Campus Life

LGBTQA Student Resource Center changes name for better inclusivity

The center will become the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity on July 1

Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The LGBTQA Student Resource Center will change its name to the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity on July 1. The name change comes as a result of input from students, University and campus partners as well as benchmarking with peer institutions. The goal is to better serve the growing diversity within the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and related identities (LGBTQ+) community and to maximize inclusivity. 

The Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity will continue to offer the same support and resources to students who identify as LGBTQ+ as under its previous name. With the name change, the center hopes to expand the network of students who take advantage of the center’s resources, especially those who might not find their identity within the LGBTQA acronym. 

“The center’s name change will better highlight the breadth of work being done and provide a more inclusive entry point for those who struggle to find their identity within the letters LGBTQ or A,” said Brian Patchcoski, director of the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity. “While we have and will continue to serve lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and asexual people, and many more students who use an array of other language for their own identities and experiences, we recognize the need to change our name to better reflect a broader community and allow for growth of language and emerging identities across the spectrums of gender and sexuality.”

An advocacy unit in Student Affairs, the center offers a wide-range of resources for sexually and gender diverse students, faculty and staff. Located in 101 Boucke Building, the center provides a comprehensive range of education, information and advocacy services. Through educational, social and supportive programming, along with conducting workshops and offering consultation, the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity strives to serve the entire campus community.

“This name change will more accurately represent the educational and inclusionary efforts of the center, our programming, and the student communities we serve,” said Patchcoski.

Learn more about the center’s resources and programming at studentaffairs.psu.edu/CSGD

Last Updated June 25, 2019