OUTober Commemorates LGBTQ+ Community with Open Arms
This OUTober, Cal State Long Beach is eager to highlight the history, voices, and identities of our LGBTQ+ community. From institutional policymaking to communal celebration, our efforts further our commitment to uplifting our LGBTQ+ students, faculty, and staff and cultivating a place where ALL can belong at The Beach.
Throughout the Division of Academic Affairs, our faculty and staff are contributing their talents and expertise to support OUTober programming. The College of the Arts has been celebrating widely across their departments. Recently, the Carolyn Campagna Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum hosted a free opening reception for its Fall 2023 exhibitions with riveting drag performances. Performances were led by Jewels Long Beach, Big Dee, and Ava Stone. The event also featured solo illuminations of groundbreaking moments in queer history. As of now, The Kleefeld continues its OUTober celebrations with thematic Tuesday Talks every Tuesday of the month at noon. We highly encourage our Beach community to attend their special “Drag Story Hour” events on October 24 and 31.
CSULB’s Film and Electronics (FEA) Department also celebrated its 30th year of partnership with the Long Beach QFilms Festival. The second largest event in Long Beach to celebrate diversity in the LGBTQ+ community, the festival was founded by CSULB student, Robert Cano. The event screens a multitude of independent films in effort to unite and honor queer cinema.
“Being surrounded by community gave me this form of comfort and a safe space. But I also felt like I wasn’t alone,” says film student and festival attendee, Abby, “It was the fact that stories shared in these films held a similar light to my life. There was a sense of reliability on that screen which made me feel heard. It reminded me why I want to be part of filmmaking so much, for others to see themselves on screen.”
The festival’s groundbreaking impact continues to inspire students and serve our larger community. Every year, funds raised are directly sent to The LGBTQ Center of Long Beach, an organization that supports more than 25,000 people annually through HIV and STI testing, youth services, trans health programs, senior services, and more.
To keep the momentum going, Assistant Professor of Critical Studies and Queer Media and Film, Dr. Diana Anselmo, also hosted a special lecture at the annual Circa Queer Histories Festival on “The Queer Lives of Early Moviegoing Girls.” FEA’s use of film as an amplifier of representation highlights our passionate responsibility to accentuate the victories of our LGBTQ+ community and promote public good.
Similarly, faculty members from our College of Health & Human Services are also finding ways to contribute to this recognition month. Assistant Professor of Criminology, Criminal Justice, and Emergency Management, Dr. Skyler Morgan, sheds light on the LGBTQ+ community in the classroom through his research interests of criminological theory, corrections, and gender and sexuality in the criminal justice system. His classes unveil an unspoken history surrounding struggle, marginalization, and resilience.
“As a queer criminologist, I am always trying to bring topics of sexual orientation and gender identity into the classroom. Whether we are discussing pathways in and out of the criminal legal system, placement in solitary confinement, or unique challenges in the reentry process, there are always nuanced and important conservations about how the LGBTQ+ community has historically and currently encounters victimization, discrimination, and criminalization from the criminal legal system,” says Dr. Morgan, “I always highlight the resilience of LGBTQ+ people and the community, often by discussing how chosen families support LGBTQ+ people who encounter victimization, discrimination, and criminalization throughout their encounters with the criminal legal system. I have found that students are eager to learn more about these topics because this marginalized population has historically been left out of many narratives of prison, despite their disproportionate representation in the criminal legal system.”
A new faculty in CHHS, Dr. Morgan’s teaching, scholarship, and service have already fostered a monumental impact on our students. His methods of connecting with and intellectually challenging others exude the dedication of our Beach faculty.
In the same vein, our Faculty Center held a workshop about LGBTQ+ student culture at CSULB and current trends in the U.S. Hosted by Assistant Director of the LGBTQ+ Resource Center, Brenden Cashatt. The presentation aimed to equip Beach faculty with the tools and resources to support students beyond the classroom. Attendees were also instructed on the pertinence of using proper pronouns in the classroom.
Celebrating through its Arnold T. Schwab Endowed Collection, our University Library established funds for the purchase of queer poetic and fictional works. The endowment’s collection proudly consists of interdisciplinary content ranging from humanities to social and natural sciences and supplies the Kleefeld with books to read during their “Drag Story Hour” sessions. They also opened their OUTober Expeditions. Our entire campus community are invited to explore an eclectic collection of LGBTQIA+ works on Monday, October 23 from 12 – 1 p.m.
On a wider, institutional scale, our Academic Senate’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual + Campus Climate Committee (LGBTQIA+ CCC) amplifies our collective duty to contribute to policymaking and push for change. As one of the Academic Senate’s broader Campus Climate Committees, members are charged with making recommendations to the President’s Office to improve the campus climate for LGBTQIA+ students, staff, and faculty. The committee is run by the College of Liberal Arts’ Assistant Professor of sociology, Dr. Shae Miller, and Associate Professor of political science, Dr. Kathryn Perkins.
The committee recently joined forces with other factions, including the Trans Advocacy Coalition (TAC), the Queer and Trans Faculty and Staff Association (QTFSA), the LGBTQ Resource Center (LGBTQRC), the Queer Student Association (QSA), and the Trans Empowerment and Advocacy (TEA) to bolster effective collaboration. This year, they will put forward a resolution to condemn discriminatory laws, policies, and practices aimed at LGBTQIA+ persons. They are also planning strategic partnerships with Long Beach stakeholders to address health equity gaps and build opportunities to eliminate barriers.
On October 19, the committee will partner with the LGBTQ Resource Center, TAC, CSULB’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), and the Kleefeld for a special panel discussion titled, “Drag as Resistance and Resilience.” The panel will feature Brenden Cashatt, Dr. Shae Miller, and Dr. Erin Stout to explore drag as a form of empowerment, activism, and resistance in the late 20th century.
Our colleges and advocacy groups holistically promote collaboration and our commitment to all students across campus. This OUTober called on the efforts of many to curate an enriching experience, shed light on the historical marginalization of the LGBTQ+ community, and uplift the ongoing work to create a more equitable and compassionate future.
