When you come to college, “finding your people” is one of the first things you do. But that’s especially hard when you’re a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. This is a vibrant community, diverse across all metrics, including academic disciples and co-curricular interests. “When I was a student, queer faculty were not exactly hiding,” says Heather Pool, associate professor, and director of the Philosophy, Politics, & Economics program “But they weren’t exactly open, either.”
Enter the Out @ Denison directory
OUT @ Denison is a directory of “out” Denison faculty and staff. It offers students an opportunity to connect with staff and faculty who are out and open to engaging in dialogue with students as individuals or through a mentorship program.
Created to celebrate, strengthen, and honor the experiences of the queer communities at Denison, Out @ Denison also provides a platform to foster stronger relationships among faculty, staff, and students. Students can apply to be paired with a mentor. Staff and faculty can join the directory.
OUT @ Denison helps create a sense of community, in addition to providing support and mentorship for those who want it, and promotes visibility and awareness for Denison LGBTQIA+ students, faculty, and staff. The directory includes not only Denison professors but many staff members as well, including administrative employees, coaches, ITS staff, and Community Coordinators (CC).
“One of the things I appreciate about this resource is that it’s filled with folks who are being openly out as queer; we are not underground, but visible and available to talk through some of the challenges of navigating life in a heteronormative world,” says Pool. “This feels like a really important step forward for — many like me — who felt pretty isolated as a young/college age, baby butch.”
Mia Bedford-Lazow, President of Outlook, a student-run LGBTQIA+ support group, said “I am so excited about Out @ Denison because it will make finding queer faculty and staff so much easier for students. From my own experience, as soon as I found queer staff, The Hill immediately felt like home.”
The Office of Gender and Sexuality aims to facilitate relationships in the vibrant LGBTQIA+ community on campus. During the pandemic, with restricted in-person gatherings, this has been a special challenge. In response to student requests, the office created Out @ Denison, a directory of “out” LGBTQIA+ staff and faculty who are offering support, a listening ear, and/or mentorship to LGBTQ+ and questioning students.
There are a plethora of resources available to students on the Office of Gender & Sexuality myDenison page. Students can access an all-gender restroom map, trans-spectrum resources at Denison, links to off-campus resources, and information about the Office of Gender and Sexuality’s other campus programming. Faculty and staff who identify as LGBTQIA+ are encouraged to join the directory. Allies are welcome to complete Safe Zone training and be listed on the Office of Gender & Sexuality website.
