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>> KUMEA: Hello. I'm Kumea Shorter-Gooden, the Chief Diversity Officer here at the University of Maryland.
Our diversity and inclusion help keep our institution on the cutting edge of
research and innovation, teaching, and exemplary public service.
In this video, you will hear from student employees, staff employees, and faculty, who
work all across our university, discussing ways we can create full inclusion on campus
for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender -- or LGBT -- people.
Regardless of what beliefs you may personally hold, we all have to work together, and we
all must ensure that our behaviors and communications with other people exemplify inclusion,
so that the workplace we get to come to each day is the workplace that we actually want to come to.
>> PENNY: Why LGBTQ inclusion matters to me is because when you're at work and if you
feel like you need to be guarded or hidden, it really prevents you from doing the best
job that you can do and sort of makes you smaller as a person. And, when you're allowed
to be who you are and project yourself with the level of comfort that you have, it allows you
to do a better job and it allows you to feel more like yourself and relate to the people
that you work with in a more positive way.
>> JAMES: LGBTQ inclusion matters to me because I firmly believe that all have the right to
be their full and authentic selves.
>> BOB: I took an oath years ago as a police officer to protect my community, and our community
is very diverse in all facets, and everyone deserves the same protection. For me it's
personal in that my brother is gay and I know some of the issues that he's experienced.
But, beyond that, I've sworn to protect this community and that includes everybody.
>> LUKE: LGBTQ people are not all white men like me.
>> GABBY: Not all bisexuals are confused and not all of them prefer one gender more than the other.
>> JV: Not all trans people can or want to medically transition -- that is, hormonally
or surgically alter their bodies.
>> JORGE: Not all gay men are great cooks. I know that my partner and I sometimes like
to go home in the evening and stick a frozen pizza in the oven.
>> VANESSA: Not all lesbians are excellent repair people.
>> ANTHONY: Not all LGBT people love techno music and Madonna.
>> PENNY: First of all, I'm a mother, and I'm a lesbian, and I am a trans ally here on campus
and everywhere I'm an ally for all students and all staff and faculty.
I'm a nurse practitioner at the University of Maryland Health Center.
>> GABBY: I am a musician, an artist, an actor, and anything else creative that you can think of.
I am agender and pansexual or ***.
>> SAM: I am a horticulturist here on campus and I also happen to be a gay man.
>> JV: I'm a teacher here on campus and also an administrator. I commute from Virginia.
I identify as vegetarian and Filipino and I'm also *** and trans.
>> KATE: I'm a proud ally. I'm a mother. I'm a swimmer. I'm a program director in the University Career Center.
>> VANESSA: I am a lesbian, and I'm a grandmother of three granddaughters.
I am the business manager at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism.
>> JORGE: I'm an assistant professor in the Department of Classics. And, I am about to get
legally married here in the state of Maryland to the man I've been with for the last 17 years.
>> BOB: I'm with the University of Maryland Police Department. I am an ally and I am a brother of a gay man.
>> YVETTE: I am a runner. I am lesbian. I am a chicana.
>> ANTHONY: I am a *** and transgendered mixed race person of color.
>> JOANN: I work for the Department of Resident Life doing research and assessment.
And I'm affiliate faculty with the Asian American Studies Program. I am an ally.
>> JAMES: I am an administrator and an educator. I am an ally.
>> BOB: To make the workplace more inclusive, it's really a matter of respect. It's respecting
each other and it's treating people the way you want to be treated. And it's as simple as
that. You want to be treated well, you treat others well. And it's given in kind.
And the LGBT community is no different.
>> SAM: To me respect doesn't mean that you have to be *** buddies, but respect can
be very simple. Just saying hello, good morning, goodbye. Showing courtesy is a good start
at showing respect. Being able to listen to people's ideas rather than shutting them down
before they're able to get a chance to express their ideas.
>> JOANN: Not to make assumptions, and to consider your language when you're talking
with people. When we think about retention of staff and students on this campus, it's
really critical I think that we consider how people feel included and engaged. Understanding
the nuances related to the LGBT community as well other ways of identifying is really
critical. Just making the effort to understand a little bit about how your interactions affect
other people can really help bridge those gaps and make people feel included and welcomed.
>> VANESSA: Last year when I got married, once I returned to work, several of my co-workers
came into the office, congratulating me and asking me to see pictures of the wedding.
One person in general came and said "How should I refer to your wife, your spouse? What's
your preference? I want to get it right." That made me feel really good that they cared
enough to ask so that they didn't say something that would be offensive.
>> YVETTE: I often got questions in the workplace about what my boyfriend does or if I have
a boyfriend and having to correct the other person always made for an awkward situation. Making
the questions more focused on activities is a lot easier for everyone involved to feel
comfortable sharing what they did on the weekend, for their afternoon, for a birthday, etc.
>> ANTHONY: Instead of saying do you have a boyfriend, do you have a girlfriend, which
can feel very assumptive, you can refer to the person you're dating as a partner, like
this is my partner, and someone who hears that might feel like oh my boss said that they
have a partner, that makes me feel that I can open up about X, Y, and Z. But you know,
it can also be very cute. I have a boo, I have a sweetheart, I have a honey, do you
have somebody special, or this is my date. Not everyone feels like they have a partner
or significant other, but we all choose words that we feel are appropriate for the way that
we have people in our lives.
>> PENNY: The biggest tip that I could say is to be open and to listen and to communicate
in the best way and the most positive way that you can. Make sure that you're trying
to use a person's name and whatever pronoun sometimes asking what pronouns do you want
me to use seems a little awkward at first but it really can help a person feel so much
more included when you're addressing them correctly. Also realizing that you're going
to make a mistake every now and then, you're gonna slip up, and that's okay. You need to
just acknowledge I'm sorry that I said that and I'm not really sure how to phrase that,
and then let the person respond to you and move forward.
>> JV: In my 13 years here at the University of Maryland, I didn't always identify as trans.
And so some people have known me by another name, by another gender, and by another sexuality.
And it's hard to try and go back to those relationships that are 10 years old or older
and work with folks and say, hey, but this is my new preferred name and this is my new preferred
gender, and can you please start using that. And I know we met under different circumstances,
but these are the circumstances now. And so inclusion is really important to me to honor
who I am today.
>> JORGE: I think another thing that makes my department very inclusive to me as an LGBTQ
person is to hear positive feedback from my colleagues about my involvement with the LGBT Staff/Faculty
Association and to hear they value my commitment to the community.
>> GABBY: A lot of people like to think that they're inclusive but they have no idea what
they're talking about and they don't know the difference between *** orientation
and gender identity-- because there is a difference. And I feel like reaching out to the LGBT Equity
Center or going to a Rainbow Terps training would really help.
>> KATE: I think one of the best ways to create an inclusive space is to really just get out
there and be a friendly face, go to events, get involved on campus and make it known that
you're excited to meet people from all backgrounds and you're open minded and just ready to learn more.
>> JAMES: Very often times you have the organizational mission. You might have the mission of the
unit or program that you're a part of, but very often times it's the journey that you embark
upon that could be most rewarding and most meaningful. So the relationships that you build with others
are extremely important. Find ways of cultivating those and look at ways in which you can help
others regardless of difference that they bring into that particular environment. Think about
ways in which that journey can be something that is meaningful and worthwhile for all.
>> KUMEA: We have high expectations at the University of Maryland. We aim for excellence.
But things aren't always perfect. You should not be hearing slurs or derogatory language
in the workplace, and people should not feel targeted or harassed because of who they are.
We have anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies that help protect us all. If something
doesn't seem right, talk to a supervisor or someone else designated by the university
as a point person. If you are a supervisor, make sure you are up-to-date on our policies.
If you want to go above and beyond, take the Rainbow Terrapin Network training. You will
learn how to be a better ally and advocate for LGBT inclusion.
Together, we can make the university a workplace where we all feel empowered to be ourselves,
and to work together in support of our mission for outstanding public education, research,
and service.