Starting new traditions
CMU hosts its first LGBTQ symposium
On the morning of Friday, November 18, Central Michigan University students, faculty and staff gathered at the French Auditorium in the Education and Human Services Building to have a sustained discussion about LQBTQ issues on campus. The event ran from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and was a part of the events on campus for LGBTQ+ History Month.
The event was administered by Jack Day, professor of Human Development and Family Studies and Bee Taylor, Director of the Office of LQBTQ Services and Gender Equity Programs.
“To have this shared space where we can have those immersive conversations is just a really valuable opportunity to be able to share ideas, share experiences, and to really focus more intently on topics that really affect various modernized populations on campus,” Day said.
Taylor recently joined CMU’s campus. Before Taylor took over this role, the office for LGBTQ Services & Gender Equity Programs went without a director for around nine months. Since then, Taylor has been trying to find ways to understand what students need and make them aware of resources on campus.
“I'm hoping that this becomes a more regular thing,” Taylor said. “That the campus community that's invested in gender and sexuality work can have a regular time for us to come together and address issues and problems that are being faced on our campus.”
Taylor spoke to the audience about their role as director and provided an overview of the services provided by the Office of LQBTQ Services and Gender Equity Programs, such as events, training and education and advocacy. Taylor also described their plans for advancing the support services offered to students, which focuses on providing students with the resources that they need to be successful in their academic careers.
“I am hoping to learn some more of the issues that I can bring to a higher level as a director," Taylor said. "I take that title quite seriously because other people take it seriously. My name and my director position hold weight if I bring issues to folks, and so I really hope to feel just a conduit of things that people have been dealing with that haven't had an avenue to express them.”
Various LGBTQ registered student organizations (RSOs) were featured for their contributions to campus, such as OSTEM (out in science, technology, engineering and mathematics), Spectrum and Transcend. Student members of these organizations were invited to speak on behalf of their RSOs, sharing their core beliefs and involvement on campus.
CMU student Eden Phillips went to the event to represent Transcend and give more information about resources for trans individuals.
“I'm very passionate about making this campus more accessible and inclusive for trans people,” Phillips said.
New and upcoming academic opportunities for students were also discussed during the symposium, including the Women and Gender Studies Minor, LGBTQ+ Studies undergraduate certificate and COM 255, or Trans theory and media representation.
Students were able to express personal experiences to inform staff and faculty about ways they can benefit other LGBTQ+ individuals. The students, faculty, and staff in attendance were divided into break-out sessions to further discuss issues such as gender-inclusive housing, intersectionality, resources for online students, all-gender restrooms and the displaying of chosen names in university programs.
Prompts were provided to both students and faculty/staff to guide the discussions. The student prompts focused on experiences and support on campus, what is missing and what needs to be improved upon. The faculty/staff were tasked with discussing the challenges of being an LGBTQ+ faculty/staff member at CMU and how to best support students through campus support services.
Aiden Kosciesza, one of the faculty members in attendance, is a professor of Communication and Media Arts in the School of Communication, Journalism, and Media.
Kosciesza feels dedicated to serving the needs of LGBTQ students, faculty and staff. Kosciesza said that it is really important that we work to make our campus a welcoming place for LGBTQ individuals even during a time of backlash.
“I feel really grateful as a trans person to be in a place where I know not everything is perfect, but I have a sense of safety, and I have a sense that my identity and my work on behalf of LGBTQ people is valued here,” Kosciesza said.
Through this symposium, Day said his goals were to share resources, identify student needs and strengthen and implement the necessary supports on campus.
“It was to be able to start to think about how we can make our services more resilient and also how we can be more effective at sharing these elements integrated into what they (students) need,” Day said.
Taylor said they recognize the clear interest and need for discussions such as those at the symposium on campus and plan to host similar events in the future.
Taylor and Day both hope the symposium will become more of a tradition so that the campus can stay connected and support each other.
For additional resources or information student or faculty can contact the Office of LGBTQ+ Services and Gender Equity Programs on their website.
