LGBTQ+FSSA Chair Defines the Future through Queer Advocacy

Kimberly-Anne Anacleto (she/her & they/them) is the chair of CSUSB’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer plus (LGBTQ+) Faculty, Staff and Student Association. As the presiding chair of the association, Anacleto’s role coincides with the mission of the LGBTQ+FSSA and primarily aims to elevate and support the voices of students on campus. “The association is focusing on rebranding, reconnecting with the CSUSB community and working to put together a scholarship fund and mentorship program,” says Anacleto.

The LGBTQ+FSSA was created to provide queer faculty, staff and students with a safe space on campus to be themselves. “The association is open to everyone and helps to elevate our presence on campus like the Black Faculty, Staff and Student Association (BFSSA) and Association of Latino Faculty, Staff and Students (ALFSS). It reaffirms we are welcome in the community,” explains Anacleto. “The LGBTQ+FSSA is an important place where faculty and staff can have a space to be themselves, similar to the Queer and Transgender Resource Center (QTRC) available to students.”

The LGBTQ+FSSA is committed to enhancing the overall educational and social experience of the CSUSB community. This includes providing resources, support and programming to promote the academic and personal growth and development of LGBTQ+ students and their allies, and working to create a more inclusive and welcoming campus for all.

Some of the resources and events hosted annually by the association include the Lavender graduation, Palentines, Polyamory Awareness Day, Pride Celebration and more. “Many of the events we have are supporting and collaborating with the QTRC,” says Anacleto. “We also have resources and a scholarship available to members.”

Anacleto hopes to make an impact and leave her/their pawprint at CSUSB.

“I hope to see the association grow and have members feel the benefits of the association, provide more scholarships, establish a mentorship program, provide more resources and give back to younger generations of Coyotes,” says Anacleto when asked about the future of the association. “It’s exciting to see CSUSB celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month because it pushes the campus to think about this community both what it has gone through and is currently going through.”

As an association representing faculty, staff and students, the mission of the LGBTQ+FSSA contributes to the development of a more equitable environment in which Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ+) members of the university community can thrive in their work or study environments and contribute as productive researchers, teachers, students and staff members. The association encourages and supports research, teaching and other educational initiatives that address issues important to LGBTQ+ persons, supporters of the LGBTQ+ community, and other members of the university community interested in understanding LGBTQ+ people’s experiences. Aligning with CSUSB’s commitment to diversity, this organization aims to assist and advise the university on problems affecting the well-being of LGBTQ faculty, staff and student members.

CSUSB is celebrating National LGBTQ+ History Month from Oct. 1 through Oct. 31 with a variety of events taking place on both the San Bernardino and Palm Desert campuses. The goal of LGBTQ+ History Month is to enhance public awareness of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ+) individuals, their history, lives and experiences, as well as their contributions to society. Additionally, the month-long celebration honors and educates the campus community about issues of social justice and the LGBTQ+ community and raises awareness of these issues among the general public. Moreover, it is concerned with ensuring that educational and other institutions are safe spaces for members of all LGBTQ+ populations. CSUSB is celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month by highlighting student leaders, faculty and staff in various activities and special events throughout the month. In this year’s annual celebration, the theme is “Connecting at the Intersections.”

The first LGBTQ+ History Month was organized in October of 1994 by Rodney Wilson and Kevin Jennings who are members of the Gay and Lesbian Education Network, known as GLSEN. They selected October because public schools are in session and existing traditions, such as Coming Out Day (Oct. 11), occur that month. In 2006 Equality Forum assumed responsibility for providing content, promotion and resources for LGBT History Month.