawyer was the best way to bring about change in their community. But Pasha soon realized the legal field wasn’t for them, and instead, set their sights on earning dual degrees in political science and sociology in the and the .

Since embarking on this journey, Pasha credits the University for providing them with the resources and, more importantly, the opportunities to effect change. Included in those efforts are Pasha’s involvement with a local organization, . The organization educates women of color about reproductive and sexual wellness issues while engaging with a community that often feels neglected, Pasha says.

Erykah Pasha ’24

“���ϲ����� just always seemed like it was going to be the place for me to go, and since I started going here, it’s clear that was the right choice for me,” Pasha says. “My education has allowed me to improve my own engagement with my community here in the City of ���ϲ�����.”

When they graduate, Pasha plans on assisting marginalized communities and citizens through policy and political engagement.

This summer, Pasha is participating in a highly competitive and prestigious public affairs experience, serving as a research assistant at the University of Michigan through the . Pasha will assist Lydia Kelow-Bennett, assistant professor of Afroamerican and African studies at the University of Michigan, on a book proposal on Black women in popular culture.

On this “’Cuse Conversation,” Pasha, a and , discusses their research, how they hopes to create change through this summer experience and how they found their voice through their time on campus.

As Pride Month is celebrated across the country, Pasha, who identifies as queer, shares how both the and the play a pivotal role in their development as a campus leader and how the programs and engagement efforts offered through the LGBTQ Resource Center created a home-away-from-home atmosphere.

Check out episode 141 of the “’Cuse Conversations” podcast featuring Pasha. A transcript [PDF]��is also available.

But despite the instability in their personal life, Middleton had known since middle school how they would make their world a better place: providing a voice to help people learn to advocate for themselves as a speech language pathologist.

Alex Middleton ’22

Middleton made the nearly 2,700-mile trek across the country from their home in San Diego, California, to ���ϲ����� to study speech language pathology in the in the .

While on campus, Middleton bloomed. Their research on gender-affirming voice and communication modification garnered several awards, including the 2022 Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence in the category of Excellence in Student Research. Middleton was also awarded research grants by both The SOURCE and WiSE (Women in Science and Engineering), and they were a recipient of the University’s Invest in Success and Founders’ scholarships.

After graduating, Middleton is enrolled in Pacific University’s speech language pathology master’s program, where they plan on working with transgender populations and continuing their research.

As the campus community celebrates Pride Month, Middleton, who spent the last four years working as a student assistant in the , sat down with us to discuss the important role that scholarship and grant opportunities played in their studies, and the impact faculty had on influencing their career aspirations.

They also address how they became interested in speech language pathology, share the story of how a paperweight convinced them to travel across the country and study at ���ϲ�����, and why the University’s LGBTQ Resource Center provided a home away from home and a solid support system on campus.

Here is the full conversation with Alex Middleton ’22 on the ’Cuse Conversations podcast.��Note: This podcast includes discussion of potentially sensitive topics. Please listen with care.��A transcript [PDF] is also available.��

“Despite an increase in visibility, the trans community continues to be one of the most marginalized members of our society, with disproportionate rates of homelessness, violence and lack of basic resources. This inequity is only exacerbated for Black and Brown trans women,” says Jorge A. Castillo, director of the LGBTQ Resource Center. “We encourage the Orange community to join us at this year’s TWoL events to learn more about the disproportionate impact that the prison industrial complex and the justice system have on trans folks and challenge all of us to look towards abolition and liberation.”

Trans Pride Across Campus
On Monday, March 28, the Trans Pride flag will be raised in front of Hendricks Chapel. Additionally, the grassy knoll will be filled with small flags and educational resources on the trans community.

“
On Thursday, March 31 at 6:30 p.m. in 200 Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, join the LGBTQ Resource Center to explore the conditions within the U.S. prison system and the injustices that befall transgender people encountering the law. Following, engage in conversation with Jennifer Love Williams, a formerly incarcerated Black transwoman, entertainer, activist, and co-chair of Formerly Incarcerated People (FIP) and representative of Black and Pink NYC, a prison abolitionist organization supporting LGBTQ and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive prisoners. She also founded the Jen Love Project, which provides support and care packages to queer and trans individuals newly released from incarceration. Registration is required and a boxed dinner will be provided.

Additional highlighted opportunities and resources to be involved during TWoL and beyond include the following.

• Supporting Student Wellness Series: Trans and Gender Affirming Services

For more information or to request accommodations, please contact the by calling 315.443.0228 or emailing lgbt@syr.edu.

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Resource Center and the Barnes Center offer strong foundations of support. As teams actively collaborate to create an unsurpassed student experience, LGBTQ Resource Center Director Jorge A. Castillo encourages students to begin where they are comfortable and explore all avenues of support. “The many resources and services available at ���ϲ����� are unique, and the Barnes Center staff participate in continuing education to ensure knowledge of and increase support for LGBTQ health and wellness. By bringing together folks with different levels of expertise and increasing access, we can ensure that everyone is able to provide and experience the most inclusive services possible,” says Castillo.

��Trans and Gender Affirming Services, Health and Wellness

The Barnes Center team enhances the student experience through holistic wellness by strengthening connections across health care, recreation, counseling, campus partners, education and more. As a result, the connected campus community works to remove barriers and increase access to care.

The Barnes Center at The Arch

A collaborative leader of these initiatives is Dr. Karen Nardella, Barnes Center at The Arch medical director. “Students benefit by having every aspect of their health and wellness addressed when considering, starting and throughout Trans and Gender Affirming Services,” says Nardella.

Highlighted resources are listed below. For more information and a comprehensive list, visit the. Students can make appointments by calling the Barnes Center at The Arch at 315.443.8000.

• Gender affirming care, wellness exams, and more.
• Initiation, training, monitoring, nutritional counseling and more for hormone therapy.
• Official letters and documentation of name and gender (e.g. passports, drivers licenses and more).
• A diverse team of provide a variety of therapeutic styles and services through such as the LGBTQIA+ Therapy Group in addition to .
• Free, discreet and inclusive sexual health care supplies are available through the .

Exploring Identity and Finding Community

Intercultural Collective space in the Schine Student Center.

Seeking to be a campus and regional leader delivering support, community and education around marginalized genders and sexualities, and the complex intersections of our multiple identities, is the LGBTQ Resource Center. Highlighted resources and programs include those listed below. For more information, visit the .

Creating a Welcoming Campus for All

Castillo also wants students to know on-campus resources are guided by student feedback. “We will continue updating and improving all services alongside the changing needs of our LGBTQ students,” he says. In addition to the aforementioned services and resources, the following are also available.

• Updating preferred names and personal pronouns in .

About the Supporting Student Wellness Series
Through a student-focused lens of integrated health and wellness, this series explores a variety of Barnes Center at The Arch resources and services. In the pursuit of enhancing the student experience, topics empower faculty, staff, students, families and supporters, as catalysts of health and wellness within their daily interactions.

Referring to people by the pronouns they determine for themselves is a basic act of human dignity. Many transgender and gender-nonconforming people are repeatedly misgendered and referred to with incorrect pronouns, which can be an uncomfortable, anxiety-inducing and humiliating experience.

Here are a few ways members of the campus community can learn more about affirmative pronoun usage and celebrate the multiple and intersecting identities of people within the University community.

• Visit the LGBTQ Resource Center, located at 132 Schine Student Center. They will be giving out pronouns pins and pronoun ribbons (that can be attached to a nametag) throughout the day!
• Download a Zoom background stating your pronouns and promoting International Pronouns Day .
• Update your pronouns in MySlice. To do so:
  • Log in to MySlice.
  • Select the “Personal Profile” tile.
  • Click on the “Biographic” tab.
  • Click on the “Pronoun” link.
  • Select your personal pronoun.

For more information on personal pronouns, visit��. If you have specific questions, email��pgpnac@syr.edu.

Kenny Fries, Perel and Quintan Ana Wikswo

Three queer Jewish disabled writers and artists each discuss their work on Aktion T4, a prime crucible of disability history, during a Zoom virtual event on Monday, Oct. 18, from 3-4:15 p.m. ET. Aktion T4 was a eugenics project in Nazi Germany that targeted��people with mental and physical disabilities.

The speakers are Kenny Fries, Perel and Quintan Ana Wikswo. The event will be moderated by Julia Watts Belser.

The panelists will explore the following themes and question:

• How to��avoid a sentimental or aesthetic depiction
• How to avoid reinscribing trauma
• Because Aktion T4 has no survivors, how do writers and artists become “vicarious witnesses,” which memory studies scholar Susanne C. Knittel describes as not “an act of speaking for and thus appropriating the memory and story of someone else but rather an attempt to bridge the silence through narrative means”?

.

Julia Watts Belser

This event is free and open to the public. American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation, live captioning and image descriptions will be provided.

Requests for other accommodations can be made by Monday, Oct. 11, by completing the accommodations request field in the Zoom registration form.

Questions about this event can be directed to oipo@syr.edu.

This event is sponsored by the Office of Interdisciplinary Programs and Outreach (OIPO) at the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) at ���ϲ����� through the Collaboration for Unprecedented Success and Excellence (CUSE) Grant Program, with additional support from Atrocity Studies and the Practices of Social Justice; College of Visual and Performing Arts; Department of History; Department of Religion; Department of Writing Studies, Rhetoric and Composition; Disability Studies; Hendricks Chapel; Jewish Studies; LGBTQ Studies; LGBTQ Resource Center; and ���ϲ����� Hillel.

“The LGBTQ Resource Center makes the campus a better place by providing resources such as mentorship, a reception that can answer any questions about anything health-related and is a space that advocates for you to be yourself,” shares Lamont Mason Jr. ’23. “Furthermore, the LGBTQ Resource Center welcomes all students and is happy to speak to anyone that needs to be heard.”

LGBTQ Resource Center History

Before many of our current students were born, the LGBTQ Resource Center was founded in 2001. For the past 20 years, the center has strived to foster safe spaces on the ���ϲ����� and ESF campuses, supporting LGBTQIA+ community members and raising collective awareness of LGBTQIA+ identities and experiences.

It began in 1997 when undergraduate student Jordan Potash proposed establishing a Rainbow Task Force to then-Senior Vice President of Students Affairs Barry Wells. Wells submitted the proposal to the Senate Committee for Student Life, believing its mission was relevant for the whole campus community. In 1998, the Senate Agenda Committee formed the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on LGBT Issues. Following recommendations from the ad-hoc committee, the University opened the LGBTQ Resource Center in October 2001. The center moved to its longtime home at 750 Ostrom Ave. in the spring of 2002, where it remained for 18 years before relocating to 132 Schine Student Center in 2020.

Continuing Potash’s legacy and goal of “[transforming] suffering to hope, silence into voice and marginalization into the community,” from his speech at the LGBTQ Resource Center’s 15th anniversary celebration in 2016, the center hosts the annual Potash LGBTQ+ History Month Speaker Series. The speaker series features prominent speakers and artists from the LGBTQIA community. To recommend speakers and artists for the Potash LGBTQ+ History Month Speaker Series, email the LGBTQ Resource Center. Those interested in learning more about the history of the LGBTQ Resource Center should check out the new 20th Anniversary virtual timeline, set to be virtually revealed on Friday, Oct. 1, 2021.

“I see the LGBTQ Resource Center as a safe space for all ���ϲ����� queer and trans students. Students can count on the LGBTQ Resource Center to be a place for support, comfort, validation, friendships or anything else a queer student needs to thrive,” shares Sarah Reinkraut ’23.

LGBTQ+ History Month and 20th Anniversary

Explore highlighted events below and the complete list on the .

• Chalk the Quad

Queer and Trans Solidarity List 2021

In addition to attending events, all are invited to . The list of names will be printed in the Daily Orange and shared virtually on the LGBTQ Resource Center website, as a public commitment to supporting and advocating for LGBTQIA+ community members.

“As we celebrate the LGBTQ Resource Center’s 20 years, it is a time for our campus community to openly recommit themselves to supporting and advocating for our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual and questioning students and other community members,” says Jorge A. Castillo, director of the LGBTQ Resource Center. “Now more than ever, we need to make sure LGBTQIA+ students, faculty and staff know that there are many ���ϲ����� and ESF community members supporting their success, safety and general wellbeing.”

For more information or to request accommodations, contact the LGBTQ Resource Center by calling 315.443.0228 or emailing lgbt@syr.edu.

Written by Division of Enrollment and the Student Experience intern Cecelia Kersten ’23, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications

[Please note, this image was taken prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and does not reflect current public health guidelines.]

“As a part of the national campaign, this year’s theme for Latinx Hispanic Heritage Month is ‘Esperanza: A Celebration of Hispanic Heritage and Hope,’” says Breana Nieves Vergara, Office of Multicultural Affairs coordinator of mentoring programs and LHHM co-chair. “Alongside our cross-campus partners, we hope to showcase the diversity among Latinx Americans, their many contributions to the United States, in addition to celebrating the resilience, heritage and richness of our community at ���ϲ�����.”

Latinx Hispanic Heritage Month 2021
This month provides an opportunity to learn about the history, culture, and contributions of Americans whose ancestry can be traced to over 20 Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America, including Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. With a variety of events hosted through Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021, the campus community is invited to explore the complete event list on the .

“LHHM is important because it allows us to take time to better understand the complexities and intersectionality of Latinx culture. Being president of the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations [NALFO], I try to be authentic regarding my upbringing and culture, while prioritizing the well-being of my community here at ���ϲ�����,” says Rolando Cabral ’22 NALFO president and LHHM committee member. “Everyone’s experience is different but, that’s why taking time to understand each other, allows us to better understand ourselves even more and how we fit into our own culture.”

Highlighted LLHM events include the following.

“We are honored to have poets Ariana Brown and Alan Pelaez Lopez as our joint Latinx Hispanic Heritage Month and LGBTQ+ History Month Potash keynote performance as a collaboration among the Intercultural Collective,” says Jorge A. Castillo, co-chair of LHHM and director of the LGBTQ Resource Center. “Brown and Pelaez Lopez’s powerful work exemplify the rich cultural production and heritage of the Latinx community at the intersections of Blackness, indigeneity and queerness.”

For more information or to request accommodations, please contact Breana Nieves Vergara by calling 315.443.0228 or emailing bknieves@syr.edu.

Writer, speaker and playwright Wajahat Ali will lecture on “A Caravan of Unity in the Age of Hate: Building a Multicultural Coalition of the Willing” on April 15.

Celebrated nationally in May, honors and celebrates Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America’s history and are instrumental in its future success. ���ϲ����� honors the month in April while the campus community is still together.

“Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month is especially significant this year with the rise in Anti-Asian sentiment throughout the country,” says Huey Hsiao, associate director of multicultural affairs and the Kessler Scholars Program and AAPI Heritage Month Planning Committee co-chair. “Bringing these events to the campus community, I believe, is going to create an important wave of awareness and a desire to educate oneself more about the AAPI community.”

Events celebrate and offer educational opportunities surrounding AAPI culture, heritage, histories, cultural diversity, contribution and often underreported challenges of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

“We wanted to be very intentional in our discussions around intersecting AAPI identities,” says Nicholas Lee G’21, AAPI Heritage Month Planning Committee co-chair. “Our overall goal for this month is not only encouraging students to examine and make sense of their identities but also to figure out ‘Now that I’ve made sense of my identity, where do I go from here? How can I be a better advocate for my community?’ This is what we hope students will be able to take away from this month.”

The AAPI Heritage Month Planning Committee, the and cross-campus partners have combined their efforts to develop thought-provoking and relevant events for the campus community. Explore the complete list of events, learn more and register on the .

• Thursday, April 1, 5 p.m. ET:
• Monday, April 5, 12:30 p.m. ET:
• Wednesday, April 7, 7 p.m. ET:
• Friday, April 9, noon ET:
• Friday, April 9, 8 p.m. ET:
• Thursday, April 15, 7 p.m. ET:
• Saturday, April 17, 7 p.m. ET:

“The inclusivity and AAPI voices amplified during the month is truly empowering,” says Kimberly Ng ’21, president of Asian Students in America (ASIA) and AAPI Heritage Month Planning Committee member. “It is a space that allows for our shared AAPI experiences as a community while dissecting into our own individual connections to our cultural heritage.”

For more information or to request accommodations, please contact Huey Hsiao, by calling 315.443.9676 or emailing huhsiao@syr.edu.

Story by Division of Enrollment and the Student Experience graduate assistant Alana Boyd G’21, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.

“Despite an increase in visibility, the trans community continues to be one of the most marginalized members of our society, with disproportionate rates of homelessness, violence and lack of basic resources. This inequity is only exacerbated for Black and Brown trans women,” says Jorge A. Castillo, director of the LGBTQ Resource Center. “We encourage the Orange community to join us at this year’s TWoL events and celebrate trans folks while increasing their knowledge of how to support them.”

Trans Week of Liberation 2021 will host both in-person and virtual events.

Trans Pride Across Campus
Starting on Monday, March 29, the Trans Pride flag will be raised in front of Hendricks Chapel. Additionally, the grassy knoll will be filled with small flags and educational resources on the trans community.

Join the LGBTQ Resource Center and members of the Orange community on Tuesday, March 30, 2021, from 7 to 8 p.m., for a virtual and closed group social for trans, nonbinary, genderqueer, gender fluid and/or gender questioning folks to meet and find community. A meal ticket will be provided in lieu of an in-person social after registration.

Join J. Mase III and Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi, co-editors of “The Black Trans Prayer Book,” virtually Wednesday, March 31, 2021, from 7 to 9 p.m., to learn more about how racial justice and religious institutions that perpetuate anti-trans violence are connected to trans liberation. Additionally, this space welcomes Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) invested in healing from religious trauma and those who want to be in better solidarity with Black Trans and Non-binary folks.

On Saturday, April 3, 2021, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., the campus community is invited to join J. Mase III and Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi in a virtual journey of “The Black Trans Prayer Book.” This interfaith, multi-dimensional, artistic and theological collection of stories, poems, prayers, meditation, spells and incantations of Black trans and non-binary people, creates an uplifting foundation of healing and affirmation.

For more information or to request accommodations, please contact the by calling 315.443.0228 or emailing lgbt@syr.edu.

“As we reflect as a campus community, Transgender Day of Remembrance is a day where we memorialize those who have been murdered as a result of trans antagonism, often combined with anti-Black racism and misogyny, and raise awareness about the continued violence endured by the transgender community,” says Jorge Castillo, director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Resource Center.

Hosted by the LGBT Resource Center and the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA), this year’s annual event invites the campus community to experience “SIJSIWAYULU.” Written by Xemi Tapepechul and featuring songs by Nawat Speakers, Nantzin Paula Lopez and Nantzin Anastacia Lopez Lopez, this story is presented in honor of Angel Rose, who lost her life in December 2019.

“SIJSIWAYULU” is a two-femme play about reclaiming two-spirit identity through Indigenous Salvadoran culture and diaspora; and empowering the Ancestral Goddess within. “SIJSIWAYULU” highlights the journey of a Native American trans womxn seeking to find her place in the world. Displaced from her community, estranged from her family and alone, Alex seeks support from a fellow trans woman, Sital. Together, they find healing, language and community. Guided by the Ancestors, Alex finds herself within her heart of a Womxn-Siwayul.

American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and Communication Access Real-time Translation (CART) will be provided for this event. For more information or to request additional accommodations, please contact the LGBT Resource Center at lgbt@syr.edu or by calling 315.443.3983.

Rabbi Sandra Lawson

To help address and discuss these issues, Hillel student Julia Schwenderman ‘22, has invited activist and innovative educator Rabbi Sandra Lawson to speak with ���ϲ����� students. By bringing her knowledge and experiences to the table, Lawson aims to help students gain a better perspective of how our identities can influence change, and how a community can facilitate anti-racist discussions.

The program will take place over Zoom on Monday, Oct. 26, at 6 p.m. The event is open to all and is required. The session with Lawson will consist of two parts; the first half of the program will be an opportunity for Lawson to share her story and experiences, and the second half will be a question-and-answer session. By sharing her perspective on the connection between Judaism, racial justice work and LGBTQ+ activism, Lawson intends to provide students with the knowledge and tools to work towards change in our community.

Lawson identifies as a gay, Black, Jewish, American woman, and her activism in the community comes from the intersectionality of all of her identities. Her goal is to educate and bridge the gap between those with multiple identities.

“I was gay over here, and Jewish over here and Black over here,” she says. “Looking back, I guess I felt I would implode if my identities were all in the same place. After that, I made a conscious decision to unite all of my identities … I felt that I could use my identities as a bridge-builder.”

In the effort to build a stronger and inclusive community, ���ϲ����� Hillel and the Jewish Greek Council bring this opportunity with co-sponsorships from Hendricks Chapel, the LGBT Resource Center, Pride Union, the Multicultural Greek Council and the Panhellenic Council. The event is underwritten by Interfaith Youth Core.

“Rabbi Sandra teaches others how they can use their Jewish values to stand up for social justice causes like LGBT rights,” Schwenderman says. “The work that Rabbi Sandra does is a mitzvah, a good deed, and I think she teaches others that there are many different ways to practice Judaism.”

To learn more about Lawson, visit

This story was written by Colby Yablon ’21

to attend the virtual lecture. Filicia’s appearance is co-sponsored by the and is part of the University’s LGBTQ History Month.

Thom Filicia ’93

The University’s premier speaker series, the University Lectures brings to ���ϲ����� audience members and the larger public notable guest speakers of exceptional accomplishment who share their diverse global experiences and perspectives. The series was created through, and is supported by, the generosity of alumnus Robert B. Menschel ’51. The media sponsor for the University Lectures is .

Filicia started his career at renowned design firms Parish-Hadley, Robert Metzger and Bilhuber & Associates. He launched his acclaimed enterprise in 1998 and emerged as one of today’s most influential and respected interior and product designers. His projects range from residential and hospitality to commercial interiors all over the world.

includes such projects as the VIP Suite for the USA Pavilion at the World’s Fair in Aichi, Japan; an eco-friendly apartment for Riverhouse, Manhattan’s first premium (LEED-certified) “green” luxury condominium tower; and the Delta Sky Decks at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Filicia has been praised as a top designer and international tastemaker. He gained widespread fame for his role as the interior design expert on the Emmy Award-winning “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” as well as for his television work for Style Network, HGTV and most recently Bravo’s “Get a Room with Carson & Thom.”

He is also the driving force behind the Thom Filicia Home Collection, which includes furniture, artwork, bedding, textiles and wallcovering, and has a flagship showroom, called , at The New York Design Center.

Filicia is the best-selling author of “Thom Filicia Style” (Atria/Simon & Schuster, 2008) and “American Beauty: Renovating and Decorating a Beloved Retreat” (Clarkson Potter Publishers, 2012).

In 2011, he was named one of Elle Decor’s top 25 A-List Designers. In 2006, he was chosen as one of ’s Top 100 American Designers and ’s Top 50 “Tastemakers.”

For the third consecutive year, the University’s Pronoun, Gender, Preferred Name Advisory Council (PGPNAC), with assistance from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Resource Center, is hosting activities that educate about affirmative pronoun usage and celebrate the multiple and intersecting identities of people within the University community.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s activities are virtual. They include:

• International Pronouns Day Trivia, a virtual contest (including prizes), will be held on Wednesday at noon ET on Zoom. .
• “Building Awareness in Using Pronouns and Preferred Names,” a on pronouns, will be presented from 3-5 p.m. ET on Wednesday; and
• The creation of Zoom backgrounds that are available to download from the .

Aley O’Mara, a doctoral student in English in the College of Arts and Sciences and a member of the PGPNAC, is a longtime advocate of integrating personal pronouns into campus culture. “International Pronouns Day gives us a space to learn more,” they say.

“Every day is a chance to educate ourselves and others in sharing and respecting each other’s pronouns. Celebrating International Pronouns Day is an opportunity to take note of the systemic changes our campus has made in the past year, and what we can still achieve in the next year.”

Last year, the PGPNAC and Information Technology Services launched a new MySlice experience, , that allows students, faculty and staff to indicate their personal pronouns and preferred names.

To change your pronouns on MySlice:

1. Log in to MySlice
2. Select the “My Profile” pagelet
3. Click on the “Biographic” tab
4. Click on the “Pronoun” link
5. Select your personal pronoun

For more information on personal pronouns, visit��. If you have specific questions, email��pgpnac@syr.edu.

Hosted by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Resource Center, this visual representation of names helps to further highlight the strong foundation of support within our campus communities. Names will be collected until Thursday, Oct. 1.

Coinciding with National Coming Out Day, Sunday, Oct. 11, during the LGBTQ+ History Month celebration, the Queer and Trans Solidarity List will first be published in The Daily Orange on Thursday, Oct. 8. A list will also be available on the .

“As we host the annual signing of the Queer and Trans Solidarity List, it is a time for our campus community to not only celebrate and recognize but to openly recommit themselves to supporting and advocating for our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual and questioning students and other community members,” says Jorge A. Castillo, director of the LGBT Resource Center. “Now more than ever, we need to make sure LGBTQIA+ students, faculty and staff know that there are many ���ϲ����� and SUNY-ESF community members supporting their success, safety and general well-being.”

Current faculty, staff and students can add their name to this year’s list by . Please note: due to space limitations, academic degrees and affiliations cannot be included.

By adding your name, you demonstrate support for the following statement:

“We pledge to support those who identify within lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex and asexual (LGBTQIA+) communities at ���ϲ����� and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. We believe that coming out can be an empowering and rewarding process. We also acknowledge that not everyone has the desire or ability to come out; for some, coming out can pose a threat to emotional and even physical safety. But we believe that you do not have to come out to find support and community. We acknowledge that your experiences are real and valid, and we list our names here as resources. We will listen to you, work with you, advocate for you and welcome you. We are committed to working against queer and trans antagonism that marginalizes LGBTQIA+ people; we actively strive to build campuses that celebrate LGBTQIA+ identities and communities. The names listed here demonstrate the breadth of solidarity across ���ϲ����� and SUNY-ESF. We believe that queer and trans existence is beautiful!”

For more information, please contact the LGBT Resource Center at 315.443.3983 or by email to lgbt@syr.edu.

While the traditional ceremony cannot be held in person this year, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Resource Center (RC) is compiling a Lavender Graduation video to honor the many achievements of the Class of 2020. The LGBT RC will also send out lavender cords in the mail once operations are resumed on campus.

Mitchell Kuga ’09 (photo by Justin Wee)

To participate in the video and/or request a cord, please by Friday, April 24, at 5 p.m. EDT.

This year’s Lavender Graduation alumni speaker, Mitchell Kuga ’09, will record their speech for inclusion in the video. Newhouse alum Kuga is a journalist living in New York City whose work largely centers on queer culture, Hawai’i and cultural trends. His writing has been published in GQ, T Magazine, The Village Voice and Condé Nast Traveler, and he is the 2019 recipient of the Excellence in Online Journalism Award from NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ Journalists.

With any questions about Lavender Graduation, email lgbt@syr.edu.

“Now more than ever, we want to highlight the importance of strengthening community among our queer and trans folks,” says Jorge Castillo, interim director of the LGBT Resource Center. “Similar to our on-campus programs and events, within this new virtual space, we want the community to know that we’re still here fostering connection and support. Though we may not be sitting in our Center’s living room, we are still here for students through a variety of virtual spaces, connections and involvement opportunities.”

Below are ways you can stay connected with the LGBT RC and participate in their events, services and offerings, wherever you are. For the most up-to-date information, or follow the Center on , or .

Virtual Drop-In Office Hours

Monday through Friday from 2 to 5 p.m. EDT, anyone in need of support can virtually “drop in” to chat, vent or share with a staff member from the LGBT RC . To drop in by phone, simply call 415.762.9988 or 646.568.7788 and use the meeting ID 110-336-951. To set up a meeting outside of these hours, email lgbt@syr.edu.

QueerAntine Time

For the remainder of the semester, join the LGBT RC every Tuesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to noon EDT for a craft or activity and opportunity for socialization on . Upcoming activities include evaluating the best Easter candies, baking vegan and non-vegan cookies, a science fair, a session on houseplants and a virtual tour of the queer-oriented .

“‘Ally’ Is A Verb: Unpacking and Attacking Covert Transphobia” Workshop

Activist and educator will facilitate a virtual workshop designed for cisgender LGBTQ+ allies to address covert transphobia and how allies can support and uplift trans and nonbinary students and community members. The workshop will be held on Tuesday, April 28, from 3 to 5 p.m. EDT and you can . Please email lgbt@syr.edu to request any accommodations.

Lavender Graduation

The LGBT RC’s Lavender Graduation is typically an in-person reception celebrating and sending off LGBTQ+ members of the graduating class. In lieu of an in-person event this year, the Center asks graduating students to share their degree, major(s), minor(s), a brief biography and any photos from their time at ���ϲ����� for a special Lavender Graduation video that will be created and shared later in the semester. The submission form will be available on the Center’s and social media channels.

Safe Zone Workshop

Virtual Safe Zone workshops will be held on April 14 from 1 to 3 p.m. and April 23 from 10 a.m. to noon. This program aims to build a network of students, staff, faculty and community members who are visibly and actively committed to advocating for and creating spaces of respect and inclusion for LGBTQ+ members of our community. .

LGBTQ+ Staff Affinity Group

The LGBTQ+ Staff Affinity group continues to meet virtually every other Thursday from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. EDT . The meetings provide a safe space for LGBTQ+ identified staff to express themselves and support one another. The next meeting will be held on Thursday, April 23. Email lgbt@syr.edu to join the group and request a password for the next meeting.

Extra Support and Resources for the LGBTQ+ Communities During the COVID-19 Pandemic

• (phone: 866.488.7386; or reach out via )
• (phone: 888.843.4564)
• (serves youth through age 25; phone: 800.246.7743)
• (phone: 877.565.8860)
• (text from anywhere in the U.S. to connect with a crisis counselor, 24/7; not specific to LGBTQ+ people)
• (phone: 1.800.273.8255; not specific to LGBTQ+ people)
• (phone: 1.800.RUNAWAY)

ALOK

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Resource Center is hosting the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance commemoration on Monday, Nov. 18, at 7:30 p.m. in the Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium (Newhouse 3) in partnership with the LGBT Studies program in the College of Arts and Sciences.

This year’s keynote is (they/them), a gender non-conforming performance artist, writer, educator and entertainer whose eclectic sense of style, political comedy and poetic challenge to the gender binary have been internationally renowned. ALOK was the youngest recipient of the Live Works Performance Act Award, granted to ten performance artists across the world. In 2017, they published their inaugural poetry chapbook “Femme in Public.” They have been featured on HBO, MTV, The Guardian, National Geographic, The New York Times and more.

“Trans Day of Remembrance is a day where we memorialize those who have been murdered as a result of transphobia and raise awareness about the continued violence endured by the transgender community,” says Jorge Castillo, assistant director in the . “We’re excited to have ALOK at ���ϲ����� to give a performance that provokes thoughtful reflection on the lives and contributions of trans and non-binary folks in our community.”

American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be provided. For information and accommodation requests, email lgbt@syr.edu or call 315.443.3983.

The celebration of International Pronouns Day is led by the University’s Pronoun, Gender, Preferred Name Advisory Council (PGPNAC) and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LBGT) Resource Center.

This is the second year of International Pronouns Day. After ���ϲ����� celebrated the day in its first year in 2018, the University was invited to have representation on the International Pronouns Day steering committee. Consequently, khristian kemp-delisser ’01, co-chair of the PGPNAC and director of the LGBT Resource Center, sits on the steering committee, representing ���ϲ�����. “This allows the work of the PGPNAC to be grounded in the knowledge that is steering best practices for trans and nonbinary inclusion,” says kemp-delisser.

“Somewhat like Pride is, International Pronouns Day is a time for rededication to a cause important to queer people,” says Aley O’Mara, a member of the PGPNAC. “Having our personal pronouns recognized in public is hugely important for the well-being of trans people, so having a day dedicated to education on and celebration of language and its inclusive evolution helps to recognize that importance.”

O’Mara tabled with the council in celebration of last year’s International Pronouns Day. The council will be tabling across campus again this year.

A doctoral student in English in the College of Arts and Sciences, O’Mara adds, “To me [International Pronouns Day is] also wonderfully nerdy and cool.”

O’Mara has advocated for systemic change for years regarding how the campus community recognizes every person’s personal pronouns. To them, integrating International Pronoun Day into University culture provides an important opportunity to progress toward a more pronoun competent campus that recognizes the lived experiences of its trans students and employees.

As part of the day, the council is hosting an on asking for, respecting and practicing using pronouns as a part of LGBTQ inclusion. Also, the PGPNAC and Information Technology Services (ITS) launched a new MySlice experience: . What was previously known as Personal Services, My Profile brings a more user-friendly, customizable experience to students, faculty and staff.

“By creating such a diverse council in many ways, including professionally, we have been able to create sweeping, systemic change that will spark cultural shift on campus,” says Jenny Gluck, associate chief information officer and co-chair of the PGPNAC. “By developing the opportunities for people to select their pronouns, preferred names and more within the University systems, we hope to increase inclusion of all people on campus.”

To change your pronouns on MySlice:

1. Log in to MySlice
2. Select the “My Profile” pagelet
3. Click on the “Biographic” tab
4. Click on the “Pronoun” link
5. Select your personal pronoun

Information regarding both the usage of pronouns and names, as well as My Profile, will be given out during tabling sessions on International Pronouns Day. Access the and for personal usage and distribution.

For more information, please visit . If you have specific questions or need help getting started, please email pgpnac@syr.edu.

“This month is important because it’s a chance for students to experience different ways of thinking about disability. Here at the DCC, we recognize disability as a form of diversity, identity and as a source of pride,” says DCC Director Elizabeth Taets Von Amerongen. “We define disability broadly to include our friends, family and members of our community with mental health, learning and substance abuse disabilities, making us an enormously diverse community.”

On Tuesday, Oct. 8, starting at 7:30 p.m., the campus community is invited to attend hosted by the Student Association and DCC panel representatives. Another highlight of the month includes the free performance of , on Thursday, Oct. 10, at 10 p.m. in Grant Auditorium. During this Orange After Dark and DCC co-sponsored event, Lynch weaves his disability into his stand-up act.

Wednesday, Oct. 23, marks Disability Mentoring Day on campus. As a host site for mentees, this nationwide event provides career support and development to students with disabilities. Additional activities include joining the , hosted by the Barnes Center at The Arch as part of Domestic and Dating Violence Awareness Month. Through participating, the DCC hopes to bring awareness to disabled victims of domestic abuse, some of whom may not have the resources to advocate for themselves.

Opportunities for involvement extend beyond the month’s programming and include joining many of the great on campus. Additionally, the DCC hosts the opportunity for two undergraduate students to join the team as peer mentors within the Access Mentoring Program; the application and additional details are available in , ���ϲ�����’s career management platform. Students may access Handshake using their NetID and password to find jobs, internships, and career development events and to connect with employers.

For more information on Disability Awareness and Appreciation Month, contact Taets Von Amerongen at sudcc@syr.edu or visit the . For more information on the Disability Cultural Center, contact the DCC team at sudcc@syr.edu or call 315.443.0228.

Story by Division of Enrollment and the Student Experience communications intern Carina Coestad ’22.

LGBTQ+ History Month is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate queer and trans folks, particularly those of color, who have paved the way. The month includes a documentary screening of ” and conversation with director Hao Wu on Oct. 7, a Queer Pool Party on Oct. 13, a De-Stress Fest on Oct. 23 with masks and massages, and much more. The campus community is also invited to participate in educational opportunities including the on Oct. 9, Navigating Queerness around Campus on Oct. 14 and International Pronoun Day Workshop on Oct. 16. In addition, general meetings for student organizations , and oSTEM and closed discussion groups and will be held throughout the month.

The Inaugural Potash LGBTQ+ History Month keynote performance will be delivered by on Tuesday, Oct. 15, at 7 p.m. in Maxwell Auditorium, in partnership with the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) and in honor of Latinx Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15–Oct. 15). The name of the keynote honors the contributions of Jordan Potash ’98, who as an undergraduate student, wrote the original proposal and garnered campuswide support to establish the LGBT Resource Center.

Denice Frohman. Photo credit: Rashid Zakat

“We are honored to bring Denice Frohman to campus for our inaugural Potash speaker, in partnership with the Office of Multicultural Affairs. As a Queer, Puerto Rican, Jewish award-winning poet and activist, Denice’s spoken word poetry explores and celebrates intersectional identities, subversion of traditional notions and systems of power, and the diverse parts of being queer and Latinx. Her powerful and unique voice will hopefully inspire all in attendance to reflect on and share their own stories,” says Jorge Castillo, assistant director in the LGBT Resource Center.

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, the main floor of Bird Library will have an exhibition titled “After Stonewall: The Continuing Struggle for Queer Liberation.” The exhibition includes a short film that explores more than half a century of LGBTQ+ history in the United States from the perspective of the few blocks surrounding New York City’s Stonewall Inn and through the voices of folks who participated in the riots. Additionally, you can find images of an array of queer and trans activists, mostly people of color, before and after Stonewall, whose voices are often left out of the official gay liberation movement narrative. On display are series of posters curated by ArtRage and CNY Arts that gives an overview of LGBTQ+ activism in ���ϲ�����.

This monthlong celebration is made possible through collaborations and sponsorships with the Division of Enrollment and the Student Experience; the Disability Cultural Center; the Office of Multicultural Affairs; LGBT Studies Program; the Pronoun, Gender, Preferred Name Advisory Council; ArtRage Gallery; the Burton Blatt Institute’s Office of Interdisciplinary Programs and Outreach; Hendricks Chapel; the Intergroup Dialogue Program; Moynihan East Asia Program in the Maxwell School; the Q Center; Women’s and Gender Studies; and local ���ϲ����� alums, organizers and activists.

For more information, visit the LGBT Resource Center in 548 Bird Library, email lgbt@syr.edu or call 315.443.3983.

The full of events with detailed information is available on the LGBT Resource Center website.

The first dialogue,��“Queer Spiritualities and Liberation” will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Noble Room of Hendricks Chapel. Dinner starts at 5:30 p.m. The guest co-facilitators for the evening’s dialogue will be Wildecy Fatima de Jury from the East Bay Meditation Center and Imani Gayle Gillison from the Brooklyn Zen Center, both in New York City. Both guest co-facilitators are Buddhist Dharma Teachers of Color and members of the LGBTQ+ communities. The dialogue is part of the University’s LGBTQ+ History Month programming in partnership with the LGBT Resource Center.

“The Insight Meditation tradition is one of the branches of Buddhism that has flourished in the United States. Through the training of teachers of color, queer teachers and teachers with other, intersecting marginalized identities, such as Fatima and Imani, this tradition has succeeded in creating centers that more closely reflect the communities in which they are located,” says Bonnie Shoultz, Buddhist assistant chaplain and series co-organizer.

“Now these teachers are teaching the rest of us, not just about Buddhism but also about how we can awaken together.��It is essential that as we practice our faiths, we have the opportunity to experience diverse perspectives and ways of examining truth and developing wisdom.��I am happy that we’re able to bring these two wonderful women to Hendricks Chapel for this dinner dialogue.”

The gathering will include a shared meal, facilitated dialogue and two periods of mindful meditation (at the beginning and the end). American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and inclusive food will be provided. Requests for accommodations or food queries should be made in advance by contacting Bonnie Shoultz at bshoultz@syr.edu.

The Fall 2019 “Common and Diverse Ground” series is co-sponsored by Hendricks Chapel, the Office of Interdisciplinary Programs and Outreach in the Burton Blatt Institute, Intergroup Dialogue, and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. For several years, the series has brought members of the campus community together in an inclusive environment to explore challenging contemporary issues.

“The Interfaith Dialogue Dinner Series seeks to serve as a direct expression of ���ϲ�����’s longstanding commitment to fostering and supporting an inclusive, accessible campus community of opportunity for a richly diverse student body,” says Hendricks Chapel Dean Brian Konkol. “We at Hendricks Chapel are honored to support these important opportunities alongside such committed campus and community partners, because together we affirm that education informed by multiple points of view, life experiences, ethnicities, cultures, abilities and belief systems is essential to academic excellence.”

The second and final dinner dialogue this semester will be “The Surprising Global Legacy of Anne Frank” on Monday, Nov. 11. Gillian Walnes Perry, co-founder and honorary vice president of the Anne Frank Trust UK and author of “The Legacy of Anne Frank,” will be the dialogue co-facilitator. The evening is co-sponsored by ���ϲ����� Hillel and will take place at the Winnick Hillel Center for Jewish Life at 102 Walnut Pl. Dinner will begin at 5:30 p.m. and the dialogue will run from 6 to 8 p.m.

Learn more about the Oct. 2 dialogue dinner on the . For more information on the event series, contact Hendricks Chapel at chapel@syr.edu or 315.443.2901.

The Queer and Trans Solidarity List is first published in The Daily Orange on Oct. 11, coinciding with National Coming Out Day during the LGBTQ+ History Month celebration. The list demonstrates the support and advocacy across the campus community for those who identify within lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex and asexual (LGBTQIA+) communities.

“We are happy to continue a signature tradition of the LGBT Resource Center—the��Queer and Trans Solidarity List. The list provides a platform to celebrate and recognize our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual and questioning communities, and express the University’s support for people with marginalized genders and sexualities to the greater community,” says khristian kemp-delisser, director of the LGBT Resource Center.

Current faculty, staff and students��can add their name to this year’s list by completing the .��Please note: due to space limitations, academic degrees and affiliations cannot be included.

By adding your name, you demonstrate support for the following statement:

“We pledge to support those who identify within lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex and asexual (LGBTQIA+) communities at SU/ESF. We believe that coming out can be an empowering and rewarding process. We also acknowledge that not everyone has the ability to come out; for some, coming out can pose a threat to emotional and even physical safety. But we believe that you do not have to come out to find support. We acknowledge that your experiences are real and valid, and we list our names here as resources. We will listen to you, work with you, advocate for you and welcome you. We are committed to dismantling the queer- and transphobia that marginalizes LGBTQIA+ people; we actively strive to build campuses that celebrate LGBTQIA+ identities and communities. The names listed here demonstrate the breadth of solidarity across SU/ESF. We believe that queer and trans existence is beautiful!”

For more information, contact the LGBT Resource Center at 315.443.3983 or lgbt@syr.edu.

kemp-delisser (center left) marched with 30 other higher education representatives on Saturday, June 22 at the CNY Pride Festival and Parade. Photo by��Matt Spitzmueller

On Saturday, June 22, CNY Pride hosted its annual CNY Pride Festival and Parade in the ���ϲ����� Inner Harbor. As part of the parade, khristian kemp-delisser ’01, director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT)��Resource Center on campus, helped organize a group of higher education professionals in the CNY area to march.

“In the early days of the CNY Pride parade, some educators actually could not risk being visible��members of the LGBTQ community. Some people��marched with paper bags over their heads,” says kemp-delisser.

Now, things are different.

“It’s heartwarming to be able to represent the higher education community in the parade,” says kemp-delisser. “We want the whole ���ϲ����� community to see and share the Pride we each try to foster on our campuses.”

This year’s CNY Pride Parade and Festival had a record number of attendees, doubling in size from last year’s event. Photo by��Matt Spitzmueller

kemp-delisser led a group of more than 30 faculty, staff and students representing local colleges and universities to march proudly in the 2019 CNY Pride Parade. Jorge Castillo, Jo Wang, Kate Pollack G’17, Rob Pusch, Ashley O’Mara G’20, Jason Harris G’18 and Gilles Stromberg ’12 were among the ���ϲ����� representatives at the event.

Colleagues from Hamilton College, Colgate University, Le Moyne College, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, SUNY Upstate Medical University and Onondaga Community College joined ���ϲ����� staff.

Fifty years ago, the Stonewall Uprisings became a key turning point in the LGBT rights movement. Before Stonewall and still today, the queer community fights for human rights through activism, and Pride Festivals since Stonewall have been an annual opportunity to do so. While fighting for equal rights, Pride offers a space to celebrate the queer community.

Olivia Fields

The LGBT Resource Center invites all students, faculty and staff to attend the Lavender Graduation. Formerly known as the Rainbow Banquet, this is an annual event to honor all ���ϲ����� and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) graduates whose lived experience, scholarship or leadership have contributed to a positive LGBTQ collegiate environment. Campus and ���ϲ����� community members are invited to join the celebration on Sunday, April 28, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Goldstein Alumni and Faculty Center.

The celebration will include guest speaker Olivia Fields ’01, hors d’oeuvres and recognition of graduates by the LGBT Studies Program, the LGBT Resource Center and the Office of Alumni Engagement. Members of the 2019 graduating class who are interested in being recognized are asked to complete the by noon on Sunday, April 14.

Fields, founder and president of organizational change management firm will share a keynote titled “Authentic Living: I Am Who I Say I Am,” highlighting how she built upon her education and experiences to grow ��professionally and personally. Fields graduated from ���ϲ����� with a dual degree in marketing management and political science.

“As the end of the semester approaches, we look forward to gathering campus and ���ϲ����� community members in celebration of everything our graduates have accomplished,” says khristian kemp-delisser, director of the LGBT Resource Center. “We’re honored to have ���ϲ�����’s own Olivia Fields attend as the ceremony guest speaker. As she shares her personal journey, we hope to inspire the next generation of professionals.”

American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) will be available. For more information or to request additional accommodations, contact the at 315.443.3983.

In preparation for the renovation, teams from the divisions of Enrollment and the Student Experience and Business, Finance and Administrative Services have worked diligently to coordinate office relocations and expand services currently within Schine Student Center.

Here is where you can find offices and services once the planned renovation begins:

• The Office of Multicultural Affairs and Disability Cultural Center will relocate to 548 Bird Library. They join the LGBT Resource Center, which moved to this accessible, central location this spring.
• The Office of Student Activities and the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs will relocate to Suite 100 in the Women’s Building.
• The Office of Parent and Family Services will reloate to 306 Steele Hall.
• Schine Box Office will relocate to Suite 118/119 in the Women’s Building.
• Learning Communities and Student Centers and Programming Services will relocate to Suite 138 in the Women’s Building.
• Career Services will relocate to Suite 214 in the Women’s Building.
• The Shaw Center for Public and Community Service and the Office of First-Year and Transfer Programs will relocate to Suite 309/310 in the Women’s Building.
• will enhance staffing and add popular menu items at nearby Pages Café and food.com. Come fall, Kimmel Food Court will open earlier to accommodate breakfast and lunch. All Schine Food Services staff will be reassigned to other locations on campus.
• Reservable meeting rooms and event spaces will be available in Bird Library, Skybarn, Goldstein Student Center (South Campus), and other campus locations.

The ���ϲ����� Bookstore and Goldstein Auditorium will remain open throughout the renovation. Accessible entrances��will be located from��the Einhorn Family Walk and from the East entry between Goldstein Auditorium and the Bookstore. The Einhorn Family Walk entry will serve the Bookstore and the East entry between Goldstein Auditorium and the Bookstore will serve Goldstein Auditorium. This accessible path starts at Waverly Avenue.

Updates with additional information about relocations and services will follow throughout the remainder of the semester.

The “True Colors” LGBTQI Spirituality Series is an open-process group that will be co-facilitated by Alonzo D. Turner, a second-year doctoral student in counseling and human services, and JoAnn Cooke, Buddhist co-chaplain at Hendricks Chapel. In this space, the co-facilitators will discuss topics that are pertinent to students who identify as LGBTQI and the role that spirituality plays within their life experiences.

The group will meet Wednesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Noble Room (lower level of Hendricks Chapel) on the following dates:

• February 27
• March 20
• April 3
• April 17

“In a world where individuals who possess multiple marginalized identities are victims of discrimination and senseless acts of violence it is imperative that we advocate for students who are constantly navigating the intersections of these identities,” Turner says. “With this series, we want to provide a symbol of hope and a substantial place of refuge for LGBTQI students at ���ϲ����� who are exploring ways in which spirituality may also intersect with their identity on our campus and in this society.”

Participation is open for all LGBTQI-identifying students. Students are welcome to join one or all discussions.

For more information or to request accommodations, contact Alonzo Turner at aturne03@syr.edu.

The symposium will feature Diamond Stylz of the “Marsha’s Plate: Black Trans Talk podcast;” Sir Knight, ���ϲ����� alumnus and host of��channel on YouTube; and a conversation with Nikeeta and Money of��” on writing, producing and editing your own podcast, followed by a live recording.

“Queer(ing) the Airwaves is an important opportunity for ���ϲ����� and community members to meet and learn from Queer and Trans People of Color using podcasts and YouTube to create original content and tell our own stories,” says Jorge Castillo, assistant director of the LGBT Resource Center.

The symposium hosts the following workshops:

10-11 a.m., Diamond Stylz, “Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Accessories”

This workshop will be a comprehensive analysis of sexual orientation, gender identity and biological sex. Attendees will explore how the intersection and variety of those identities play out in society to the detriment or advancement of socio-economic lives.

11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.,��Sir Knight, “A Self Love Workshop”

Sir Knight, founder of BlackTransTV, will discuss and explore the overall health benefits of self-care and the beauty of self-love. As black men of the trans experience, they understand the importance that self-care has for overall well-being. Both men have found refuge in learning how to love themselves and know that self-care is essential in a highly toxic world. This workshop will discuss methods such a journaling, mirror talk, affirmations, meditations and more to help attendees learn to love and care for themselves better.

2 p.m., Nikeeta and Money, “Live Recording of Queer WOC: The Podcast”

“QueerWOC: The Podcast” started as a Tumblr page and has grown into a community space for Lesbian, Bisexual, Queer and Trans women of color. Money, a family therapist by day and lewd lesbian by night, and Nikeeta, a community organizer who loves Luther Vandross, host this biweekly podcast celebrating the lives, loves and laughs of queer women of color. The podcast highlights a queer woman of the week, shares healing practices from Money’s therapy bag, explores social justice terminology with Nikeeta and tells tales from their dating chronicles.

Lunch will be provided during a break at 12:30 p.m. with vegan and gluten-free options available. American Sign Language interpretation will be provided during the workshops.

Following the symposium, from 5-7 p.m., The LGBT Resource Center, in partnership with Black Cuse Pride and Qolor Collective, is hosting a closed QTPoC networking social at Sugar Magnolia Bistro in Armory Square (316 S. Clinton St). Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be served. Gluten free and vegan options available. All QTPoC are welcome to attend.

For more information about LGBTQ History Month, visit the . Accommodations requests and additional questions should be sent to lgbtq@syr.edu or 315.443.3983.

“The LGBT Resource Center serves the complex intersections of our multiple identities through community building, intellectual and leadership development, and outreach and visibility. The activities and events planned as part of LGBTQ History Month do just that—provide the campus community with opportunities to connect with others in the LGBTQ and Ally community, learn about the diversity of identities and intersectionality, and raise awareness of LGBTQ identities and contributions then and now,” says khristian kemp-delisser, director of the LGBT Resource Center.

The month features Pride Shabbat at Hillel on Friday, Oct. 5, a film screening of at Watson Theater on Oct. 13, free and confidential STI testing on Oct. 25, Fright Night at the Fair with the LGBT Resource Center on Oct. 27 and . The University community is also invited to stop by the International Pronoun Day outreach table on Oct. 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Milton Atrium and the Rainbow Open House at the LGBT Resource Center, 750 Ostrom Ave., from 4 to 7 p.m. on Oct. 26. In addition, general meetings for the student organizations , and and the closed discussion groups and will be held throughout the month.

The commemorative event this year is the Queer(ing) the Airwaves: QTPoC Media Symposium scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 20, beginning at 10 a.m. in 319 Sims Hall. The symposium brings together Queer and Trans People of Color (QTPoC) creators, activists, writers, podcast and video producers, and community members for a day to engage in conversations about the intersections of gender, sexuality and race, and working in new media. The symposium will feature Diamond Stylz of the “Marsha’s Plate: Black Trans Talk podcast”; Sir Knight, SU alumnus and host of channel on YouTube; and a conversation with Nikeeta and Money of ” on writing, producing and editing your own podcast, followed by a live recording.

This month-long celebration is made possible through collaborations and sponsorships with organizations��and departments on and off campus, including ACR Health; Black Cuse Pride; the Chancellor’s Council on Diversity and Inclusion; College of Engineering and Computer Science Career Services; the Disability Cultural Center; Hillel; the Office of Multicultural Affairs; Parent and Family Services; the Preferred Name, Pronoun, and Gender Advisory Council; the Q Center; the Slutzker Center for International Services; and local ���ϲ����� alumni, organizers and activists.

The full calendar of events with detailed information is available on the .

For more information, email lgbt@syr.edu or call 315.443.3983.

All students are welcome to socialize and meet the LGBT Resource Center staff to celebrate the start of a new academic year. As part of the celebration, the crowd-favorite ice cream truck is returning with free frozen treats.

Visit the for other ways to get involved with the center. For more information, email lgbt@syr.edu or call 315.443.3983.

The event is sponsored and organized by the Disability Cultural Center; the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Resource Center; the Office of Multicultural Affairs; the SUNY-ESF Student Diversity and Inclusion Office; La Casita Cultural Center; the Office of Engagement Programs; and the Slutzker Center for International Services.

The fair welcomes new and returning students, faculty and staff from the ���ϲ����� and SUNY-ESF communities each year. During the fair, the campus community will have the opportunity to meet the staff and students working in the cultural centers and learn about the offices’ services and programs. Attendees can also connect with the cultural organizations, departments and offices tabling.

A slide show and videos will be shown at the event highlighting robust programs and student involvement in these offices. Image descriptions of the slides are available on the event’s .

The event will also feature performances by the Black Reign Step Team, among others.

“This is a great time for students to meet and become involved with organizations where they can celebrate their identity and learn about new cultures,” says Disability Cultural Center Coordinator Kate Pollack. “The aim of the event is to be inclusive to all people and to celebrate the many different cultural identities on campus.”

American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be provided, as well as gluten-free, kosher, Halal and vegetarian/vegan food options. A sensory break room will also be available.

Jorge Castillo

Following a national search, Castillo comes to the LGBT Resource Center from West Virginia University (WVU), where he served as the assistant director for the LGBTQ+ Center and oversaw the LGBTQ studies minor in the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies Program. Prior to his roles at WVU, Castillo served as an instructor at the University of Connecticut, Wesleyan University, Fairfield University and St. Lawrence University, where he taught courses in Latinx studies, gender and sexuality, and Latin American literature and film.

As assistant director, Castillo will implement internal and external programs and trainings, work collaboratively across campus to promote inclusivity, and support students with marginalized genders and sexualities. Castillo is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Connecticut focusing on queer sexualities and globalization in Caribbean literature and film, where he also earned a master’s in Spanish literature and language. He begins his appointment July 16.

Qiao-An (Jo/Joanne) Wang

Wang previously served as the LGBT Resource Center’s graduate assistant while they were a master’s student in the School of Education’s Higher Education Program. They earned a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies with a focus in diversity education and minors in business and Asian American studies from Cornell University. As the program coordinator, they will continue to advise student organizations and discussion groups, supervise the LGBTQ+ Learning Community, facilitate trainings and workshops and plan such events as the Trans Day of Liberation and the HoliGay party. Wang begins their role as program coordinator on July 30.

“We are excited to begin the academic year as a new team, bringing diverse personal identities and professional experiences to the center. We will use this time over the summer to develop plans for the upcoming year that continue to fulfill the center’s mission of providing community building, outreach and visibility, and intellectual engagement that centers the experience of people with marginalized sexualities and genders,” says khristian kemp-delisser ’01, director of the LGBT Resource Center.

Visit the for more information about the center’s history, programs and resources.

Kat Blaque

Blaque is a young, Black, trans woman and social justice educator. She believes “speaking about her growth and self-acceptance is vital in a world where trans people aren’t seen as valid and their possibilities are often limited.” Blaque will share a vision of self-love, community support and positive change during the keynote.

Trans Day of Liberation was launched by the LGBT Resource Center to affirm and celebrate trans communities and experiences. The celebration shifts a focus from Trans Day of Remembrance, which honors and remembers the lives of trans people who have been murdered, to liberation with Trans Day of Liberation.

The lecture is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required. American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be provided.

For questions, email the LGBT Resource Center or call 315.443.3983.

About ���ϲ�����

���ϲ����� is a private, international research university with distinctive academics, diversely unique offerings and an��undeniable spirit. Located in the geographic , with a global footprint, and��, ���ϲ����� offers a quintessential college experience. The scope of ���ϲ����� is a testament to its strengths: a pioneering history dating back to 1870; a choice of more than 200 majors and 100 minors offered through 13 schools and colleges; nearly 15,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduate students; more than a quarter of a million alumni in 160 countries; and a student population from all 50 U.S. states and 123 countries. For more information, please visit .

The Rainbow Banquet, scheduled for Thursday, April 19, at 5:30 p.m. at Goldstein Alumni and Faculty Center, celebrates LGBTQIA+ communities at ���ϲ�����, SUNY-ESF and the city of ���ϲ�����. The event features a banquet dinner, a graduating keynote speaker, graduating LGBTQIA+ student recognition and the presentation of the Rainbow Recognition Awards. There are five award categories, one for each of the LGBT Resource Center’s values and one to recognize an emerging leader:

• Accountability Award
• Awareness Award
• Community-Building Award
• Emerging Leader Award
• Social Justice Award

Submit award nominations and obtain award criteria information on the .

For questions, contact the LGBT Resource Center at 315.443.3983 or lgbt@syr.edu.

About ���ϲ�����

���ϲ����� is a private, international research university with distinctive academics, diversely unique offerings and an��undeniable spirit. Located in the geographic , with a global footprint, and��, ���ϲ����� offers a quintessential college experience. The scope of ���ϲ����� is a testament to its strengths: a pioneering history dating back to 1870; a choice of more than 200 majors and 100 minors offered through 13 schools and colleges; nearly 15,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduate students; more than a quarter of a million alumni in 160 countries; and a student population from all 50 U.S. states and 123 countries. For more information, please visit .

khristian kemp-delisser

The Division of Enrollment and the Student Experience announces the appointment of khristian kemp-delisser ’01 as the new director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Resource Center. kemp-delisser begins their appointment on April 2.

“We’re pleased to welcome khristian back to ���ϲ�����. As an alum, khristian brings a great passion for ���ϲ����� and supporting students as they shape their own ���ϲ����� experience. In addition to their familiarity with our campus, their experience as an educator and student life professional supporting LGBTQQIA students and fostering inclusive campus climates will greatly enhance the student experience,” says Dolan Evanovich, senior vice president for enrollment and the student experience.

Currently the assistant dean and director of LGBTQ initiatives at Colgate University, kemp-delisser played an instrumental role in developing the Gender Pronoun Service, increasing gender-inclusive restrooms, supporting peer-to-peer sexual assault prevention education initiatives, and strengthening programs for the LGBTQ and ally communities at Colgate. Prior to joining Colgate, kemp-delisser held roles in the African/Latino/Asian/Native American (ALANA) Student Center at the University of Vermont and in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Center at the University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign.

Once beginning in their role at ���ϲ�����, kemp-delisser’s top priorities are providing advice, counsel, referrals, educational resources and support to LGBTQQIA students and the greater campus community, starting the search for the vacant associate director position in the LGBT Resource Center, and working with colleagues across campus on initiatives in support of the preferred name policy.

“It is all coming full circle as this was the community that launched me, and now, is welcoming me back to lead the LGBT Resource Center. In my time returning to campus and meeting with the passionate students, faculty and staff involved with the center, I was energized and excited to return to my alma mater to begin working with the University community to support, educate and celebrate LGBTQQIA identities and students with marginalized genders and sexualities,” says kemp-delisser.

kemp-delisser earned a doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies and a master’s in higher education and student affairs administration from the University of Vermont. They earned a bachelor’s degree in newspaper journalism and English and textual studies from ���ϲ�����. An active student leader, kemp-delisser served as president of Pride Union and earned awards for their leadership and involvement, including the La Fuerza Community Enhancement Award, the Michael O. Sawyer Award for Most Outstanding Student Leader and the Excellence in Diversity Programming Award.

About ���ϲ�����

Founded��in 1870, ���ϲ����� is a private international research university��dedicated to advancing knowledge and fostering student success through teaching��excellence,��rigorous scholarship and interdisciplinary research. Comprising 11��academic schools and colleges, the University has a long legacy of excellence��in the liberal arts, sciences and��professional disciplines that prepares��students for the complex challenges and emerging opportunities of a rapidly��changing world. Students enjoy the resources of a 270-acre main��campus and��extended campus venues in major national metropolitan hubs and across three��continents. ���ϲ�����’s student body is among the most diverse for an��institution of its��kind across multiple dimensions, and students typically represent��all 50 states and more than 100 countries. ���ϲ����� also has a long legacy of��supporting veterans and is home to��the nationally recognized Institute for��Veterans and Military Families, the first university-based institute in the��U.S. focused on addressing the unique needs of veterans and their��families.

]]> /blog/2017/11/21/pusch-appointed-interim-director-of-lgbt-resource-center/ Tue, 21 Nov 2017 18:18:01 +0000 /?p=126617 Rob Pusch, associate director for Project Advance, has been appointed interim director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Resource Center. Pusch’s appointment comes on the heels of Director Tiffany Gray’s departure to West Chester University.

Rob Pusch

Pusch is a longtime educator, advocate and activist who has been part of the ���ϲ����� community for more than 20 years. After earning a Ph.D. in instructional design, development and evaluation, Pusch joined the Project Advance staff. From 1999-2015, Pusch served on the University Senate Committee on LGBT Concerns, helping with the original formation of the LGBT Resource Center.

In addition to Pusch’s involvement in educating and advocating for LGBT inclusion on campus, including working toward gender inclusive restrooms and adding gender identity and expression to the University non-discrimination policy, in the community he has served as a volunteer and youth group facilitator at the Q Center, and now serves on the board of directors for SAGE Upstate and as co-founder of the Transgender Alliance of Central New York.

A search for permanent director is currently underway.

“I am beyond excited for Jennicet Gutiérrez to be the inaugural speaker in honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance; she is powerful, inspiring and courageous,” says Britany BCash Cashatt, associate director in the LGBT Resource Center. “Transgender people, specifically transgender women of color, are disproportionately murdered and exploited not only in the U.S. but globally.�� This is a day to honor those we have lost and to come together to fight unapologetically for the living!”

Gutiérrez is a transgender, Latina woman from México. She currently lives in Los Angeles, where she works as a community organizer for Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement. Gutiérrez believes in the importance of uplifting and centering the voices of trans women of color in all liberation work. Gutiérrez continues to organize to end the deportation, incarceration and criminalization of immigrants and all people of color.

This event is open to the campus community. American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be provided at the event. For more information, email lgbt@syr.edu.

Janaya Khan

Khan is the co-founder of Black Lives Matter Canada and is considered a leading voice in social transformation, justice and equality. Khan is a Black, queer, gender-nonconforming activist, staunch Afrofuturist, boxer and social justice educator. During the presentation,��Khan will explore topics related to systemic racism, heterosexism and cissexism and the ways these systems of oppression are interconnected, as well as present a vision for intersectional Black, queer and trans liberation.

Khan’s has engaged in academic and frontline community dialogue about the global impacts of the Black Lives Matter movement. Khan is also an accomplished lecturer and author whose writings have been featured in The Feminist Wire, The Root, Huffington Post Black Voices and Al Jazeera. More information is available on .

American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be provided.

In addition to the LGBT Resource Center, the keynote event is sponsored by: Qolor Collective student organization; Cultural Foundations of Education in the School of Education; LGBT Studies, an interdisciplinary program in the College of Arts and Sciences; Office of Multicultural Affairs; and the Democratizing Knowledge Project, a campuswide initiative promoting a more open, inclusive and democratic institution.

For more information, contact the LGBT Resource Center at 315.443.3983 or��lgbt@syr.edu.

“The Queer and Trans Solidarity List is a way to celebrate and recognize our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual and questioning communities,” says Britany BCash Cashatt, associate director of the LGBT Resource Center. “This list signifies the visible support for our students and community members with marginalized genders and sexualities, and serves as a reminder that queer and trans existence is beautiful.”

To add your name to the list, email lgbt@syr.edu from your ���ϲ�����/ESF email account with your name as you would like it to appear. Due to space constraints, campus affiliations, credentials and degrees cannot be included.

By adding your name, you demonstrate support for the following statement:

“We pledge to support those who identify within lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex and asexual (LGBTQIA+) communities at SU/ESF. We believe that coming out can be an empowering and rewarding process. We also acknowledge that not everyone has the ability to come out; for some, coming out can pose a threat to emotional and even physical safety. But we believe that you do not have to come out to find support. We acknowledge that your experiences are real and valid, and we list our names here as resources. We will listen to you, work with you, advocate for you and welcome you. We are committed to dismantling the queer- and transphobia that marginalizes LGBTQIA+ people; we actively strive to build campuses that celebrate LGBTQIA+ identities and communities. The names listed here demonstrate the breadth of solidarity across SU/ESF. We believe that queer and trans existence is beautiful!”

��For more information, contact the LGBT Resource Center at 315.443.3983 or��lgbt@syr.edu.�� Additional information about Coming Out Month is available on the��.

Tabling will take place in the Schine Student Center on Monday, Oct. 2, to inform the community about Coming Out Month events and opportunities. The month kicks off with LGBTQpartAy! on Wednesday, Oct. 4, from 7-9 p.m. in Jaberwocky Café in Schine, where members of the campus LGBTQIA+ communities are invited to socialize, listen to music and enjoy delicious free food. Please note that the time for Queer Yoga has changed to 7:30-9 p.m. at Archbold Gym, Spin Room (first floor).

Camerin Ortiz ’19, a biology and neuroscience major in the , is the outreach/education coordinator of the LGBT Resource Center. Ortiz explains, “My first Coming Out Month experience was going to the keynote, a slam poetry event entitled ‘Dear Straight People.’ It was the first time I saw and heard queer people of color on a stage be unapologetically themselves. I will always remember that event and it helped me become more confident in my identities.”

Janaya Khan

This year’s keynote event is speaker Janaya Khan, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Canada. Khan is a Black, queer, gender-nonconforming activist, staunch Afrofuturist and social justice educator who presents an enlightening point of view on police brutality and systemic racism. Khan’s presentations are underpinned by a deep commitment to social transformation. Khan will be presenting on Thursday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m., in Maxwell Auditorium.

In addition to Coming Out Month events and celebrations, students��can get involved by applying to be part of the delegation the LGBT Resource Center funds to attend Creating Change. Creating Change is a national LGBTQ leadership conference that grants students the opportunity to attend workshops, plenaries and caucuses that highlight queer and trans identities, experiences and communities. The application will be available until Monday, Oct. 9. For more information, email lgbt@syr.edu.

Members of the ���ϲ����� community��can show��their��support in a large way by adding their names to the Queer and Trans Solidarity List. “The Queer and Trans Solidarity List is a way to celebrate and recognize our lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, questioning and asexual communities and their allies,” says Tiffany Gray, director of the LGBT Resource Center. “This list signifies the immense support for our students and community members with marginalized genders and sexualities, and serves as a reminder that queer and trans resistance and existence is beautiful.” To add your name to the list, email lgbt@syr.edu from your ���ϲ�����/ESF email account with your name as you would like it to appear. The deadline for submitting your name is Oct. 6.

For more information, contact the LGBT Resource Center at 315.443.3983 or��lgbt@syr.edu.�� Additional information about Coming Out Month will be available on the�� website.