The Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU) hosted a panel on Tuesday that included LGBTQ+ leaders in faculty and student life. Four panelists gathered to speak about their queer experiences, some shared and some unique, in higher education.
“While the journey for equal rights and representation for LGBTQ+ is far from complete, I’m very thankful for the role that public universities play by being places where young people can show up as their authentic selves,” said Matt Renn, a data analyst with APLU and the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities.
The panelists called for greater diversity in queer visibility and representation; for allies to become advocates and to create wholly safe campuses for LGBTQ+ students, faculty, and staff.
“Universities are often the most diverse places people have ever been in, because we grow up in such segregated areas,” said Dr. Ana Mari Cauce, president of the University of Washington. “I was the first woman, first Latina, and first LGBTQ+ person to hold the office. I’m looking forward to the day when none of that is noteworthy.”
Dr. D-L Stewart, a professor of higher education at Colorado State University and president of the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) said that there were no queer or trans people of color as role models during his years as an undergraduate student.
“It was a lot easier to come out as queer than it was to come out as trans,” said Stewart, who is a trans man. “Heck of a lot easier.”
Cauce and Dr. Alan Shepard, president of Western University in Canada, noted the progress they have witnessed in the years since they first came out during graduate school. Still, they point out that trans rights have taken steps backward instead of forward.
