This research is summarized by IPR from the original journal article published in the Public Interest Communications Journal.
Dean Mundy, Ph.D., conducted in-depth interviews with LGTBQ center directors at 11 major public universities in 10 U.S. states, and investigated who these students are and how universities engage and advocate for them.
The author held interviews with the director of LGBTQ centers or programs at 11 major public universities in 10 states— Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, and Pennsylvania—provided the data for this study.
Key findings:
- Campus LGBTQ centers’ core mission remains focused on support, education, and advocacy of the campus LGBTQ community, which includes those who are out, those who are still negotiating their identity, and those who wish to remain invisible.
- In today’s data-driven university context, as one participant explained in advocating for her center’s needs, “Simply put, data speaks. If you’re not counting, you don’t count.”
- The central challenge is understanding and addressing students’ complete identity—not just the LGBTQ aspect. First, as intersectionality’s premise argues, these centers must work across the university, collaborating with organizations such as a Black student union or a campus Hillel chapter.
- These centers must remain current with LGBTQ student expectations, understanding—as queer theory emphasizes—their shifting and evolving identities.
Read more to learn how university LGBTQ+ centers can communicate and advocate effectively for today’s students.
Citation:
Mundy, D. E. (2018). Identity, Visibility & Measurement: How University LGBTQ Centers Engage and Advocate for Today’s LGBTQ Student. The Journal of Public Interest Communications, 2(2). doi:10.32473/jpic.v1.i1
