The first time I ever heard the word “lesbian” spoken aloud in public was at Indiana State University in 1973 by the famous feminist Flo Kennedy, who had come to Terre Haute with Gloria Steinem to talk about feminism in America. It was one of those consciousness raising experiences–forever emblazoned in my memory banks. Nearly 38 years later, several university presidents announce they are gay and that there are several dozen who are, have formed a new organization called “LGBTQ Presidents in Higher Education,” and have distributed a video of themselves saying so!
During the past several months of intense community engagement on the Congressional repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, many of us did not take notice of a series of meetings by out LGBTQ college presidents– quite revolutionary– a first in the higher education circles that resulted in the release last week of a phenomenally wonderful and inspirational video announcing their presence in America, speaking out proudly as openly gay leaders of universities and colleages, along with their spouses and partners.
The video opens with Dr. Charlito Shelton, president of University of the Rockies, speaking, along with her partner, Lynne Schumal. Shelton, a Marine Corps veteran, was forthright in saying: “I’m black and I’m a woman. But what you don’t see is that I am a very proud lesbian president of a university. And my coming-out process could not have been better because I had someone who supported me, who’s sitting right next to me.” Schumal then says:  “And most importantly, we’re an out and proud lesbian couple.”
The origins of this nascent organization began as idea shared by Raymond Crossman, president of the Adler School of Professional Psychology and Charles Middleton president of Roosevelt University. Crossman and Middleton hosted the inaugural meeting in August 2010 on their campuses in Chicago and officially formed LGBTQ Presidents in Higher Education with the committee, Partners of Presidents.
Last month, the LGBTQ presidents second meeting took place in California, hosted by Neal King, president of Antioch University-Los Angeles (AULA). Antioch has a news report on its news pages, proudly quoting King: “Pioneers and progressives by nature and history, and long an extremely LGBTQ affirmative university, AULA was honored to host this august group of courageous men and women who walk their talk and provide needed and impactful leadership in American Higher Education in the area of LGBTQ rights, scholarship and advocacy.”
During this meeting the attendees agreed to form a steering committee and other governance measures in preparation for a panel presentation at the annual meeting of the American Council of Education in March, 2011.
King answered a few questions from this blogger, reflecting the formation of the presidents’ group in context with related events that have been taking place in the country: “It does seem that after an exhausting back and forth here in California around Proposition 8, there may finally be some real positive movement in terms of real equality and civil rights for LGBTQ people.”
He did warn, as many others have mentioned in the last few days since the passage of the DADT repeal:Â “At the same time, I think that we can reasonably expect a parallel intensification of the bullying, bigoted rhetoric and activity on the right that has historically accompanied our forward movement.”
Currently there are approximately 25 presidents who have joined with King and his colleagues, growing from about 11 presidents, since the first article was published in the Chronicle of Higher Education in 2007. Among them include: Theodora Kalikow, the University of Maine at Farmington; Les McCabe, the Semester at Sea and Institue for Shipboard Education; Ralph Hexter, Hampshire College and Katherine Ragsdale, the Episcopal Divinity School. Probably, the most well-known openly-lesbian university president in the United Sates is Carolyn “Biddy” Martin, chancellor of University of Wisconsin, at Madison. (Martin did not attend the November meeting.)
King indicated that the “few who have volunteered to be the steering committee, are being careful not to get too far ahead of themselves, until we can connect and consult with others” who have reached out to them. But more importantly to King, he said: “We really want to be a positive presence in and for the academy and for future generation of LGBTQ leaders.”
I believe Neal King and his colleagues are making an inestimable positive contribution to not only leadership in higher education, but more broadly, to American society. We wish them well.
Tanya L. Domi is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University, who teaches about human rights in Eurasia and is a Harriman Institute affiliated faculty member. Prior to teaching at Columbia, Domi worked internationally for more than a decade on issues related to democratic transitional development, including political and media development, human rights, gender issues, sex trafficking, and media freedom.