Pride Month: Supporting LGBTQ+ Students & Colleagues

LGBT movement of young people wearing sweaters with their gender pronouns - she, he, them

Innovative Educators is dedicated to supporting our LGBTQ+ students, staff, and faculty. To honor Pride Month, we were fortunate to host Quincy Jenkins, Executive Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Chattanooga State Community College (CSCC), on a recent episode of Friday 5 Live! As a higher education professional and gay man, Quincy shares his insights on how we can be allies for our LGBTQ+ colleagues and students. My conversation with Quincy provides takeaways for tangible practices our institutions can implement to provide support. Quincy has begun Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), and the Rainbow Chat is a safe space for LGBTQ+ employees to connect at CSCC. Because the group meets online, members can be anonymous in that virtual space. Quincy advocates for approaching our conversations and learning about diversity, equity, and inclusion through a lens of kindness, and that philosophy very clearly centers his work.

3 Ways You Can Support LGBTQ+ Students & Colleagues

Use language to create space by asking questions like “How would you like to be recognized?” and including pronouns on email or virtual log-ins.
Recognize what the acronym LGBTQ+ means - that there are unique narratives encapsulated in an acronym.
Understand the importance of being an ally so that LGBTQ+ students and colleagues do not have to be self-advocates.