The LGBTQIA Center was founded in 2007 by a group of dedicated Conn students who wanted to bring attention to queer issues on campus. Since then, the Center has grown and evolved. In August, Erin Duran stepped into his role as the Center’s first full-time director. There is considerable excitement around campus about a full time faculty in charge of the center. Erin could bring about changes in the Center’s programming, notoriety and institutional recognition going forward. I caught up this past week with both Erin and Justin Mendillo, head student policy coordinator of the LGBTQIA Center. I wanted to get an idea of where they felt the Center was headed in terms of community involvement, and what they were excited about for the year to come. I also wanted to get a sense of who they are as people and what drives them to become so involved with LGBTQIA issues in general and the Center specifically. It was evident within the first 60 seconds of my conversation with Erin and Justin that they are extremely dedicated, thoughtful and passionate individuals capable of leading the Center toward its most dynamic year yet.
Mendillo, a senior American Studies and Government double major, spends considerable time planning and organizing LGBTQIA events on campus. In a recent interview, Mendillo enthusiastically explained his goals for the Center this year and what he personally hopes to accomplish for the Center. He talked about the Center’s plans to host a wide array of community driven events and programs that would attract as much interest as possible from students previously unaffiliated or unfamiliar with the LGBTQIA center or simply with queer issues in general. This effort would involve greater collaboration with different academic depart ments, clubs, centers and organizations on campus to increase the intersectionality of the LGBTQIA center. Justin also mentioned the excitement surrounding the recent appointment of Duran, the Center’s new director. Led by a full-time director, the Center can simply foster greater opportunities and support for new ideas and events. This year, for example, the Center hopes to sponsor more events focused on transgender issues. Justin expressed his desire to make the Center as inclusive as possible. He wants “to allow space for everyone to be there” by avoiding language that siphons or compartmentalizes members of the LGBTQIA community. In addition, Justin and I chatted about what he sees as another important goal of the Center: increasing the levels of training and education of student leaders to address queer issues on campus. Simply understanding the language and terminology of the LGBTQIA community, he said, can lead to more meaningful discussions as well as a degree of empathy and campus involvement in queer issues.
I caught up with Duran last weekend to introduce myself and to familiarize myself with his path toward Connecticut College and his plans for the coming year. Duran is a native Texan and a first generation student who forged his own path and followed his passions at Grinnell College in Iowa. It was at Grinnell, which he describes as a very liberal place where he was able to explore his ethnic and queer identity. At Grinnell, he made significant strides in figuring out who he was and developed a love for higher education. Following his passion to learn and help people, Duran went to graduate school at Penn State to get his Masters in Student Affairs. After explaining his academic background, Duran discussed how he envisions the the role of the Center on campus. He iterated that he wants the Center to be a place for queer and questioning students to feel at home and to find a sense of solidarity; it must be a place to plan events, give feedback and educate the college community. Duran brought up that he wants the LGBTQIA Center to be a forum for students to explore the fluidity of their identities. It should be a safe place for students to open up dialogues.
Duran is a funny, insightful and enthusiastic person; I’m excited to see what he will bring to the center. Like Justin, Duran clearly has a distinct passion for his work and has the drive to be a positive and influential presence on campus. I want to conclude with a particularly powerful moment in the conversation I had with Justin. I wanted to get a sense of why the LGBTQIA Center matters to him and why the average person (who may not initially feel directly connected with these LGBTQIA issues) should care. Justin provided me with some particularly eye opening statistics: 52% of all homeless youth ages 15- 26 identify within the spectrum of LGBTQ, and 41% of these youth are Trans people who have attempted suicide. If nothing else, these statis- tics demonstrate that many people lack the resources at our disposal at Connecticut College. Let’s promote and advocate for our Center and these rights as much as we possibly can so, at the very least, we may show solidarity with those who struggle alone.•
