Dear Search Committee for the Diversity Program Manager/LGBT Specialist at UCSF:
I
am writing to express to you my great desire to be your next Specialist in LGBT
Programs. It would be my dream to
continue my efforts to achieve liberty and justice for all by helping LGBT people and Allies, by reaching out to the community and its partners to bolster
dialogue, and by creating safe zones throughout campus.
When
I returned to Vanderbilt in 2008, I was thrilled to discover that in place of
the small GLBT Resource Center, the Dean of Students had established an Office
of LGBTQI Life right in the center of main campus. As
soon as I could, I went to the newly-founded center to see what resources they
had and how I could help their mission of a safe and affirming space for all
sexualities and identities at Vanderbilt.
I
began to volunteer there, answering phones, greeting visitors--even
giving tours in three languages. I marveled at how transformative such a center
would have been when I was an undergraduate, as well as how imperative it was
at an institution of higher learning even now. The students, as well as staff and faculty, invigorated me to dedicate my time, passion, and effort to
establishing and maintaining a safe space for LGBTQI and allied people.
As
time went on, my dedication to the Office of LGBTQI Life led to my volunteer duties
becoming a paid position. I also
redoubled my involvement in student organizations that challenged
heteronormative constructions on campus. I was events coordinator of HRC
Vanderbilt, then president, and then founded Out in the Academy for graduate
students seeking social and professional connections. In these positions, I
have been able to organize and to execute numerous programs in the furtherance
of LGBTQI interests.
There
are many programs I have piloted at Vanderbilt of which I have a certain pride,
but I deem three in particular to be most indicative of my passion, ability, and capability that would make me a competitive candidate for you. I am including
links to pages detailing each event: I beg forgiveness if they do not work as I
intend.
Perhaps the most
salient program that I can name is the GenderBlender Dance Party that I helped
organize as coordinator for HRC Vanderbilt. Its objectives still remain
articulated on this website: http://tinyurl.com/gndrblndr
The
event’s rationale was to provide a fun way to interrogate heteronormativy while
also providing a safe space to question gender identity and expression, yet
have a good time. This event required me to coordinate plant services, housing,
catering, as well as a DJ. It also
necessitated that I supervise students in clean-up services as well as campus/building
regulations all while balancing our meager budget for the program. Though it
was a challenge, it is one indeed that I happily met and fulfilled.
Another
program that still resonates was one called “The Art of Negotiation:” http://tinyurl.com/c4bteop. I
contacted a local African-American lesbian entrepreneur to discuss how she
balances her multiple identities in which she may be in a given situation in
which she is the only woman in the room, the only African-American in the room,
or the only queer-identified person. We secured co-sponsorship with the Bishop
Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center. Members of Nashville Black Pride’s Board
of Directors were in attendance as we listened to our speaker detail the
challenges that she faces in being part of under-served communities but still
managing to thrive with vigor and pride.
The
final program that I believe most shows my abilities was a panel discussion
that I helped organize about the challenges of being openly LGBT within
academia. This was also designed to be an event to introduce the graduate
student group Out in the Academy which aimed to provide a social outlet for
graduate students that had been lacking for Arts & Sciences, Engineering, and Business. Although much planning and negotiation had preceded the event by
months, two of our three panelists unexpectedly withdrew 48 hours before the
event! In a paroxysm of intense networking, e-mailing, phoning, and pleading,
I managed to secure a full panel for the event. In the face of last-minute
challenges, I had pulled through and ensured that the discussion took place http://tinyurl.com/cxl55xc
To
paraphrase Walt Whitman, “I am many, I contain multitudes.” It is my sincere
hope that I may be your next program coordinator. It is a perfect
position for me, and I am sure that I can meet all your needs exceedingly
well.
Sincerely, and yours in equality,
-Robert Trent]
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