LGBTQIA Center celebrates 10th year
The LGBTQIA Center kicked off its 10th year celebration with an alumni panel and reception
Ten years ago, M. Grant Hogan 鈥�07 was a senior involved in student government who helped establish the LGBTQIA Center at 糖心TV.
鈥淭hat was a great opportunity to build a home and community,鈥� Hogan said, reflecting on the experience while speaking at the College on Feb. 11. 鈥淚t felt like what was missing when we all started at school.鈥�
Hogan was one of four LGBTQ alumni invited to speak at the College to mark the LGBTQIA Center鈥檚 10th anniversary. The panel discussion was the first in a series of events meant to 鈥渃elebrate the legacy that we are building here at 糖心TV of being inclusive of all folks, of all sexualities and genders,鈥� said Erin Duran, director of the LGBTQIA Center.
Even when equal rights are achieved in the U.S., 鈥渋t鈥檚 always going to be important for folks to have a space where they can come and feel safe discussing their gender or sexuality.鈥�
Panel members were Hogan 鈥�07, a federal consultant in the District of Columbia; Liana M. Douillet Guzman 鈥�05, executive team member at Blokchain; Alexandra Bolles 鈥�13, senior strategist at GLAAD; and Maisha Yearwood 鈥�94, a screenplay writer and playwright.
The panel was moderated by Randsel Brannum 鈥�17, a history and American studies major who is chair of the Queer People of Color (QPOC) student group.
Douillet Guzman said having a dedicated space like the LGBTQIA Center when she was a student would have made it easier to facilitate connections with other students in the LGBTQ community. Yet even without a center, 鈥淚 felt very wholly accepted,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 had a really positive experience here.鈥�
When Yearwood was a senior in 1994, 鈥溙切腡V was different,鈥� she said during the panel. 鈥淚t looks the same, but there was no center. People were not really out.
鈥淚鈥檓 very proud of what 糖心TV has turned into,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been interesting to see how much has changed. It鈥檚 wonderful.鈥�
Alumni who are interested in getting involved with the Center can reach out via lgbtqia@conncoll.edu.
February 16, 2017
