LGBTQ+ Resources

Student Health Services’ designation for LGBTQ+ health care practices is the latest recognition of George Mason’s inclusive campus environment

Shayla Brown — Thu, 30 May 2024 16:51:55 +0000

Student Health Services’ designation for LGBTQ+ health care practices is the latest recognition of George Mason’s inclusive campus environment Shayla Brown Thu, 05/30/2024 - 12:51

��AV’s Student Health Services (SHS) is one of 462 health care facilities to receive the “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality High Performer” designation from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's 2024 Healthcare Equality Index. 

“Medicine in general has a significant history of systemic inequality, so one of the big focuses of my job is to make sure that we are addressing those inequalities and promoting health equity,” said Megan Symanowitz, SHS’s Access to Research and Inclusive Excellence health equity lead nurse. “SHS is very enthusiastic about supporting our LGBTQ+ students and learning more about how to better serve that population.”

This year was George Mason’s first time applying for the designation, said Symanowitz.

Megan Symanowitz. Photo provided.

“It's something we've been working on at the clinic for years now in collaboration with the LGBTQ+ Resource Center and George Mason’s School of Nursing. They've really helped us to identify areas where we needed to serve this community better,” said Symanowitz, who is also an alumna of the School of Nursing.

For example, acknowledging the pronouns and chosen name of every individual is one area where staff received input and made improvements, she said.

“The center guided us in making in our electronic medical health records, so people are able to self-identify their sexuality, and trans or nonbinary statuses if they want,” said Symanowitz.

“That way from the very first time we interact with a student, we’re addressing them correctly and they're not constantly having to explain themselves.”

Their team also conducts Safe Zone training, name change clinics, trans health workshops, and provides regular updates on the best health practices for the LGBTQ+ community.

This designation, which exemplifies how George Mason facilities go above and beyond the average health care practices of LGBTQ+ patient care in higher education, is one of several inclusive recognitions George Mason has received.

Last year, George Mason was one of 30 universities in the United States and the only Virginia-based institute to be awarded a “best of the best” ranking by Campus Pride.

George Mason also received a five-star Premiere Campus ranking by the Campus Pride Index, the highest possible ranking, said Josh Kinchen, director of LGBTQ+ Resources Center.

According to Forbes Advisor, George Mason is the #1 online LGBTQ+ friendly college of 2024.

Mary Lucal. Photo provided.

“Student Health Services' recent designation, coupled with Forbes Advisor naming us the top LGBTQ-friendly university, really speaks to the efforts of our faculty, staff, and students in making George Mason a place where everyone can be their authentic selves,” said Mary Lucal, vice president and chief human resources officer at George Mason.

As of August 2023, George Mason is one of 20 Division-I institutions to achieve a score of 100 on the Athletic Equity Index, in part due to efforts of the George Mason Athletics LGBTQ+ Student-Athlete Group.

“We often collaborate with athletics and offices like the resources center to expand our audience,” said Jake Kornfeld, a senior government international politics major and co-president of Pride Alliance, a registered student organization of George Mason.

“Our main goal is to provide safe spaces for healing and asking questions,” he said.

For example, the Pride Alliance organized an event where former Harvard swimmer Schuyler Bailar, the first transgender athlete to compete in on a NCAA Division I men’s team, came to speak at George Mason’s Fairfax Campus.

“He’s from the [D.C.] area, and he swam at George Mason’s pool as a kid. He shared his story about being a trans athlete. That was something that was really meaningful for a lot of people at George Mason,” said Kornfeld.

Josh Kinchen. Photo provided.

Collaborative efforts across different offices, affinity groups, and departments show George Mason’s commitment to the LGBTQ+ community and to promoting inclusivity and diversity.

Other resources for the health and safety of the LGBTQ+ community at George Mason include the LGBTQ+ Peer Mentoring Program, LGBTQ+ residential Learning Community, and the Safe Zone+ Workshop Series among others.

“What we want is for families and students to be able to choose George Mason as a place where they feel that they can be academically successful while also being who they are without fear of violence or discrimination, and thrive in their identity,” said Kinchen.

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Mason’s Pride Week offers educational and enrichment opportunities for the campus community

Sarah Holland — Mon, 08 Apr 2024 15:13:13 +0000

Mason’s Pride Week offers educational and enrichment opportunities for the campus community Sarah Holland Mon, 04/08/2024 - 11:13

“Queer people have been here forever, and we are an integral part of the community.”

Photo by Rafael Suanes/��AV.

With that powerful statement, Lisa Thrasher, ��AV associate professor of film business and producing and independent film producer, concluded her presentation. Focusing on her work in making space at the proverbial table of film production for marginalized voices, Thrasher showed a collection of select clips from her films, all of which centered LGBTQ+ stories, voices, writers, and directors.

Thrasher and McKinley Green, assistant professor of English, presented their research as part of the inaugural LGBTQ+ Faculty Fellows Symposium, a new event added to the slate of activities and events commemorating Mason Pride Week.

While most of the nation celebrates Pride Month in June, Mason’s LGBTQ+ Resources Center hosts Pride Week during spring semester. This allows the whole campus community to be involved and also gives students who may not feel comfortable or safe participating in Pride Month events at home a chance to celebrate.

Josh Kinchen, director of the LGBTQ+ Resources Center, notes that many of the Pride Week events are developed and hosted not by the LGBTQ+ Resources Center, but by offices around campus, such as the Global Education Office’s “Tips for LGBTQ+ Travelers Abroad” seminar, for example, or “LGBTQ+ Literacies for Our Future,” part of the Leadership Summit series hosted by the School of Integrative Studies, LEAD Office, and the Center for Culture, Equity, and Empowerment.

“Mason Pride Week is a Mason event—the whole community is involved, coming together to celebrate, educate, and support LGBTQ+ students, faculty, and staff so everyone can have a positive and affirming experience at Mason,” Kinchen said. “Everyone can feel a connection to Mason through the work we do.”

Victoria Barrett, one of the graduate assistants for the LGBTQ+ Resources Center, believes that the is one of the most valuable aspects of Pride Week. “It shows that this isn’t just one niche part of campus; the support is campus-wide,” she said.

Barrett served seven years in the United States Army and is now working toward her master’s degree in higher education and student development. “Things were much different when I was an undergrad,” Barrett said. “I’m sure their LGBTQ+ community did events, but they weren’t as visible. And when I was commissioned as an officer, ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ had just been repealed, so the culture of keeping quiet hadn’t shifted yet. I was nervous about sharing my true self. But so much has changed over the past 10 years. Now, I’m able to make things different for other students, to give them a better experience than what I had.

“I’m really grateful and proud to have a part in making this community welcome to all.”

That dedication to a welcoming and supportive campus climate is what keeps Mason at the top of the Campus Pride Index and the Athlete Ally’s Athletic Equality Index. The university has maintained perfect scores on both indexes for multiple years.

“It takes work to maintain those designations. We must keep improving the ways in which we support all our students,” Kinchen said.

Pride Week’s focus on education is deliberate, Kinchen added. “We’re making an intentional shift toward expanding our partnerships and educational opportunities,” said Kinchen, “like giving faculty who are doing relevant research a platform to share their work, discussing student opportunities for civic engagement, and deepening our knowledge of LGBTQ+ history.”

This transition is one that the center is bringing into their year-round connection to the academic mission of the university.

“There are faculty, staff, and students in every single college, school, and unit at Mason doing work and engaging in research that’s relevant to the center. We want to work on deepening those connections to support both faculty engagement and student learning,” said Kinchen.

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Jeannine Harvey — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 17:34:05 +0000

Josh Kinchen Jeannine Harvey Wed, 08/30/2023 - 13:34

Director of the LGBTQ+ Resources Center

Contact Information

jkinchen@gmu.edu

Personal Websites

LGBTQ+ Resources Center

Biography

Josh is the Director of the LGBTQ+ Resources Center. Josh’s portfolio includes overall management and strategic direction of the Center, advising the Queer Student Leadership Council, co-chairing the Chosen Name & Pronouns Policy steering committee, liaisoning with the LGBTQ+ Faculty/Staff Alliance, serving as the external contact with other LGBTQ+ Resource Centers across the country, leading assessment and benchmarking for LGBTQ+ institutional support, convening the LGBTQ+ departmental liaison group, and consulting with university entities around LGBTQ+ inclusion.

Josh previously worked at Florida State University as a Program Coordinator in the Student Governance & Advocacy department, working directly with the Allies & Safe Zones program and the Pride Student Union (a student-fee-funded, student-directed, staff-advised LGBTQ+ cultural center). While there, he also served as the Staff Co-Chair of the LGBTQ+ Faculty/Staff Network. He graduated twice from the University of North Carolina Wilmington with an M.Ed. in Higher Education and a B.A. in Communication Studies. A proud first-generation college graduate, he holds an Associate’s degree from Cape Fear Community College. While a UNCW Seahawk, he worked in the LGBTQIA Resource Office, serving in multiple roles from undergraduate intern to Graduate Assistant.

Before his career in higher education, Josh served in the United States Marine Corps as an Intelligence Specialist. Informed by this experience, his Master’s thesis was focused on the experiences of LGB military veterans in their undergraduate college experience. This research was published in the Journal of Veterans Studies, to help inform the intersections of support for LGBTQ students, military veterans, and LGBTQ military veterans on college campuses.

Josh originally hails from Slidell, LA, in the greater New Orleans area but also considers the Port City of Wilmington, NC, a second hometown. Josh is an avid comic collector of nearly 30 years! He enjoys spending time with his partner Denise and their two cats Dingy and Monkey!

Mason is ‘best of the best’ for LGBTQ+ students

Colleen Rich — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 14:33:14 +0000

Mason is ‘best of the best’ for LGBTQ+ students Colleen Rich Wed, 08/30/2023 - 10:33

��AV is one of only 30 institutions nationwide, and the only one in Virginia, to be awarded a 2023 “best of the best” ranking in Campus Pride’s recently released survey.

The acknowledgment adds to a growing list of accolades for the university for creating a welcoming and supportive campus for students, faculty, and staff, including:

A national No. 7 ranking, and No. 1 in Virginia, for developing high-level support networks for LGBTQ+ students, faculty, and staff, according to a combined report by Best Colleges and Campus Pride.
A five-star Premiere Campus ranking by the Campus Pride Index.
And a 100% score in the Athletic Equity Index, one of just 19 institutions to receive that distinction in an examination of how NCAA Division I institutions support LGBTQ+ student-athletes.

“Mason is a place where all are welcome, supported, and can find their community,” said Rose Pascarell, vice president for University Life at Mason. “It is important to highlight these rankings to celebrate the students, faculty, staff, and community partners who have made Mason a national leader in this space.”

It doesn’t mean Mason is perfect, said Josh Kinchen, director of Mason’s LGBTQ+ Resources Center, but that “there is active, ongoing, committed work going on across campus.”

“It also helps students, particularly prospective students find us,” Kinchen (he/ze) said of the rankings. “We want them to come here. It’s an opportunity for us to celebrate that and the university’s commitment to doing this work.”

The already extensive work is expanding, Kinchen said.

More than 100 students engaged with new LGBTQ+-centric affinity spaces at New Student Convocation, Kinchen said. Lavender Orientation, which in the past was only offered only at Fall Welcome2Mason, will now also be offered during the spring event.

The LGBTQ+ Residential Learning Community will, for the first time, participate in Virginia PrideFest in Richmond in September. And the Safe Zone+ workshops that have been available at Mason Korea for three years will now have facilitators trained from within the Mason Korea community.

It is the kind of proactive atmosphere that attracted Sunny Sellers to Mason.

“Mostly I was looking for a place I could flourish,” said Sellers (they/them), a sophomore social work major who is also a student coordinator at the LGBTQ+ Resources Center. “As an LGBTQ+ person, I was really trying to find somewhere where I saw people like me and be in a place that accepted and respected me.”

It is an ongoing, evolving process, Kinchen said.

“We continue to think about new and innovative ways to engage our community, because we have more students identifying as part of that community, and because of the community’s complexity and vibrancy,” Kinchen said.

Campus Pride Index 2023

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Mason is best in Virginia for LGBTQ+ students

Colleen Rich — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 14:48:35 +0000

Mason is best in Virginia for LGBTQ+ students Colleen Rich Fri, 06/16/2023 - 10:48

��AV is the top-ranked university in Virginia, and No. 7 nationally, for LGBTQ+ students, according to Best Colleges.

The ranking adds to Mason’s reputation for inclusivity and accessibility that was spotlighted by a five-star premier rating from the Campus Pride Index, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to creating safe LGBTQ+-friendly environments at colleges and universities.

“It’s an acknowledgment that Mason is the place to be, particularly in Virginia, for LGBTQ students,” said Josh Kinchen (he/ze), director of Mason’s LGBTQ+ Resources Center.

For Kinchen, what distinguishes Mason is what he called “genuine authentic support among faculty and staff, and representation at every level of our administration from folks who are themselves out as LGBTQ+ people.”

That support, he said, creates “a true desire throughout the university to engage with how we can do better for LGBTQ+ people, students, and also employees.”

Added Rose Pascarell, vice president for University Life: “Mason takes seriously its commitment to access and providing a welcoming environment to everyone on our campuses, and rankings such as these are a welcome reminder to our existing and prospective students. The message is that Mason is not just trying to create a welcoming environment, but our practices and policies reflect that.”

Mason has been a consistent leader in creating an LGBTQ+-friendly campus.

The LGBTQ+ Resources Center has operated for more than 20 years and provides leadership and mentoring programs, and a clothing resource for trans and nonbinary students.

Mason’s LGBTQ+ Faculty/Staff Alliance is a space in which the university’s LGBTQ+ employees can find community. And the Lamba Alumni Chapter of the Alumni Association is one of the oldest LGBTQ+ alumni chapters in the country, according to the Campus Pride Index.

Mason’s Learning Communities, including the LGBTQ+ Learning Community, allow like-minded students to live in the same residence hall, fostering connections and creating access to resources. The university also has a gender-inclusive housing policy for students living outside the Learning Community.

Mason also worked directly with Fairfax, Virginia, this year on the city’s first-ever Pride celebration.

William Barker (they/he), a rising junior and chair of Mason’s Queer Student Leadership Council, said Mason’s Best College ranking is a reflection of the university’s commitment to encourage opportunities for everyone.

“It’s about opening doors,” the public administration major said. “I’ve had a lot of opportunities here at Mason and it’s all because it has been very supportive of the LGBTQ+ community.”

That doesn’t mean the work is done, Kinchen said. But he is encouraged because “there’s an actual ecosystem for LGBTQ+ affirmation at Mason. There is an understanding that this is part of who we are, and that is important.”

Best Colleges created its rankings in partnership with Campus Pride Index, while applying its own metrics to assess institutions’ academic quality and affordability, its website says.

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Meet the Mason Nation: Ric Chollar

Colleen Rich — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 15:33:56 +0000

Meet the Mason Nation: Ric Chollar Colleen Rich Wed, 11/30/2022 - 10:33

Ric Chollar

Job: Adjunct Faculty Member, Women and Gender Studies, School of Integrative Studies, Social Work

Ric Chollar Photo by Cristian Torres/Strategic Communications

Ric Chollar’s relationship with ��AV began in 1987 when he started teaching for the Psychology Department. In the late 1990s, he became the facilitator for an LGBTQ counseling group, and in 2001 he was hired as a consultant on what grew into the Safe Zone program. In the early 2000s, programs like Safe Zone increased LGBTQ visibility at Mason, and the LGBTQ resources staff at the time worked with faculty to institutionalize the first LGBTQ studies courses. From 2002 to 2017, Chollar was a staff member for what became the LGBTQ+ Resources Center, and he continues to teach as an adjunct.

Finding a Home at Mason: Chollar said he felt respected and encouraged by colleagues from the start, but that his time at Mason has required being humble enough to learn from mistakes. In his work, he aspires to achieve healing, compassion, justice, and liberation. “Even though it will look different for each person, how can I best support someone to become more free and more of who they know they are?”

It Takes a Village: Chollar’s involvement with Mason helped give shape to the university’s story of LGBTQ advocacy, one in which he insists there are many unsung heroes. Students initially took the lead on LGBTQ issues, and he credits the activist work of many longtime Mason faculty and staff. He said LGBTQ liaisons and leaders in offices and departments across Mason are key to successful support. Over the years, the LGBTQ+ Resources Center has consistently worked with the Women and Gender Studies Program; the office now known as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; the Center for Culture, Equity, and Empowerment; and Counseling and Psychological Services.

Strength from Diversity: Chollar said the efforts of programs like Safe Zone and events like Ryan Allen’s drag persona Reann Ballslee becoming Homecoming Queen helped increase the visibility of the LGBTQ community at Mason in the 2000s. One example Chollar gives of a cross-university collaboration that embodies the ideals of the LGBTQ+ Resources Center was when students advocated for inviting trans-rights activist Laverne Cox to campus. The resulting event was the one of the most successful Chollar has witnessed, and many students expressed finally feeling represented. “It is always important for us to work with students as whole, complicated people.”

Creating Spaces for All: Chollar encourages a balance between improving existing support and making spaces for a wider range of people. This includes acknowledging the importance of racial identity and that many LGBTQ students of color face specific oppression, as well as supporting trans and nonbinary people in leadership roles. “It’s not for us to think we're the experts. It’s about being open to learning from others, creating space for others to learn and lead, and ultimately, it’s about learning and working together.”

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Mason earns top honors from Campus Pride Index

Melanie Balog — Thu, 02 Jun 2022 13:40:00 +0000

Mason earns top honors from Campus Pride Index Melanie Balog Thu, 06/02/2022 - 09:40

Mason is one of only 29 universities in the U.S. to receive the highest distinction from the Campus Pride Index.

��AV has been recognized as a “five-star premier campus” by Campus Pride Index, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to creating safer LGBTQ-friendly learning environments at colleges and universities.

Mason is one of only 29 U.S. institutions, out of 454 evaluated, with a five-star premier ranking, one of only three in the South, and the only one in Virginia.

Additionally, Mason is one of just 40 four-year campuses across the country, and the only public institution in Virginia, recognized by Campus Pride in its "Best of the Best" list of LGBTQ-friendly colleges and universities in the United States. It also is one of only four institutions nationally to score a perfect 100 on the Athletic Equity Index, which examines how NCAA Division I institutions support LGBTQ student-athletes.

“At a university like ours, which is committed to access and welcoming to all, this sends a huge signal to our existing and prospective students,” said Rose Pascarell, vice president for University Life.

An LGBTQ chalk drawing at Mason.
Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services

“Particularly for the LGBTQIA community, students and parents are often looking for signs,” she added. “That ranking sends a message to students and family and friends that Mason is not just trying to create a welcoming environment, but our practices and policies reflect that.”

Mason has been a leader in creating an LGBTQ+-friendly campus.

The university’s LGBTQ+ Resources Center has operated for 20 years and provides leadership and mentoring programs, and a clothing resource for trans and non-binary students. Mason’s student-led Pride Alliance, the oldest of several LGBTQ+ student organizations on campus, is dedicated to ensuring a safe, accepting space for LGBTQ+ students to live and meet.

Mason’s Living Learning Communities, including the LGBTQ+ Living Learning Community, allow like-minded students to live in the same residence hall, fostering connections and creating access to resources. The university also has a gender-inclusive housing policy for students living outside the Learning Community.

And Mason’s long-running annual “Drag Show,” held at the end of Mason’s PRIDE Week in the spring, draws hundreds of students to a celebration of the movement toward human rights for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.

“I knew the university promotes a lot of its diversity initiatives,” said William Barker, a freshman cyber security engineering major, who during the next academic year will be the chair of Mason’s Queer Student Leadership Council. “It was a factor because I wanted to make sure I was going to be comfortable at the school I was going to.”

Juniper Mortimer, a rising junior majoring in government and international politics and a peer mentor with the LGBTQ+ Resources Center, said they were bolstered during the pandemic lockdown, when the resources center and Pride Alliance held virtual events so LGBTQ+ students could interact.

“I have been able to make all of my friends and connections,” Mortimer said, “and the Pride Index is a very good indicator that there is a space for anybody on Mason’s Campus.”

��AV LGBTQ+ Resources Center staff and volunteers at the Capital Pride Festival in Washington, DC.
photo credit: University Life

Most important, said Josh Kinchen, director of the LGBTQ+ Resources Center, is not treating the LGBTQ+ community as a monolith, because it intersects with every demographic.

“We’re working with folks with all the pieces of their identity — undocumented, first-gen, veterans — instead of seeing them only in their sexuality and gender,” Kinchen said. “For an institution of our size and prestige, that is incredibly unique. But we can’t do it any other way, and that’s why we’ve had so much success.”

As for the index, “It shows that there is a true vibrancy here that we can prove.,” he said. “But it’s also a tool for us to hold ourselves accountable to say we have to live up to this now.”

So far, so good, Mortimer said.

“Mason has one of the most accepting and diverse environments I’ve been part of,” they said. “It’s been an amazing experience. If you’re looking for something like that, definitely come to Mason.”

Visit the LGBTQ Resource Center

Events

6/3/2023 Fairfax Pride

8/23/2023 Lavender Orientation

10/2/2023 LGBTQ+ History Month Kickoff

4/30/2024 Pride Week Drag Show

4/23/2024 Lavender & Women and Gender Studies Graduation

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Staff member Holly Mason Badra receives professional service award for LGBTQ+ work

Colleen Rich — Wed, 25 May 2022 12:12:40 +0000

Staff member Holly Mason Badra receives professional service award for LGBTQ+ work Colleen Rich Wed, 05/25/2022 - 08:12

Mason alum and staff member Holly Mason Badra (center in blue) received the Rose Pascarell and Ric Chollar Professional Service Award for exemplifying collaboration in her work to advance LGBTQIA+ visibility and efforts on campus. Photo provided

��AV staff member Holly Mason Badra received the Rose Pascarell and Ric Chollar Professional Service Award for exemplifying collaboration in her work to advance LGBTQIA+ visibility and efforts on campus. She received the award in April at the Lavender & Women and Gender Studies Graduation.

Mason Badra is the graduate admissions coordinator and fiscal manager for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences’ English Department. She is also the secretary for the LGBTQ+ Faculty/Staff Alliance, which provides opportunities within the queer community at Mason for advocacy and social activities.

“Receiving this award, getting that level of affirmation that what I do is important, is huge. It feels incredible,” said Mason Badra. “It feels like a million hugs and pats on the back.”

Christopher Carr, associate dean for diversity, outreach and inclusive learning in the College of Engineering and Computing, and David Powers Corwin, associate director of the Women and Gender Studies Program and instructional faculty in the School of Integrative Studies, and Sarah Holland, marketing specialist for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, nominated Mason Badra for the award.

Mason Badra “is the epitome of someone who tends and waters the gardens of so many others while never asking anyone to help sow her seeds,” Holland wrote.

“Her careful listening to multiple perspectives and sincere passion for change make her stand out in the work,” said Corwin. “She does all of this without any desire for recognition, which makes her being the recipient of this award so important.”

Josh Kinchen, director of the LGBTQ+ Resources Center, agreed. “Everyone I know sings Holly’s praises. A constant refrain is ‘She is the kindest person I know.’”

The award, created in 2019, is administered as a collaboration between the LGBTQ+ Resources Center and the Women and Gender Studies Center.

Mason Badra grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina and graduated from University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she fell in love with literature and poetry. She earned her MFA in creative writing from Mason in 2017. Mason Badra returned to Mason in 2019 to her current position because, she said, she missed the creative atmosphere

When Mason Badra was in graduate school at Mason, she came out to her parents. She found support at Mason during that time and hopes to serve as a queer advocate in the community.

“When I came into my job, I very quickly noticed that there were areas in which we are not as welcoming as we could be to the LGBTQIA community,” said Mason Badra. “I felt like it was my job to help us become more gender and queer inclusive. I feel like it’s my duty to speak up.”

Mason Badra said that being highly visible as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community is important to her as a way to connect with students, staff, and faculty.

“I went from struggling to navigate homophobia to now being able to support the LGBTQIA community so receiving this award is so empowering,” Mason Badra said.

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Mason graduate student helps create LGBTQIA community through mentoring program

Colleen Rich — Mon, 28 Mar 2022 16:14:07 +0000

Mason graduate student helps create LGBTQIA community through mentoring program Colleen Rich Mon, 03/28/2022 - 12:14

Dan Kingsley. Photo provided

Dan Kingsley, a graduate professional assistant in ��AV’s LBGTQ+ Resources Center, helps to create community through the center’s peer mentoring program. The program links up lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and ally-identified first-year students with mentors to help promote their personal and academic success, health, and well-being. Kingsley also helps facilitate Identity Nights in which people of similar identities can connect.

“I like to call it a built-in buddy system to help students and create spaces where we can foster community engagement,” said Kingsley, who is working on a master's in psychology concentrating in cognitive and behavioral neuroscience. “As someone who is at the intersection of being autistic and queer, I have sometimes not had the resources I need or spaces to meet other people with similar identities. I’m most proud when I hear about students finding the spaces we’ve created helpful.”

The LGBTQ+ Resources Center hosts monthly get-togethers for mentees. To start off the year, the center held a virtual murder mystery puzzle.

“That was a great group bonding activity,” Kingsley said. “They had so much fun with it.”

Kingsley also co-advises the Queer Student Leadership Council (QSLC) with Joshua Kinchen, director of the LGBTQ+ Resources Center.

“Dan has been an essential part of our staff team this year,” Kinchen said. “Dan’s thoughtfulness, instincts, and insights are all part of why we've enjoyed so much success on campus this year.”

Kingsley earned his undergraduate degree in psychology at the University of Northern Colorado. He picked Mason for his graduate studies because he wanted to work with Allison Jack, assistant professor of cognitive and behavioral neuroscience with a specialty in autism spectrum disorder in the Department of Psychology. Kingsley’s lab work is focused on biological sex and autism.

Kingsley, a transgender man, said that in his classes, “there are moments for me when I realize I am with people who don’t always know how to respect pronouns.”

Kingsley said that his work at the center gives him “community and comfort.”

“My position working with the resource center has me surrounded by people I know respect and understand me,” Kingsley said. “It’s a great group.”

LuLu Géza Kelemen, assistant director of the LGBTQ+ Resources Center said that “Dan has a particular skill for listening” and “has been a driving force behind some of our newer programs that are responsive to student needs and wants.”

“Dan embodies so much of what success can look like for LGBTQ+ students at Mason,” said Géza Kelemen, who is also an instructor in Women and Gender Studies.

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Mason’s LGBTQ+ Faculty/Staff Alliance provides opportunities for advocacy and community

Colleen Rich — Wed, 02 Feb 2022 17:37:08 +0000

Mason’s LGBTQ+ Faculty/Staff Alliance provides opportunities for advocacy and community Colleen Rich Wed, 02/02/2022 - 12:37

��AV’s LGBTQ+ Faculty/Staff Alliance provides opportunities for LGBTQIA + faculty and staff to socialize, develop community and discuss ways to further create a more inclusive on-campus environment. While the alliance has existed informally for years, it created bylaws in March 2021 and has begun a concerted effort to grow in its visibility, outreach and advocacy.

Photo by Getty Images

“We’ve rebooted, and we’re in a place of growth,” said Holly Mason Badra, alliance secretary and the Department of English’s graduate admissions coordinator and fiscal manager. “We want to do good work and create community, and make sure folks know that we exist.”

The alliance states on its website that its purpose is to support Mason’s mission and vision through the promotion of an inclusive and affirming campus climate for all faculty, staff and students. The group is open to all currently employed full- or part-time Mason faculty and staff, including graduate assistants. The executive committee meets monthly, and the group hosts in-person and virtual events. It is recognized by Human Resources and Payroll as an Employee Resource Group.

“The alliance is providing LGBTQ+ visibility on all our campuses,” said Christopher Carr, College of Engineering and Computing associate dean and chief diversity officer and co-chair of the alliance. “It’s a place for resources, a forum for discussion to think through and elevate concerns. It’s a social space, a place in which you come with your affinity and be open and honest about that.”

The alliance’s stepped-up efforts can be traced to the LGBTQ+ Resource Center and conversations with Josh Kinchen, the center’s director.

“When I arrived at Mason in 2018, I learned the previous iteration of the alliance was defunct,” Kinchen said. “I got to work assembling our colleagues to reform it into a more formal structure. I'm proud that it is back and stronger than ever.”

David Powers Corwin, alliance co-chair, said they plan to host events on all the campuses.

“Right now, of course, we are still in a COVID world, but we have more plans for the future, such as guest speakers,” said Corwin, instructional faculty in the School of Integrative Studies and associate director of the Women and Gender Studies Program.

Among the resources the alliance provides is an Out List consisting of Mason employees who identify as LGBTQIA+, some of whom are willing to serve as mentors and part of an informal network for the LGBTQIA+ community.

“Your LGBTQ+ identity can at times be an invisible identity and one that people don’t outwardly see or note,” Carr said. “Sometimes you can find yourself assimilating, and sometimes you can find yourselves in environments that are hostile. Having a community space like the one the alliance is creating for staff and faculty is important for all these reasons.”

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Student Health Services’ designation for LGBTQ+ health care practices is the latest recognition of George Mason’s inclusive campus environment

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Mason’s Pride Week offers educational and enrichment opportunities for the campus community

Mason is All Together Different

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People Mentioned in This Story

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Josh Kinchen

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Biography

Mason is ‘best of the best’ for LGBTQ+ students

LGBTQ+ Resources Center

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Mason is best in Virginia for LGBTQ+ students

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Meet the Mason Nation: Ric Chollar

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Mason earns top honors from Campus Pride Index

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Staff member Holly Mason Badra receives professional service award for LGBTQ+ work

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Mason graduate student helps create LGBTQIA community through mentoring program

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Mason’s LGBTQ+ Faculty/Staff Alliance provides opportunities for advocacy and community

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