Safe Spaces for All By CANDICE YACONO
Courtesy University of Utah
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Through education, advocacy and support U.S. universities strive to create inclusive campuses for LGBTQIA+ students. 16 JULY/AUGUST 2021
or many students at U.S. universities, their visit to a campus LGBTQIA+ center might be where they feel understood for the first time. They’re safe places for students to congregate, celebrate and receive services like counseling, healthcare and scholarships. The centers often serve as a lifeline for those students who don’t receive such support in their home communities. At the University of New Mexico, LGBTQ Resource Center Director Frankie Flores (They) says they want the center to live up to the motto that when the most marginalized are upheld, everyone benefits. (Third-person personal pronouns, used to describe a person
or people, include the gender-neutral they/them/theirs. These words traditionally referred to a plural number but today are used by some individuals who identify as gender nonbinary or who prefer not to share gender information. Other pronouns include the feminine she/her/hers and the masculine he/him/his.) Flores has earned the nickname of Mama Frankie because of their involved nature with their students. They frequently spend time in the center’s common area, where they offer advice or just listen. This has led to Flores recognizing and filling needs among the
