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The Video on the Asian American experience hit home for me. I have a non-binary trans child who is half Asian and they struggle so much with that side of the family. It's just heartbreaking for me and I wish I could change their way of thinking to be accepting of my amazing kid!

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   What different experiences could LGBTQ+ students of color have at predominantly straight, white, cisgender colleges?  If any, what examples have you observed, experienced, and/or witnessed? 

Being able to relate to and connect with their peers.

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   If all faculty and staff respected and promoted intersectionality, how could the classroom and/or campus environment change? 

If the entire campus community respected and supported intersectionality, there would be no tolerance for hateful behavior and all students would have a safe environment to learn and thrive.

I enjoyed listening to the black queer men talking about their experiences with the church. They were able to talk through their various traumas from a perspective that felt largely healed, and that was encouraging.

I think emotionally I was most affected by the latino coming out videos. It showed an ultimate consequence of rejecting the sexuality of your child: that self-imposed barrier preventing a real relationship before you die. And even in that moment, the mother still couldn't admit her mistake directly to her child.

But really all of these videos were excellent. I think the flippant silliness of some of the earlier videos are a rough fit for the current moment; these felt much better to me.

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   What different experiences could LGBTQ+ students of color have at predominantly straight, white, cisgender colleges?  If any, what examples have you observed, experienced, and/or witnessed? 

Microaggressions from instructors, staff and other students. Lack of safety based on anti-LGBT protest groups. Isolation even in queer groups, if they are overwhelmingly white. With a more hostile campus environment: getting outed with family and getting kicked out of the house.

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   If all faculty and staff respected and promoted intersectionality, how could the classroom and/or campus environment change? 

At least the instructor / staff microaggressions could be minimized!

I thought the video on Queer and disabled was very enlightening but also sad to learn how people with disabilities are perceived as either asexual or hypersexual. From their perspective, having a disability made them feel like they were somehow less human and incapable of feeling sexual desire. It was surprising to learn.

2. What different experiences could LGBTQ+ students of color have at predominantly straight, white, cisgender colleges?  If any, what examples have you observed, experienced, and/or witnessed?

   
   

   I imagine that these students feel marginalized and stereotyped on a constant basis. They would most likely feel unrepresented and disconnected from the college experience.

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   If all faculty and staff respected and promoted intersectionality, how could the classroom and/or campus environment change? 

   The classroom environment would promote equity and support everyone's experiences and perspectives. It would foster inclusivity and promote open-mindedness for all students.

All were worth spending time with. I thought the Ted Talk from Kimberlé Crenshaw was really interesting. I hadn't recognized that violence against Black women by police was muted compared to violence against Black men by police - but it seems obvious now. I appreciate that correction. Also, the discussion by the latinx woman in which she talks about her mother's inability to come to terms with her daughter's sexuality prior to her own death - that demonstrates some deep-seated cultural conditioning. Really sad.

What different experiences could LGBTQ+ students of color have at predominantly straight, white, cisgender colleges?  If any, what examples have you observed, experienced, and/or witnessed? 

Like the gay, Asian, Texan indicated in his video - just feeling like there aren't others like you around. That would be isolating. But I think - I hope - that these places - colleges - are also more accepting in their collective attitude and tolerance than the areas immediately outside the campus. I think colleges are places where these ideas of diversity and tolerance are more likely to be the norm. As this training evidences.

If all faculty and staff respected and promoted intersectionality, how could the classroom and/or campus environment change? 

Well, the most obvious outcome would be to prevent students with intersectional identities to be victims of violence, suicide, intolerance, discrimination- and perhaps to be a place where intersectionality could be understood so as to prevent our larger society from continuing injustices against those with intersectional identities.

What different experiences could LGBTQ+ students of color have at predominantly straight, white, cisgender colleges?  If any, what examples have you observed, experienced, and/or witnessed?  These students may experience intersectional marginality and microaggression in different directions. A feeling of isolation may be developed since these students don't see themselves in the student body.

If all faculty and staff respected and promoted intersectionality, how could the classroom and/or campus environment change? The environment will be inclusive and supportive. This environment will empower all of the students regardless of the identities that they associate themselves with.

Helen’s story is one that I connected with. For people coming out, fear of possible rejection from parents is huge. As a parent of a child who was questioning themselves and experiencing so much negative treatment from peers in 7-8 grades, we tried to make sure that our home was a safe place. No matter what. While they knew they were supported at home, the experience they went through at school was traumatizing. Listening to Helen speak about the loss of their mother, who ultimately realized that they were too late to start again with acceptance and love. Knowing that she realized this and told Helen’s dad and then him sharing this with Helen was a good thing, but heartbreaking that it occurred so close to the end of her life.  

2.      What different experiences could LGBTQ+ students of color have at predominantly straight, white, cisgender colleges?  If any, what examples have you observed, experienced, and/or witnessed? 

At predominantly straight, white, cisgender colleges, LGBTQ+ students of color may feel that they do not have a place where they are safe or seen. Having support programs from Pride Support and Resources, Undocu Centers, Umoja, Puente, and more can help. When students know about them. Every time we have an event that highlights LGBTQ+ at the campus, I hear students talk about not knowing what was available prior. Sierra College having places to connect students with people and resources that they can meet and access at their own discretion and in their own time, has been helpful in moving the needle for students.

3.      If all faculty and staff respected and promoted intersectionality, how could the classroom and/or campus environment change? 

Faculty and staff need to be at the forefront of respecting and promoting intersectionality for our students. It is also important that the faculty, staff and managers/executive team continue learning and taking advantage of training opportunities. Showing our students through behaviors that create a loving, supportive, and safe environment for LGBTQ+ students and employees, can open lines of communication, understanding and acceptance. If we lead by example and create a place for students to express themselves and be involved with the changes that are needed, students who are not part of the LGBTQ+ Community, will see this and hopefully learn to also stand in support of, or at the very least not stand against. The goal of our campus environment is to be safe, inclusive, intentionally supportive and educationally enriching.