Pride Month at OVPUE

You’ve probably noticed a few more rainbow flags than normal over the past few weeks–as you may already be aware, June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month. Much of the conversation around Pride Month this year has focused on whether corporations and organizations who embrace Pride Month are really supporting the community or just capitalizing on an opportunity. Obviously OVPUE and IU aren’t like most businesses (and don’t do much during Pride Month–something that could be improved upon) but it’s a great time to think about what those organizations are doing right and where they can improve. June is also a great time for people to be self-reflective and to think about steps they can take to support LGBTQ+ people. Even if you’re not ready to invest in a set of rainbow flags, there are some simple ways to be more welcoming and make life just a little bit easier for the members of the LGBTQ+ community.

This month, as I was perusing LinkedIn Learning for training opportunities, I noticed that the featured course was Succeeding as an LGBT Professional by Dorie Clark. My first thought was how funny it is that we need a course in how to be successful based on our gender/sexual identity–but then I thought maybe there are some things I don’t know and should.

I was curious, so I watched the course and there are some good points to remember, but the strongest impression it made on me was how accepting and supportive my experience at OVPUE has been as an out gay man. The experience of every LGBTQ+ person is very different, so others may not have had the same experience as I did, but supportiveness and acceptance appear to be the expectation and norm here, and not the exception–so that’s great.

Here are some thoughts on ways we can continue to grow into a better place for LGBTQ+ staff, faculty, and students:

1. Pay attention to pronouns and preferred names, every time. Take a moment to check to make sure that the name you’re using with a student is their preferred name instead of their birth name. Trans students at IU have to deal with enough micro-aggressions without being confronted with their birth name or misgendered by the people who are here to support them. Advisors are doing a great job with this, and advising systems like AdRx and our tools for NSO have adapted to center preferred pronouns and names over the last few years, but any time we work with students or their data is an opportunity to demonstrate that we care about students’ preferences.
2. Remember that LGBTQ+ people have to come out over and over again. Coming out doesn’t just happen when you tell your parents as a teen. We’ve all had a colleague or a student share with us that their identity is more than just what we see when we look at them. Those of us who are LGBTQ+ professionals know what it’s like to have to come out over and over again at work. That moment can be scary or traumatic for some people–for others, it may not be a big deal. Now’s a great time to reflect on how you react when someone comes out to you. Make sure you’re prepared for the eventuality and ready to be supportive and helpful.
3. Look for ways to make our workspaces more accommodating. OVPUE IT worked with a transitioning student intern who pointed out some small ways 625 N. Jordan could be improved to make her life easier. One was that single-person restrooms don’t need to designate a gender. The restrooms on our floor of Jordan were changed to be gender neutral, and we’re working on updating the ones throughout the building. She also suggested that some symbols of our support for LGBTQ+ people might go a long way toward making interviewees or visitors feel welcome in our space (which leads to my next point).
4. Support visibility. If someone shares their LGBTQ+ identity with you, it might be because they know the power of visibility. Many of us LGBTQ+ people who ended up in Bloomington grew up in a place or a time when we didn’t see ourselves represented in the media or the people around us. Being open about our identities is one of our only tools to help normalize what should be normal and be the representation we know others (especially the next generations) are searching for. You can make your personal allyship and OVPUE’s support of LGBTQ+ students visible too within your personal workspace–with something as simple as a sticker on your door, a mini flag in the coffee cup on your office book shelf, or by incorporating some LGBTQ+ student images into your website or print materials. Signs of acceptance and support can be a little relief to students who have other things to worry about than whether their community and university accept their authentic selves.
5. Keep learning. None of us has all the information, and we can all do more to support the LGBTQ+ community. If you have a question and want to ask an LGBTQ+ colleague, they’ll probably be happy to answer–however, remember that each of us is responsible for educating ourselves, and there are thousands of resources for being an ally and supporting your colleagues and students, just a quick Google search away. You’ll find that IU and OVPUE are already doing many of the right things, but we as individuals and our departments and the university can always be better advocates and build an even more inclusive and accepting space for the LGBTQ+ community. Here are some links you might take a look at:
   • 10 Ways to Support LGBT Employees (Glassdoor)
   • 14 Ways to Support LGBT Employees in 2021 (OutBüro)
   • Out and Proud: Approaching LGBT Issues in the Workplace (LinkedIn Learning)
   • Inclusive Mindset for Committed Allies (LinkedIn Learning)

To all of you who go out of your way to be great allies, thank you. And to the LGBTQ+ OVPUE employees past and present (and allies) who have been visible and supportive of me, your example has meant a lot to me both as a graduate student employee and as a new professional.

Good work, OVPUE–what’s our next step?