New LGBTQ Center Provides Support, Resources for GW Community

By Julia Parmley

A new GW center provides a range of education and advocacy services for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, and questioning community on campus. Established earlier this fall, GW’s LGBTQ Resource Center is part of the Student and Academic Support Services Division and located on the fourth floor of the Marvin Center.

“Having a center sends a clear and concise message that GW recognizes the LGBTQ community as a valuable and meaningful part of the entire University community,” says LGBTQ Resource Center Coordinator Aaron Fox. “In addition, LGBTQ students often face challenges that need to be addressed in order for personal and academic success. I believe it is necessary for everyone to learn about vibrant and diverse minority communities to increase acceptance and understanding.”

“We’re very excited to have the LGBTQ Resource Center at GW,” says Executive Director of the Student Activities Center Tim Miller. “We think this is an incredible resource for the entire student, faculty, and staff population, as well as a great way to conduct outreach to the GW community through programming, advocacy, and communication.”

Fox was hired by the University in March to conduct a campus-wide survey, focus groups, and site visits to other universities to explore the benefits of having a LGBTQ center at GW. He drafted a proposal for the center, and it was officially launched in August.

“Although we will be tailoring our center to fit GW’s unique campus environment, I have had tremendous help from local universities,” says Fox, who says he has been advised by staff at American University, Georgetown University, and University of Maryland, College Park. He also gained insight from the LGBTQ resource center at his alma mater, the University of California Los Angeles, which he says has been a national leader on LGBTQ issues.

Zox says the center will be a “gay-positive” environment, meaning it will play an active role in supporting and educating the community on LGBTQ issues. The center will offer Safe Zone Training, a program that encourages acceptance and productive dialogue about LGBTQ issues, and sponsored educational and social events around National Coming Out Week in October. Additionally, Fox says the University also helped 10 students attend the Out for Work Conference, a national conference that educates and prepares LGBTQ students for the transition from college to the workforce, in late September.

“We also have identified LGBTQ departmental liaisons for students to use as resources and for troubleshooting problems,” says Fox. “I believe that the University is committed to being gay-positive and thoroughly supporting of the LGBTQ community.”

For more information, e-mail lgbt@gwu.edu.

Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu