Billie Jean King on LGBTQ identity: be authentic
The seats of the Siegel Center were filled with students anxiously waiting for renowned tennis icon Billie Jean King to take the podium last Thursday night. King came to Richmond to discuss her work for gender equality in part of the Humanities Research Center’s Fall Speakers Series, “Celebrating Forty Years of LGBTQ Activism at VCU.” […]
OMSA educates on allyship
As part of LGBTQ History Month, the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA) concluded its series of ally trainings on Oct. 26 with a session geared towards white allies of LGBTQ people of color. A panel of speakers answered questions posed by facilitators, later responding to questions from the audience. “I think that the panel […]
Millennials use YouTube to explore gender, college experiences
18-year-old agender YouTuber Chandler Wilson described their rise to nearly 300,000 subscribers as “lucky.” Having lived in the Richmond area before moving out-of-state to attend college, Wilson’s channel is split between vlogging, challenges and educational videos on both trans terminology and experiences. “I didn’t just have one video go viral, I had about five,” Wilson […]
Living in Lavender: VCU’s first LGBTQ+ friendly residence hall
Living in VCU’s first-ever LGBTQIA-friendly residence hall was a spontaneous decision for Gloria Castillo. The freshman first heard about the option, known as “lavender housing,” as she was applying for housing as a senior in high school. She has now been living in the residence hall for almost 3 months and she’s sure she made […]
LGBTQ series presents: Students, Sodomy, and the State: LGBT Campus Struggles in the 1970s
The second lecture of the fall LGBTQ speaker series, “Students, Sodomy, and the State: LGBT Campus Struggles in the 1970s” was held in the University Commons Oct. 13. This fall marks forty years since the first LGBT student group gained official recognition, and the VCU Humanities Research Center is celebrating this milestone with the LGBTQ […]
The fight for equality: Remembering students’ civil rights fight 40 years later
The Humanities Research Center hosted an event 40 years after a two-year legal battle at VCU, which eventually reached federal court and changed laws in 10 states for LGBTQ students. The event held Oct. 6 was part of the Humanities Research Center’s fall speakers series and featured a discussion led by director Richard Godbeer titled […]
Papal Petulance — Teaching Gender Theory is “War Against Marriage”
While it’s no surprise most faiths have not taken into account the identities of certain disenfranchised members of our society, Pope Francis recently reiterated his disagreement with teaching gender theory and identification in Sunday schools. Pope Francis referred to the teaching as a “war against marriage” and “ideological colonization.” Of course this comes as no […]
ACC Football Relocates Conference Over Gender-Neutral Bathroom Law
North Carolina recently enacted a law, HB2, requiring transgender individuals to use the restroom that corresponds with the sex listed on their birth certificate, regardless of the gender they identify with. After months of backlash from the public and national media attention, the Atlantic Coast Conference is now taking a side on the issue, too. […]
Let love shine: PrideFest 2016
PrideFest 2016 drew more than 15,000 of Richmond’s LGBTQ community and allies to Brown’s Island for a cloudless day of celebration, support, advocacy and community outreach. “We’re in a moment right now where queer and trans people and specifically queer and trans people of color, are really at odds with the way the state is […]
VCU PD works to better serve and protect LGBTQ+ students
The VCU Police Department held an open forum with members of the LGBT community on Aug. 24 to spread awareness about safety precautions for students and receive feedback on changes the department made to better protect LGBT students. Donna Coghill, a member of VCU PD’s LGBTQ+ Safety Advisory Committee, said the goal of the forum […]