CCC + LGBTQ Summit 2017

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The program at the Summit covered many diverse topics in two sessions, presented by CCC students, faculty, staff, and alumni, as well as community organizations. As a Participant, out of the 11 workshops, I was only able to attend two and then the caucus afterwards (see Caucus Notes). I would have enjoyed attending more.  ​

1. First Person Plural: Using LGBT+ Literature to Affirm and Connect POC Students in a Rural​ Community
2. Getting Started: Creating Space for QTPoC on Campus
3. It IS a Big Deal: The Impact of Microaggressions on LGBTQ Mental Health and Academic Success
4. LGBTQ Sensitivity for Faculty
5. Make it Work: Creatively Leveraging District Resources
6. Non-Binary Identities Workshop: Bridging the Gaps of Gender Diversity
7. Point Foundation - Leadership Through Scholarship
8. The Spectrum Archives: Narratives of Courage
9. Teaching Narcissism – Pedagogical Approaches for Classroom Queer Spaces
10. Trans-Minded: A Deeper Understanding of Transgender and Gender Diverse Students
11. We’re here, we’re queer: Queering Academia

First Person Plural: Using LGBT+ Literature to Affirm and Connect POC Students in ​a Rural Community 

Jamie Moore, Professor, College of the Sequoias | Jorden Dungan, Augmented Instructor, College of the Sequoias

This presentation will outline the intentional collaboration and curriculum planning of a queer-identified professor and a trans* identified student instructor to disrupt the conservative narratives of a rural student population. Emphasizing how to create a brave and critical-thought focused classroom that supports POC students, they will share tools and handouts around using LGBT+ literature to break away from the "us vs. them" conversations common in college classrooms. While also describing ongoing challenges, they will discuss how using this literature to create "we-" based conversations allows for deeper connection, empathy and understanding among students.

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Getting Started: Creating Space for QTPoC on Campus

Jack Lam, UCLA (Fullerton College Alum)

Navigating spaces at college can feel stressful and isolating for many queer folks of color. We often deal with not only academic challenges, but also personal challenges that many cishet folks and student administrators cannot understand. Using my own experiences at my community college, I will be sharing tips and resources on how to create a community space that is geared to support the needs of the LGBTQ+ community on your campus, and create a sense of belonging and family.

Resources

Getting Started: Creating Space for QTPoC (Presentation)

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It IS a Big Deal: The Impact of Microaggressions on LGBTQ Mental Health and Academic Success

Patrick F. Rock, Glendale Community College

While many people are able to identify signs of explicit anti-LGBTQ discrimination, it can be difficult to identify the subtle ways in which LGBTQ individuals are marginalized. This workshop will address the topic of microaggressions—the minor slights that occur on a daily basis to members of marginalized groups. We will talk in this workshop about anti-LGBTQ microaggressions that are common in the college setting and I will present research on the profound impact of these experiences on individuals’ mental health and academic success. The workshop will conclude with best practices for supporting LGBTQ individuals who mention experiencing microaggressions and with a discussion of how to successfully engage with peers or supervisors who fail to see the importance of this issue. 

Resources

It IS a Big Deal: The Impact of Microaggressions on LGBTQ Mental Health and Academic Success (Presentation) 

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LGBTQ Sensitivity for Faculty

Hasmik Arakelyan, Los Angeles Valley College

This workshop is designed to provide educators with tools to better serve LGBTQIAA* students. We will increase our sensitivity towards LGBTQ students and their experiences, recognize and address bias and discrimination in class settings, use more inclusive language in the classroom, and use students’ preferred gender pronouns.

Resources

Genderbread Person

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Make it Work: Creatively Leveraging District Resources

Steven Deineh, MiraCosta College | JP Schumacher, MiraCosta College

With little-to-no institutional or ongoing support for LGBTQIA+ programs and initiatives, campus stakeholders have had to be creative in developing and sustaining them. Learn about what MiraCosta is doing (and has done) including: early inclusion of sexual minorities in its 2014 & 2015-18 Student Equity Plans; the adoption of a Campus Liaison for LGBTQIA+ Needs; a brand new 18 hour staff position focusing on LGBTQIA+ Equity; a robust set of student-driven & funded programs annually; three $25,000+ scholarship endowments, with a 4th (QTPOC) in the works; and a large LGBTQIA+ Safe Space Program which received a public commendation from a 12-person AACJC accreditation team in Spring 2017.

Resources

Make it Work: Creatively Leveraging District Resources​

Make It Work (Handout)

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Non-Binary Identities Workshop: Bridging the Gaps of Gender Diversity

Rex Wilde, TransCanWork

Many societies, including the US, have a history of only recognizing people as "male" or "female".  Even within the transgender community people are often only recognized as either transwomen or transmen.  However, it is estimated that non-binary individuals make up 25-35% or more of transgender populations.  In this workshop, we will explore the history and spectrum of gender diversity, needs specific to non-binary individuals, and tools for ensuring respect and support to non-binary folks.

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Point Foundation - Leadership Through Scholarship

Point Staff & Scholars

Point Foundation (Point) is the nation’s largest scholarship-granting organization for LGBTQ students of merit. Point empowers promising LGBTQ students to achieve their full academic and leadership potential – despite the obstacles often put before them – to make a significant impact on society. During this session, recipients of Point's community college and 4-year scholarships will share stories of how they've utilized the Point network to advance LGBTQ issues on campus and beyond through leadership, advocacy, and activism.

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The Spectrum Archives: Narratives of Courage

Johnnie Terry, LGBT Studies, Sierra College | Angie Coughlin, Applied Art and Design Faculty, Sierra College

The Spectrum Archives is an LGBT Focused Oral History Project that unites Career and Technical Education, Videography Faculty with LGBT Studies Faculty, the greater Sacramento regional LGBT Community and a former California State Legislator with a Community College, and a cadre of student interns with key LGBT Rights Activists. Sierra College teamed up with key allies to start an Oral History Project capturing the stories of LGBT Rights Activists. This presentation describes the project, shows key moments in several of the histories captured and showcases a panel of participants, community members and project interviewees. 

Note: 90 minutes over 2 workshop sessions

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Teaching Narcissism – Pedagogical Approaches for Classroom Queer Spaces

Ryan D. Sullivan, Mt. San Jacinto College

In “Radical Narcissism,” Raquel Gutierrez tells of “finding herself” in a support group for Latina Lesbians, explaining: “I had to work to carve out a space where we can stop and think about what it meant to be…And the stopping to think was truly a revolutionary act….We give each other space, but we give our own selves permission to take what we’ve been give and have a good sense to demand more” (153). Thinking with Gutierrez's idea of "radical narcissism," this workshop considers the classroom as a space that is vitally important in the process of self-acceptance and growth, and questions some commonplaces--especially in how we approach writing--can unintentionally stifle and alienate students. This workshop will integrate work by scholars like Eve Kosofsky Sedgewick, bell hooks, Jennifer Doyle, Peter Elbow, and Michael Warner, and writers like Raquel Gutierrez and Frank O'Hara to propose a queer pedagogical approach. This workshop welcomes teachers interested in reconsidering pedagogical approaches, administrators interested in rethinking spaces and support structures, and students interested in becoming more mindful writers and thinkers.

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Trans-Minded: A Deeper Understanding of Transgender and Gender Diverse Students

Erin Pollard, LMFT, LPCC, Irvine Valley College

Erin Pollard is a Gender Affirming Therapist in private practice as well as a Counselor at Irvine Valley College. This presentation will describe the difference between gender and sexuality and respectful communication around gender diversity. In addition, Erin will delve deeper into the effects that our society can have upon our trans youth in education as well as the mental health impacts of gender dysphoria, transitioning, and experiencing acceptance or rejection from family and friends.

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We’re here, we’re queer: Queering Academia

Brenda "B" Lopez, San Diego State University (Moreno Valley College alum)

Do the texts that you read in school present your identities? Do you know professors that you can safely talk to about sexuality, gender identity, and/ or such identities? Does your school have a LGBTQ+ club and does this club prioritize QTPOC issues? If you answered no to these questions, then you understand the difficulties of succeeding in academic institutions that were not created for you. Join my workshop to discuss the ways that we can queer academia, reclaim spaces, and create change for future QTPOC students.

Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of the Summit was attending the caucuses. There was a caucus for Students, Faculty, Staff, & Administrators​. Here are some topics of discussion at the caucus

Most Pressing Needs

Faculty, Staff, Administrators, Community Advocates:

1. Safety – how do we create safe spaces inside/outside the classroom?
2. Training –intentional, participants really using what they learned.
3. Representation: seeing someone who looks like you.
4. Things need to be mandated by the state, and they need to be funded (administrators may ignore without funding), need to have funded mandates – permanent categorical funding: e.g. more safe zone training, talking about pronouns to create safe spaces on first day, calling last names on first day.
5. Bathrooms.
6. Mandatory safe space training for everyone.
7. Continue to talk with each other – repository for best practices, Facebook pages (MtSAC Pride Center and LGBTQ+ Alliance at Miramar College).
8. Annual event.
9. Wellness training/programming for LBTQ students.
10. Mentorship programs.
11. Creation of learning communities for LGBTQ+ students – weave in why they are in CCC, and other supports.
12. Engagement – how to get more people engaged and see LGBTQ+ issues as an issue.
13. How far up the chain does the advocacy go?
14. Confusion – need to clear up and disseminate to campuses about state laws re LGBTQ+.
15. Technical obstacles – outdated technology that becomes an obstacle in itself – engagement of IT professionals in this work.
16. Next Steps: mandating liaisons, mandating policies and regs such as gender neutral restrooms.
17. Engagement with CSU and UC partners (for example faculty partners there have claimed Queer Studies at the upper division but we want to teach these subjects here, classes are difficult to transfer for credit at CSU and UC). 
18. Individual faculty need help with the technical and functional aspects of generating new courses, getting them approved.
19. Creating inclusive curriculum, creating inclusive programming. 
20. Creating real funding streams (per AB 1018) that can support clubs, scholarships, etc.

See what the students perceive as some of the most pressing needs:

Students offer great insight as to what they perceive as the most pressing issues for LGBTQ+ students. Many of​ the issues that they recognize parallel those of the Staff, Faculty and Administrators:

1. Mentoring
2. Annual LGBTQ+ mandatory safe zone training for FT and PT staff, student leaders, Board members, classified staff at all sectors. How can we normalize the LGBTQ+ community, focus attention on curing the community and not just focus on the problems of LGBTQ+ people.
3. Gender neutral (all gender, gender inclusive) bathrooms. Not just one stall but a whole restroom like the ones at this Summit. They need to be available to students, not locked up in someplace inaccessible, clearly marked. “I’ll go with you” or “I’ll Go Too” program. Include single use restrooms. 
4. New student queer orientation.
5. Increasing resources and awareness of diversity in hiring.
6. Need for education and process to support LGBTQ+ issues including preferred pronouns names. Administrative and IT procedure to get student’s preferred name, gender, pronouns.
7. Add questions to survey that is filled out in order to register for the following semester. 
8. Queer Month Celebration in October.

It is one thing to sit with like-minded people and discuss, caucus topics of LGBTQ+ inclusiveness; but, that can only be effective if we can come up with​ some solutions; or, to get ideas from others who have successfully implemented programs for our LGBTQ+ students. 

After the Caucuses, we all gathered back together and discussed, listened and heard what we all had to say and shared our collective ideas. Here's some interesting steps in the right direction. These are ideas from the combined minds of Students, Staff, Faculty, Administrators and Community Advocates:

1. ​Dedicated positions for LGBTQ+ access and diversity. 
2. CCCCO advertise and promote the existence of the Social Justice ADT Program.
3. Bring in graduate students, adjuncts who are interested in working to promote inclusiveness.
4. Visible, accessible, physical location for LGBTQ++ communities – should be automatic.
5. Establish CCCCO-supported communication network for promotion of these issues like IEPI and CSN, continue to have these gatherings in regional locations. Remove burden on attendees to have legitimacy for these gatherings. 
6. Have a way to identify faculty who are inclusive and are safe zones. Use social network and other campus resources like the website to help students to know where to go to find services.
7. Ally Network: institution visibly supports these networks. 
8. Availability of mental health counseling for students from these communities, and other supportive services affirming of LGBTQ+ identities. Trained therapists and psychologists trained in LGBTQ+ issues. 
9. Anonymous support groups with educators and peers for LGBTQ+ students. 
10. Available health center with trained and sensitive counselors. 
11. LGBTQ+ focused career counseling. 
12. Create spaces for LGBTQ+ students to exercise their creativity. 
13. CCCCO should take ownership that goes beyond words and expectations. It should spearhead actions that can be impactful across the system. 
14. Board and cabinet level leadership buys into these issues at the college level. 
15. Institutions need to focus on healing along with organizational change. 
16. CCC’s care about students as whole people.
17. Having funding for staff to run the centers. 
18. Funding for Housing. 
19. Open transparency and accountability for all. 
20. Healthy food bank for LGBTQ+/open kitchen.​ 
21. Mandatory to create a center – pair a CCC with a center with one that does not. Process for students to have a voice in spaces that are built. Not just a professor’s office but a space that exists separately that is designated for LGBTQ+ students. Every CCC should be required to start a committee to develop a center. Use the Center as a place to address issues of homelessness and food insecurity. The Center should give students access to formal governance and to informal network of friends and supportive acquaintances.
22. Spaces for QPOC (Queer People of Color) 
23. ASO resolutions. 
24. Disability resources and other resources for LGBTQ+ students. 
25. Organize data and capture data. 
26. Annual informational panels to educate the community. 
27. Add the “plus” to “LGBTQ.”

Throughout the Summit, there were themes that were discussed that shared a commonality. These themes permeated the many discussions we had and were shared by Students, Staff, Faculty, Administrators​ and Community Advocates alike.

Most Common Themes:

1. ​Create new Pride Centers
2. Mandate LGBTQ+ trainings
3. Offer more mental health counseling, that affirms LGBTQ+ people
4. Create more gender inclusive restrooms
5. Support preferred names and gender pronouns in information systems and in common usage
6. Collect SOGI (sexual orientation and gender identity) data after student enrollment
7. Continue to hold meetings/conferences such as the Summit
8. Establish CCCCO-supported communication on LGBTQ+ issues
9. Develop more LGBTQ+ curriculum and raise visibility of courses

Most Common Next Steps:

1. ​Mandatory to create a center – pair a CCC with a center with one that does not. Process for students to have a voice in spaces that are built. Not just a professor’s office but a space that exists separately that is designated for LGBTQ+ students. Every CCC should be required to start a committee to develop a center. Use the Center as a place to address issues of homelessness and food insecurity. The Center should give students access to formal governance and to informal network of friends and supportive acquaintances.
2. Annual LGBTQ+ mandatory safe zone training for FT and PT staff, student leaders, Board members, classified staff at all sectors. How can we normalize the LGBTQ+ community, focus attention on curing the community and not just focus on the problems of LGBTQ+ people? 
3. Availability of mental health counseling for students from these communities, and other supportive services affirming of LGBTQ+ identities. Trained therapists and psychologists trained in LGBTQ+ issues. 
4. Gender neutral (all gender, gender inclusive) bathrooms. Not just one stall but a whole restroom like the ones at this Summit. They need to be available to students, not locked up in someplace inaccessible, clearly marked. “I’ll go with you” or “I’ll Go Too” program. Include single use restrooms. 
5. Need for education and process to support LGBTQ+ issues, including preferred pronouns and names. Administrative and IT procedure to get student’s preferred name, gender, pronouns. 
6. Add questions to survey that is filled out in order to register for the following semester. 
7. Establish CCCCO-supported communication network for promotion of these issues like IEPI and CSN, continue to have these gatherings in regional locations. Remove burden on attendees to have legitimacy for these gatherings. 
8. More classes on LGBTQ+ issues for CCC’s, increase awareness of the courses, inclusive curriculum in all fields of study. 
9. Queer Month Celebration in October. 
10. Have a way to identify faculty who are inclusive and are safe zones. Use social network and other campus resources like the website to help students to know where to go to find services. 
11. Annual informational panels to educate the community. 
12. Add the “plus” to “LGBTQ.”