Diversity & Inclusion

The Out to Lunch Gender, Sexuality, and Community is a weekly academic lecture and discussion series with guest scholars and community activists from various disciplines examining a variety of topics related to gender identity, gender expression, and sexuality. Each semester offers a broad sampling of the areas.

The Spring 2019 semester is co-sponsored by the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department (http://wgss.uconn.edu).

Today's lecture is entitled, "Identifying Beliefs, Behaviors, and Experiences of APRNs with Lesbian and Gay Patients: A Mixed Methods Perspective" and will be presented by Mimi Snyder (she/her/hers).

Synopsis: This presentation will present findings of a mixed methods study about the beliefs, behaviors, and experiences of advanced practice nurses (APRNs) caring for lesbian and gay patients. APRNs provide care to persons of diverse sexual identities who often encounter barriers when seeking health care. Nursing education programs seldom include content to educate nurses to provide affirming care for these patient populations. This study included a sample of 678 APRNs’ who completed a Gay Affirmative Practice Scale about their beliefs and behaviors including a narrative statement describing their experiences caring for lesbian and gay patients. Eight themes about APRN experiences emerged: affirming, more education needed, witnessed discrimination, limited experience with lesbian/gay patients, sexual orientation only asked if relevant, treat all the same, non-affirming, and sexual orientation not focus of practice.

Biography: Dr. Marianne (Mimi) Snyder, She/her/hers is a full-time faculty and Director of the pre-licensure nursing program at UCONN School of Nursing since 2017. She had been a registered nurse for over 35 years and more than 20 year experience teaching nursing students in traditional, accelerated and RN – BSN nursing programs. She earned her BS in Nursing from the University of Central Florida, MS in Nursing as a Family Nurse Practitioner from West Virginia University and her PhD in nursing from UCONN. Her research focuses on healthcare experiences of LGBT persons, the education and experiences of health care providers caring for this population and culturally affirming care practices to help meet the health care needs of this population.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their own lunches

The Rainbow Center will be closed during this timeframe so that we can conduct our staff meeting.

Day of Remembrance: The Authors of John Okada

Please join us on Thursday, February 21st at at 4 p.m. in the Homer Babbidge Instruction room 1102 as we welcome Frank Abe, Greg Robinson, and Floyd Cheung who will discuss their book, "John Okada: The Life and Rediscovered Work of No-No Boy"

No-No Boy, John Okada’s only published novel, centers on a Japanese American who refuses to fight for the country that incarcerated him and his people in World War II and, upon release from federal prison after the war, is cast out by his divided community. In 1957, the novel faced a similar rejection until it was rediscovered and reissued in 1976 to become a celebrated classic of American literature.

As a result of Okada’s untimely death at age forty-seven, the author’s life and other works have remained obscure. This compelling collection offers the first full-length examination of Okada’s development as an artist, placing recently discovered writing by Okada alongside essays that reassess his lasting legacy. Meticulously researched biographical details, insight from friends and relatives, and a trove of intimate photographs illuminate Okada’s early life in Seattle, military service, and careers as a public librarian and a technical writer in the aerospace industry. This volume is an essential companion to No-No Boy.

This event is co-sponsored by the Asian and Asian American Studies Institute, and the Asian American Cultural Center, and is free and open to the public. If you need an accommodation, please contact asacc@uconn.edu

Weekly meeting for affiliated student organization members of the Pan Asian Council (PAC).

A discussion group for people who like more than one gender or think they might. Come and discuss, learn, make friends, and have fun with people who share your feelings and experiences. Although we love the support of our allies, this is a closed group for the confidentiality and comfort of our participants.

Today's scheduled meeting has been cancelled by the facilitators.

Rainbow Connections is a discussion group under the Queer Collective with the mission to promote positive mental health within the LGBTQ+ community. This is a group for anyone who needs a safe space to talk and gain support.

Join us as we build an 18th century Chinese pirate ship out of LEGOS with the Director of the Asian and Asian American Studies Institute, Jason Oliver Chang.

Learn about Asian maritime history and find out more about minoring in Asian Studies or Asian American Studies.

Lunch will be provided as we build, learn, and discuss how Asian Studies and Asian American Studies can fit into your educational plan.

Calling all Pell Grant eligible students! Join LuAnn Saunders-Kanabay from the National Scholarships & Fellowships Office and Valerie Nightingale from Education Abroad, to learn more about this $5000 scholarship to study abroad with additional funding to support critical language learning. Register now via Nexus https://nexus.uconn.edu/secure_per/events/event_registration.php?ser=1241&rc=7213980912