San Diego City College is leading the charge to increase outreach for LGBTQIA+ students and employees. The college fosters an environment of diversity and inclusion, which promotes LGBTQIA+ awareness for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual communities on campus.
City College will welcome students to the Pride Hub this fall. The dedicated space for LGBTQIA+ students will be located inside the Student Success Center, which also houses intentional spaces for first-generation students, female students, formally justice-involved, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) or Dreamers, to name a few. Inside the Pride Hub, students will be able to access technology, study, connect with peers, and meet with professors during office hours for classroom support. The Pride Hub will partner with English professors who teach through a LGBTQIA+ perspective, the college’s World Cultures program, and with other community colleges who have targeted resources.
Adan Sanchez, Ed.D., acting dean of Student Affairs, hosted the first onsite training specific to LGBTQIA+ populations for City College leadership and administration. The workshop, “Specialized Student Pathway: Enrollment, Retention, and Overall Student Experience for LGBTQIA+ Students,” served as a critical opportunity to discuss how to better support the enrollment and retention of students who identify as LGBTQIA+ and how to honor the intersectionality needs on campus. City College will host a series of workshops for employees and students to continue the conversation.
“Research across higher education shows that the LGBTQIA+ population needs extra support,” Sanchez said. “If we do not know our students, we cannot support them. We are shifting the campus culture to be more inclusive, aware, and to understand who our students are, so ultimately, we can be more intentional to support them in their multiple identities.”
City College held an inaugural Lavender Graduation on May 12, 2022, at Curran Plaza. The celebration was the first of its kind for the San Diego Community College District. A small group of students including San Diego Mesa College’s valedictorian attended the in-person ceremony following fully online classes due to the pandemic. Graduates were given a lavender sash designed with a rainbow and individually recognized on stage by their loved ones and mentors. City College graduate and Pride Hub staff member Rocky Dove opened the ceremony with a warm welcome; City College President Ricky Shabazz, Ed.D. welcomed and congratulated the graduating class; and City College alumni and former Associated Students Government President Ignacio “Natch” Hernandez delivered the keynote speech.
“All of our students who walked during the Lavender graduation expressed that they were so thankful for the space and shared that they have never been to anything like it,” said Ashley Burch, student services technician and Pride Hub committee member. “My university Cal Poly Pomona held a Lavender Graduation, it was very special to me, and I knew how special this would be for our students.”
City College looks forward to providing more intentional spaces and special events year round for the LGBTQIA+ community. The next outreach event will take place on Tuesday, October 11 in honor of National Coming Day.
Photos from the event can be viewed here: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzPPQH