What does being recognized as a community expert mean to you?

I appreciate the honor of being considered as a community expert for past contributions to our campus. Thank you for including me, and for thinking of me.

How do you support students from your affinity group in your role? Are there any specific resources you’d like to highlight?

My primary affinity group is as a member of the LGBTQ2+ community. I donate to the LGBTQ2+ Studies Scholarship Fund, and I support LGBTQ Programs and Services with the Cross Cultural and Gender Center. I also donate to and volunteer with the Rainbow Alumnx and Allies Club that supports and uplifts the annual Rainbow Graduation Celebrations. Finally, I volunteer with United Student Pride. On behalf of the Bulldog Pride Fund, we raised $75,000 and established the USP President’s Award. It provides an annual scholarship of $3,000 to the student elected as the club’s president.

How has your identity influenced your commitment to supporting this affinity group?

I’ve become grateful for my identity that has been shaped by my lived experiences both on-and-off campus. These experiences – some joyful, and some traumatic – have shaped me into the person I have become today.

As an undergraduate student, I was one of 14 founding members of United Student Pride during the fall semester of 1987 – that was 37 years ago this year. At that time, the campus was a challenging place for members of the LGBTQ2+ community, and our allies. Arsonists had burned our student club’s booth down that year, and the Fresno Klavern of Ku Klux Klan protested a student conference we were hosting in during the spring semester of 1989.

I don’t think I would be so passionate about helping students today if my student experience at Fresno State had been easy. These experiences have instilled a lifelong commitment to assist the students of today, especially those that are a reflection of myself.

What do you see as the key challenges facing students from this affinity group, and how can these be addressed?

Some students are out, loud and proud as members of the LGBTQ2+ community, or as allies. But some students are not able to show their true colors and are not permitted to be their authentic selves. Fresno State can often be a safe space for many of these students, but when they go back home during semester breaks or summers they must live closeted lives. Therefore, I think that a key challenge is for us to remember to meet students where they are.

Additionally, there are very few symbols of LGBTQ2+ pride on campus. There is a progress pride flag displayed in the northside window of University High School, but I think that’s about it. Of course, I’m grateful when the campus displays the progress pride flag each June, but I think we need to be more intentional about creating pride symbols to display throughout the entire year, not just in June.

What impact have your efforts had on students and the broader campus community?

In 2019, I was fortunate to be a member of a small group that respectfully requested from the administration to implement three new LGBTQ2+-related campus programs and student initiatives: (1) Fly the rainbow pride flag on campus; (2) Offer official and trademarked rainbow pride merchandise at the Kennel Bookstore; and (3) Present a pride night at an Athletics event.

Due to COVID 19, the rainbow pride flag wasn’t flown until 2021, but the following year the campus offered official rainbow pride merchandise, and the year after that, Athletics presented pride nights at Volleyball and Women’s Basketball games. From start-to-finish, these three campus programs and student initiatives took five years to successfully materialize. But, now they have collectively become a part of the rainbow fabric that comprises Fresno State on-and-off campus LGBTQ2+ and allied communities.

Although the campus is becoming a better place than it was for members of the LGBTQ2+ community and our allies, there is still more work to do.

What advice would you give other faculty who want to support marginalized or underrepresented groups?

Sometimes we also need to ask the members of marginalized or underrepresented groups what they need most. Other times, we need to remember to unfreeze (unlearn), change, and refreeze (relearn) what we think we know in order to improve ourselves (Lewin’s Change Model Theory).

In a nutshell, we all should strive to: Actively listen. Constantly learn. Lead with love.

 

Work Experience
  • Staff
  • Director, Development (Central)
Communities
First Generation, Hispanic / Latinx, LGBTQ+
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