Leading with pride

Every June, Binghamton’s campus flies the Progress Pride flag to honor Pride Month and the LGBTQ+ individuals that make the University great. But for some Binghamton employees, connecting with their queer identities and ensuring resources and events are available is a year-round activity.

Erin Hansen ’13 MAT ’14, who serves as the career education and outreach specialist for the Fleishman Center, and Brenda Feinen ’02, senior staff assistant for graduate programs in the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences, are two such employees. Together, the pair work to continue the legacy of the LGBTQ+ affinity group, Binghamton University Queers.

“I definitely think the group is my biggest accomplishment on campus so far,” Hansen said. “I’m very proud of the work I do within my direct role, but this is one of my passions. We’ve worked hard to offer very frequent engagements — everything from lunches to walks to cafe meetups on the weekends to art museum visits, and we’re doing a lot to support other offices’ initiatives, such as programs led by EAP as well as the NewB Cafe meetups.”

Their goal has always been to create a safe space for minority employees across campus. Some of their desire to do so stems from a long connection to the University as minority alumni themselves. Hansen completed her bachelor’s in Spanish language and literature and studio art and her Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Spanish adolescence education at Binghamton; She remained in the Binghamton area as a high school Spanish teacher for nine years before deciding to change careers and seek employment back at the university. Feinen grew up in the area and has been part of campus for 23 years, including her time pursuing a degree in English with a concentration in creative writing.

Neither were out when they were students, partially due to the environments or partnerships they were part of. Both recall that they felt unsupported and that female bisexuality was not respected. Now proudly out and in a position to help inspire others, they hope to lend support and positive affirmations to others and prevent both employees and students at Binghamton from experiencing the fear of being their authentic self.

“For me, being an alum and working on campus is showing students things that weren’t necessarily there when I was a student,” Feinen said. “When I was a student, I needed someone to tell me that things were going to be okay. So as an alum, helping students find resources is important to me.”

Feinen is the mother of two children, one of whom identifies as a trans and gay individual. She names this as one of her inspirations for participating in and leading the group: although she also identifies as queer, she wanted to ensure that he had access to a variety of queer community. Feinen tells people that she started living her life more openly when her son came out because he needed an example, and she wanted to fill that role.

In comparison, Hansen recalls her newfound involvement in the local LGBTQIA+ community leading up to her professional return to campus as an employee as the impetus for taking on a leadership position. She was excited to return to Binghamton, and the group “lit a fire” in her to explore and find community.

In her career position, where she works to foster collaboration and engagement in professional development and career readiness through one-on-one consultations, presentations and outreach, Hansen has become a go-to affinity consultant for LGBTQIA+ individuals.

“I was excited about the ability to play that role, to leverage my Fleshman Center career experiences to help students with that intersection of queer identity and career paths,” she said. “Although serving LGBTQ+ students is not officially part of my specific role, I feel extra energized by helping the queer student population, especially during a time when these students are feeling afraid and unsure of their futures, and so when our diversity engagement team requested support with our affinity group career content, I eagerly took on that responsibility.”

Feinen and Hansen both believe that being vocal is an essential part of an employee, and not just about their identities: the group is sponsored by the Professional Staff Senate, and another mutual goal is to continue advocating for employee’s rights and happiness.

“I’ve become very passionate about the idea that employee’s health and emotions matter, too,” Hansen said. “Binghamton University Queers has been a great way to make sure that employees are being supported. I’m very passionate about there being structures to support adults, because we’re still humans, and we still need that encouragement and support beyond our own adolescence. It’s been nice to be part of a system and a school that contributes to that mission.”

As they continue to run the group and offer activities throughout the year, the pair are focusing on ensuring that the group is accessible. They also hope to push back against toxic workplace cultures and harmful stereotypes while continuing to foster community whenever possible on Binghamton’s campus.

“Erin and I are both very passionate about queer spaces,” Feinen said. “Finding the queer group has been revolutionary in my life, and it has brought so many amazing changes and positive aspects to myself, to my family and to my work life. These moments together are the ones that these students, faculty and staff are going to take with them and bring out into the world. And that, I personally feel, is how change is made.”