The Q Center summer 2019
Lavender Graduation evolves to celebrate more
With the help of graduate assistant Ian Shick, the Q Center’s Lavender Graduation evolved this year to engage the entire LGBTQ campus community in celebration of the end of another school year. The new Lavender Celebration was held Saturday, April 26. The award show-style redesign included an opening number from Samantha Vega, a celebration of the persistence of first-year students, acknowledgement of almost 30 Q Center volunteers and musical entertainment in addition to the traditional presentation of graduating students. Shick also guided the realignment of the Q Center’s recognition awards that are given out during the celebration. This year our Ally Award was divided in two to recognize the Student Ally and the Faculty and Staff Ally of the year. Samantha Vega, the on-stage persona of Rochester transplant Sam Brett, also served as host for the celebration. Brett, a graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology, added tidbits of wisdom, advice and motivation suitable for an event that included a celebration of graduates.
Q Center signature events
National Day of Silence was observed by the Q Center Friday, April 12. Volunteers stood with placards near the Pegasus statue on the Spine, with black masks that signify the silence in which many LGBTQ people on campus, in the United States and around the world continue to suffer. Many students donned the black masks to call attention to the fact that many LGBTQ people are still not safe to be themselves. National Day of Silence is sponsored by the Gay Lesbian Education Network.
Significant progress on trans-related support
This quarter, the Q Center upgraded its two-page Trans@Bing resource hand card to a full brochure to provide enough space for significant updates to resources and support that our transgender population can now find both on campus and in the surrounding communities. Resources have expanded to include Decker Student Health Services support for students using hormone replacement therapies and LGBTQ compassionate care by UHS Binghamton Primary Care, including self-referral for hormone replacement therapy and a broad spectrum of trans health care needs. The transgender community can also look forward to a full Chosen Name Policy that will go into effect sometime in fall 2019.