The Gender and Sexuality Resource Center has slated several new projects for the school year and Susannah Bartlow, the center’s director, says she’s excited to work on them.
Events in development are LGBTQ History Month, a queer history trip to Chicago and a YouTube channel for updates. In addition, the center will work with the Gender and Sexuality Alliance, Marquette Student Government and Safe Zone training.
The Safe Zone program premiered in March and was established for students facing challenges related to sexuality and gender identity. Faculty members train and become Safe Zone certified before they can help students.
Located in Alumni Memorial Union 425, the GSRC serves as an educational resource for various gender and sexuality issues. Students do not need to self-identify in a certain way to use the GSRC, which offers safety to those who may face challenges from identifying a particular way.
“It is more than a counseling center, it is a support resource,” Bartlow said about the GSRC. “Let’s say that someone is starting to think through the process of dating people who are of a different gender than they were dating before. Our staff will use active listening to figure out what’s going on.”
This communication relies on a “support and refer” model where faculty actively consults with students and determines if assistance within the Marquette community is needed for what’s discussed. If not, faculty provide resources outside of Marquette for students to have confidential support in dealing with particular issues. Bartlow said she also encourages students to stop by to discuss anything from schoolwork to social lives.
Freshmen have started visiting the GSRC for the first time.
“We always want more people at the center, but we want them to use the physical space so we can know what resources or programs are most relevant for them,” Bartlow said.
The Gender and Sexuality Alliance, a GSRC partner, is a student leadership organization that offers support for LGBTQ matters on campus. The GSRC and GSA often sponsor programs for one another.
The GSRC opened August 2012.
