TL;DR: Watch (and share!) our short reel on this action.

Removal of gender-affirming healthcare. Terminating crisis lifeline numbers. Pulling books with LGBTQ+ themes. The examples of Trump administration policy changes that harm LGBTQ+ adults and youth go on and on.

So when members of the CSU-AAUP Pride Working Group found out that the LGBTQ+ Center at Central Connecticut State University was operating without any full-time, permanent staff, they knew they had to do something to help.

The LGBTQ+ Center at Central was founded by a group of students, faculty and staff in 2009. It provides a safe and welcoming space for everyone on campus who identifies as LGBTQ+ and allies. The Center offers programming, resources, referrals and other support to the entire campus.

However, this vital resource has seen a revolving door of directors over the years, and is currently staffed by three faculty and two graduate students, all of whom have other full-time obligations.

Prof. Ashley Green reads some of the comments from people who signed the petition.

The union's Pride Working Group recognized this was not a stable long-term solution. Members created a petition demanding that Central President Zulma R. Toro work swiftly to hire a permanent, full-time director for the Center.

"In a context when the LGBTQ+ community is threatened . . . Central’s investment in and support of its LGBTQ+ students is of paramount importance," the petition reads. "The absence of a dedicated director has left a significant gap in the services and support that are vital to the well-being and success of our LGBTQ+ community members."

On Dec. 3, faculty and students gathered outside Barrows Hall, which houses the LGBTQ+ Center, to read the petition. In just a few weeks, the group had gathered 500 signatures from students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members.

Faculty and students talked about the importance of ensuring LGBTQ+ students have substantial resources and community, especially during the current moment. Several people talked about losing friends in the LGBTQ+ community to mental health struggles.

Resources like Central's LGBTQ+ Center can save the lives of people experiencing these struggles.

After the demonstration, the group marched to Davidson Hall, chanting "When queer rights are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!". Toro was running a forum on campus sustainability in Davidson Hall, and the group met her at the end of the forum to deliver the petition signatures.

Central has started the search process to hire an interim director for the Center, which is a positive step. However, members of the Pride Working Group will continue to demand a search for a permanent director. The Center and the students it serves deserve a director who has job security that will allow them to focus on the important work of supporting LGBTQ+ students.