OUT TO LEAD
WGS FUNDS LGBTQ+ Leaders FOR SOCIAL CHANGE PROGRAM AT COFC PRIDE CENTER
WRITTEN BY WGS ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR, PRISCILLA THOMAS ‘07 (she/her)
Building safe spaces and cultivating inclusivity for the College’s LGBTQ+ students is an ongoing process. Having recently completed her second year as Director of the Gender and Sexuality Equity Center (GSEC), Dr. Naomi Simmons (she/her) has launched several initiatives in her short time at the helm. One of the first changes was an on-campus rebrand to make this campus resource more easily identifiable to students. Intent on making the center’s name instantly recognizable and relatable, it is now the PRIDE Center.
WGS majors Mo Spragins (Out to Lead intern) and Laney Johnson ’24 (PRIDE Center intern). Photo credit: Reese Moore
This was just the start. As its website outlines, the PRIDE Center’s programs and services are designed to build, advocate for, empower, and nurture the LGBTQ+ campus community. Highlights include working with other CofC divisions to revise student housing forms and students’ capability to change pronouns across various operating systems, launching leadership programs, Honors Engaged, and winning a WGS-Mellon Impact Grant to fund “Out to Lead (OTL): LGBTQ+ Leaders for Social Change.”
Out to Lead is a newly launched program that provides a unique opportunity for LGBTQ+ students at CofC. Simmons noted the need for this kind of program, stating in her grant proposal that, “There currently exists a lack of opportunities for students in the LGBTQ+ community and students committed to the work of queer justice to pursue leadership development opportunities intentionally grounded in Humanities and Social Sciences.” The goal of Out to Lead being, “a multi-year, developmental partnership/internship with a community or campus partner that allows a student to gain hands-on learning and collaboration with cohort peers, WGS instructors and community leaders.”
This partnership between WGS and GSEC will enrich the leadership development of the Out to Lead cohort. Simmons outlines the program’s skills-building approach, “Each cohort of students selected for this program will take select courses in the Women’s and Gender Studies Program, receive guided mentorship in leadership skill development, engage in cohort learning sessions, and complete a Capstone project in WGS that demonstrates their ability to integrate critical reflection about gender and sexuality with actionable project development and implementation that puts their knowledge into action and expands their professional skills set.”
Embodying the core principles of the WGS program, Simmons was awarded a $9,000 WGS-Mellon Impact Grant to establish the Out to Lead: LGBTQ+ Leaders for Social Change program. One member of the program’s first cohort is Mo Spragins (she/they). Reflecting on being a part of the inaugural cohort, Spragins says, “For me, being able to be a part of creating OTL is very exciting. I love the idea of being a part of something bigger than myself that can help pave the way for other LGBTQ+ students at CofC. As a queer student on campus, I know how important it is to have a safe place that acknowledges and holds space for students like me. OTL is one of those safe places.”
In addition to fostering a new safe space for LGBTQ+ students, Spragins acknowledges the benefits of participating in this kind of innovative student program: “Throughout this program — which would be a four-year experience — leadership skills will be developed, and students will be presented with the opportunity of internships that can give them real experience and certifications. This way, queer students have an edge in the workforce and have a welcoming environment to support them since all of our partners would be queer-friendly organizations.“
Launching OTL from the ground up has been a collective effort. The spring 2024 WGS Intern for the PRIDE Center, Laney Johnson (she/her), was crucial in helping the program during its first semester. Remarking on the significance of this internship, Johnson says, “Working as the Women’s and Gender Studies intern at the PRIDE Center was the highlight of my semester and possibly even my time at the College of Charleston.” She elaborates, “As a transfer student from Pennsylvania, I was slightly nervous about finding my place on campus. The PRIDE Center has provided me with an amazing group of friends and coworkers whom I get to share parts of my identity with.” Johnson concludes, “I have found joy in assisting in event planning and spreading people’s awareness of the center! From Drag Bingo to our Ace Aro Archery event, I have had so much fun working to bring more visibility to the campus of CofC so that all students feel they have a place to be themselves. I will miss the PRIDE Center so much and will be forever grateful for the home it provided me!”
Johnson’s accomplishments go beyond event planning. Spragins notes, “Laney Johnson and I were allowed to organize OTL and bring it to fruition.” Having two WGS majors help create the foundation of a four-year LGBTQ+ leadership program at the college is monumental. WGS internships nurture professional skills, foster community connections, and prepare students to become active changemakers in society.