PFW holds open house for new LGBTQ+ Resource Center

FORT WAYNE, Ind.—Purdue University Fort Wayne is committed to the success of all its students, including those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ+). In order to provide LGBTQ+ students with both educational and social support, the university established an LGBTQ+ Resource Center a few years ago. Since that time, the Resource Center has been located within other offices. Now it has a new location that will allow it to increase its services.

An Open House Grand Opening Celebration will be held Tuesday, October 1, beginning at 9 a.m. in the center’s new location, Walb Student Union, Room 215

A brief news conference before the Open House begins will include remarks from Professor Jeannie DiClementi, cochair of the LGBTQ+ Task Force; Kim, Myers, assistant director of student success curriculum and assessment and cochair of the LGBTQ+ Task Force; Krissy Creager, vice chancellor for student affairs, and Kim Wagner, chief of staff, representing Chancellor Ron Elsenbaumer.
A ribbon cutting by Professor DiClementi; Vic Spencer, Resource Center program director; and Jordan Sanderson, Resource Center coordinator, will follow the news conference.

“Now that we have our own office, we will have a higher visibility for students who are looking for our resources,” says Sanderson. “We host a variety of support groups, organize book clubs each semester, house an LGBTQ+ library in our office, and provide educational programming to anyone who requests it.”

The goals of the center are to:

• Provide support services to LGBTQ+ students in an educational, accepting, and inclusive manner
• Offer educational resources that address matters relevant to LGBTQ+ issues
• Reduce genderism, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, and heterosexism at Purdue Fort Wayne and create an atmosphere of understanding and acceptance for all members of our community inclusive of sexual orientation, gender, and gender identity

The campus community and the public are invited and encouraged to attend the open house, which runs through noon. Refreshments will be available.

For more information, contact Vic Spencer at 260-481-6485 or [email protected].

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