Dear Colleagues,
June is recognized as LGBTQ+ Pride Month where we recognize the historical and current contributions of LGBTQ+ people and communities. Pride is many things. It is a celebration of queer and trans identities, histories, cultures, and communities. It is about the promotion of social justice movements and civil rights victories. It is also an opportunity to reflect on the many ways that LGBTQ+ communities have helped shift the larger culture to be more open and inclusive.
This month-long celebration is possible due to the work of many queer and trans activists who brought about some of the turning points of the LGBTQ+ movement; moments such as the 1966 Compton’s Cafeteria Riot in San Francisco and the 1969 Stonewall Inn Riots in New York City. Here in the East Bay, our own history of LGBTQ+ activism centers the experiences, concerns, and leadership of working-class people of color. This legacy lives on in events such as Oakland’s Pride Parade, known for centering communities of color. This month we reflect on how far we have come and how far we have yet to go.
We stand on the shoulders of LGBTQ+ pioneers including the late Del Martin and the late Phyllis Lyon, both UCB alumnae. These women were the founders of this country’s first lesbian organization, the Daughters of Bilitis. We honor LGBTQ+ alumni who tell our stories, such as Susan Stryker, director of the film Screaming Queens: The Riots at Compton’s Cafeteria, and author of books such as Transgender History. We uplift our LGBTQ+ alumni who continue to achieve great things, such as Michael Piña, who was awarded the 2021 Mather Good Citizen Award for her work with Central Valley Scholars, a nonprofit she founded to help students make their educational dreams a reality.
Nationally, LGBTQ+ equality, in particular transgender equality, has been under renewed assault for the past several years with increased legislation aimed at curtailing the inclusion of trans people. However, 2020 and 2021 have brought several wins for LGBTQ+ rights including the landmark Supreme Court decision to interpret Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act to include protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. And just days ago, the Department of Education confirmed that Title IX protections extend to LGBTQ+ students in higher education and protect them from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
The University of California system is leading other public universities with the implementation of the Gender Recognition and Lived Name Policy (GRLN). This policy allows UC students to align their gender identity with their lived name across all of their student records, even retroactively for diplomas already granted.
Here at UC Berkeley, the Gender Equity Resource Center (GenEq) just hired a new Director for LGBTQ+ Advancement and Equity, Em Huang. Em joins us from UC Berkeley’s Department of Residential Life where they led the UNITY Theme Program for LGBTQ+ students. GenEq continues to set a national standard for women’s, LGBTQ+, and gender identity educational programming, student support, and leadership development.
We encourage you to take the time this month to learn more about LGBTQ+ history, communities, and events. You can find resources and information on the GenEq, Multicultural Community Center, and Division of Equity & Inclusion websites.
Best regards,
Oscar Dubón
Vice Chancellor for Equity & Inclusion
Billy Curtis
Executive Director, Gender Equity Resource Center