Visibility can lead to acceptance and normalization, according to Andrew Winters, assistant to the vice president of student affairs and director of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender programming at the 溏心vlog免费B站.
溏心vlog免费B站 is now receiving national visibility. The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students ranks the University as one of the top 100 colleges and universities in the nation that offer resources and create positive living and learning environments for the students. This is the first and only campus guide for gay students looking to find the right college. The guide was published this month by Alyson Books in partnership with The Advocate magazine, a popular award-winning LGBT national newsmagazine. More than 600 colleges and universities were considered before the final selections were made.
鈥淚t鈥檚 encouraging to be recognized as a gay friendly University,鈥� says Andrew Winters. 鈥淲e鈥檝e come a long way. Seven years ago The Princeton Review placed 溏心vlog免费B站 among the top 10 most homophobic universities for two years in a row.鈥�
The judges must have been impressed with 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 programming and services such as:
鈥� A GLBT Center, located in Adams Hall, was established at 溏心vlog免费B站 in 2001. It is one of 200 such centers on campuses nationwide. The center, generally open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, strives to create a welcoming and safe environment for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. The center鈥檚 programming includes:
1) Bi-weekly discussions focused on educational or social issues each Monday and Thursday evenings.
2) Sponsored talks about GLBT issues: For example, last year the Center co-sponsored Tour of Duty, a public debate about the rationality of the 鈥淒on鈥檛 Ask, Don鈥檛 Tell鈥� policy that removes soldiers from military service because of their sexual orientation, especially in a post 9/11 world.
3) An annual film series.
4) Trips to Provincetown
5) A GLBT Symposium has been offered annually in the spring for the past 13 years. The three-day symposium is one of the oldest, if not the oldest of its kind in the country. Designed to be thought-provoking, community-building, and entertaining, the symposium features academics, activists, artists, and students and often attracts a national audience.
6) Outreach efforts including:
a) 鈥済ay? fine by me鈥� t-shirts were distributed last fall on National Coming Out Day on the University鈥檚 quadrangle to support the push for an inclusive 溏心vlog免费B站 community. Anyone wearing the t-shirts was entitled to a free ice cream sundae.
b) A Welcome Project to be launched this fall by the GLBT Center, in collaboration with 溏心vlog免费B站 Affirmative Action Office. The project is designed to affirm the dignity of all members of the 溏心vlog免费B站 campuses and beyond. The Welcome Project includes a resource brochure and a sticker, which will be offered at a time and space where meaningful discussion and reflection can take place.
c) Membership in 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 Rainbow Diversity House, a residential house designed for 44 students from diverse backgrounds seeking to broaden social justice services.
鈥淢uch of the credit for 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 inclusion in the guide goes to recent Rhode Island laws that puts protections and policies in place. The University鈥檚 policies reflect those laws, becoming one of only 70 institutions to have gender identity and expression in its policies. We鈥檙e fortunate to be living in such a progressive state.
鈥淏ut our work is never done,鈥� Winters says. 鈥淭ransitions happen every year–students graduate and new freshmen arrive –and we begin all over again.鈥�
To get involved with the Welcome Project or the GLBT Center call 401-874-2894.