This is a joint initiative that is led by the President's Commission on Gender Identity & Expression and Sexual Orientation (GIESO, formerly the President's Commission on LGBTQIA+ Issues) and benefits from the partnership of the student group RockOUT, the Alumni Association, and the Office of University Advancement.
Why would I want to join?
There are some amazing things happening on campus, and a lot of it is driven by LGBTQIA+ students, faculty, staff and their allies. Consider that in 2006, GIESO was established to facilitate positive change on campus for our LGBTQIA+ and ally community members. Or that RockOUT events are attended by straight, gay, trans*, and cis* students and one of their annual programs now boasts attendance of 800 people! Or that the Pride Center (formerly the LGBT Resource Center) serves as a focal point for campus and works to bring speakers to campus to discuss the complexity of sexual identity, the experience of LGBTQIA+ athletes, provides a central, located with Greek Life, SGA, and other core offices of campus. Or that since 2009, the University has offered a need-based scholarship for LGBTQIA+ students. Or that, since 2003, over 500 faculty, administrators, staff, and student leaders have gone through Safe Zone training to make campus a safer, inclusive space for all LGBTQIA+ people. We want to keep you up to date on all of the happenings and progress SRU is making.
Which group is for me?
If you identify as straight and cisgender (meaning your gender identity matches your biological sex at birth), then we invite you to join our "LGBTQIA+ Ally" community. If you identify somewhere else on the sexual orientation or gender identity spectrums, then we invite you to join our "LGBTQIA+" community.
I need to feel comfortable about sharing this information with you.
We understand. In parts of Pennsylvania, like many other places in America, someone can still be fired, denied housing, and denied public accommodations for simply being perceived as LGBTQIA+. That is why, when we first began this initiative, we made sure that your information will be secured in a database to which only select University personnel have access and which is NOT publicly accessible.
I'm not a member of the SRU Alumni Association.
That's okay! You don't need to be to join our community. If you are interested in becoming an Alumni Association member, you can do so any time here.
Are you going to use this information to try to get me to donate money?
While we eventually hope to start another initiative to fundraise from the broad community for programs and scholarships that help our students, we aren't interested in building a group of donors. We're interested in connecting you back to the SRU in a different way, to keep you in the loop of what's happening, and to invite you to join us for select events, including our growing, end-of-year celebration, A Night OUT. We're also interested in giving current LGBTQIA+ and allied students opportunities to meet and talk with others similar to them and who have traversed societal prejudices to become contributing, successful members of society.
Okay! You've convinced me. How do I join one of these groups?
Send an email to advancement@sru.edu and let them know if you would like to be added to the "LGBTQIA+" group or the "LGBTQIA+ Ally" group. In the email, you also should include your full name and the year you graduated from SRU. And it's as straightforward and easy as that!
Contact gieso@sru.edu if you have any other questions or concerns.