The LGBT Equity Center in Marie Mount Hall.
For Alexander Novarro, it has been an ongoing struggle to merge being part of the LGBT community with his academic and professional life. But with the creation of the Lavender Leadership Honor Society this semester, he will now have an outlet to do so.
The honor society, an initiative of the University of Maryland’s LGBT Equity Center, will create a community space for those who want to lead in LGBT inclusion, said center Associate Director Nick Sakurai. Sakurai was a key staff member in the formation of the honor society after he said he noticed a gap in inclusion communication among 17 LGBT organizations on the campus.
“A lot of people aren’t aware of the LGBT inclusion work that is happening on campus, and this creates more [of a] place where they can,” Sakurai said. “It is as much as creating a network as well as recognizing people for their accomplishments.”
Leaders from all of the groups will be able to come together for more collaboration and recognition of each other in the society, he said. The group will provide a space for people with similar passions, rather than forming an exclusive club, according to the Equity Center’s newsletter.
Novarro, a second-year biology doctoral candidate and a founding member of the society, said he hopes the honor society builds “a community on campus, more resources and greater supporter systems in the LGBT community.”
Novarro was previously the co-facilitator of Trans U and is the current president of this university’s chapter of OUT! in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. He said he hopes to use the skills he develops in the society and translate it to OUT!
Earlier in this semester, he attended the Lavender Leadership Retreat along with other students from this university to learn leadership skills useful as part of the honor society.
“The entire retreat was about building yourself up and how to relay that to others,” said Rebecca Wilson, a freshman criminology and criminal justice major.
Wilson, also a member of Theta Pi Sigma — the gender-neutral LGBTQA fraternity on the campus — said the honor society will foster an environment to enhance the information learned on the retreat.
“After a conference like that, it just shows you that there are a lot of general leadership possibilities that aren’t sensitive towards the needs of sexual orientation and gender identity,” said Errin Saunders, a sophomore environmental science and policy major.
Junior environmental science and policy major Sam Sauter, another founding member, said she hopes the society will give people who are interested and invested in the community the skills to take their experiences and empower others.
“I didn’t think leadership would help me, but it has helped me reach more people,” Sauter said. “Having a group like this is really special because we are kind of marginalized all the time, so to see that we can make change together is really important.”
After interested members submit their applications by April 2, the first group of people will be inducted on April 20.
“I think we will be inducting a couple dozen people,” Sakurai said. “I’m happy about that, because those that are in LGBT inclusion don’t normally have a community and now will.”
