Photo from UNO Gender and Sexuality Resource’s Facebook page
On June 28, UNO’s Gender and Sexuality Resource Center announced that its services have moved. According to the statement, Victim and Survivor Advocacy Services are now housed under Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), and LGBTQIA2S+ Resources and Educational Outreach are now provided through Student Leadership, Involvement, and Inclusion.
The Gender and Sexuality Center’s physical office has closed to the Maverick community following months of slow moves from administration to shut it down. We understand that students and staff close to the center anticipated this closure, but this development came as a shock to many in the wider Omaha community, including alumni and allies.
The loss of this physical safe space that housed a strong, flourishing Maverick community is deeply disappointing to OutNebraska. In 2023, UNO’s Office of Multicultural Affairs was similarly closed and its programming re-housed under Student Leadership, Involvement, and Inclusion. Ultimately, the university continues to cut vital student resources and staff against a backdrop of local and nationwide attacks on programs that center students from marginalized communities.
Additionally, we cannot ignore that this official announcement came at the conclusion of Pride Month, a time when the LGBTQIA+ community is meant to be celebrating progress, perseverance and the contributions we have made to society.
OutNebraska calls on the university to re-examine their efforts to diversity and inclusion by listening to students, faculty and alumni affected by this closure.
UNO’s Women and Gender Equity Center (WGEC) has issued a call for submissions to a digital scrapbook to commemorate the GSRC. We encourage community members to contribute to this effort by submitting photos, videos, or written testimonies about their experiences with the center.
UNO’s student-run WGEC and Queer and Trans Services (QTS) are still operating and active on campus. We recommend students affected by the closure of the GSRC to seek out resources and community as needed during this time.
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OutNebraska is a non-partisan organization working to empower, celebrate and grow LGBTQ+ communities in Nebraska.