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LGBTQ+ Center Newsletter - March 5, 2025

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Updates, events, and important information from the LGBTQ+ Center.

LGBTQ+ Updates

March 5, 2025


Announcements


✨Thanks to everyone who joined us for our Welcome Back Bash! So many cool people, cool organizations, and awesome connections made.✨

We hope you’ll be able to join us for our next events! 



Come see us in room 249 of the Mountainlair

8:15 a.m. - 4:45 p.m. | Monday - Friday

Contact us by phone at 304-293-9594 or by email at lgbtq@mail.wvu.edu 

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Upcoming Events

Check out our events page or subscribe to our Google Calendar  so you can be the first to receive more information March events.


Let’s Chat Mini Resource Fair

Wednesday, March 5 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Mountainlair Student Union

Join the Carruth Center and other campus partners for Let's Chat and pop-up mini resource fair! ✨Students will be able to access the on-demand consultation services of Let's Chat while also learning about and engaging with other campus resources.✨

We’ll have snacks, crafts, mental health screenings, appointment scheduling, giveaways, and of course information and resources! Mini-Resource Fairs will be held in the Mountainlair Lobby.

No appointment necessary: students are seen on a first-come, first service-basis. Let's Chat is not a substitute for formal counseling and does not constitute mental health treatment. Common concerns include; stress, sadness, homesickness, relationship concerns, etc.

Unplugged Workshop  with Carruth

Wednesday, March 5 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Student Health Building

Everyone keeps saying we need to put down the screens and take a break from the internet, but what are you supposed to  do with that time? Isn’t part of the point of screen time to fill the yawning chasm of boredom and restlessness? What else could people  possibly be doing on a random Wednesday evening?

Fear not, friends. A break from the doom scroll has presented itself!

✨Join the Carruth Center for activities that reduce stress, build connections, and give you practical ways to unplug from social media. ✨

Unplugged Workshop flyer.


Snowshoe Mountain Ride With Pride Weekend

Saturday, March 8 from 8 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Snowshoe Mountain Resort, WV

Who will be named Pride Prom Queen? Who will leave Bingo Brunch with a new snowboard? Find out at the Snowshoe Mountain Ride!

✨Join the LGBTQ+ and Adventure WV on the second annual SnowShoe Ride with Pride, and celebrate with Snowshoe Mountain in the Village and on the slopes! ✨

Registration required.

Two individuals wearing brightly colored winter gear are featured in the snow.


Dance Your Way To Wellness (With Tinh Dang)

Tuesday, March 25 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Elizabeth Moore Hall – Studio II (Downstairs)

Want to get grooving in an inclusive environment while building community? Join the Carruth Center and the LGBTQ+ Center for Dance Your Way to Wellness! This weekly program will provide a comfortable space for students to practice dance movements in ways authentic to them to promote physical and mental wellbeing and connect with themselves and others.

✨This program is open to all students of all identities. No dance experience required, and all abilities are welcome!✨

Student Research Series

Wednesday, March 26 from 6 - 7 p.m.

Online

✨A virtual presentation showcasing the research of one of WVU’s Social work PhD candidates, Michael Richards, followed by a Q&A session.✨

“Spiritual Capital and Resilience in the LGBTQ+ Community” focuses on how queer Appalachian individuals find and build spiritual capital, and explores the challenges and opportunities LGBTQ+ individuals may face as they navigate the challenging area of spirituality and sexuality in Appalachian cultures.


Sex Education With Dr. Shanna Kattari

Thursday, March 27 from 6 to 7 p.m.

Online

✨Register to attend this queer-centered and trans-focused webinar about sexuality and sex education! ✨We are being graced with a presentation by certified sexuality educator  Dr. Shanna Katz Kattari , PhD, MEd, CSE.✨

Dr. Kattari (they/them) is an associate professor at the  University of Michigan School of Social Work , in the Women’s and Gender Studies Department (by courtesy) and is the director of the  [Sexuality | Relationships | Gender] Research Collective.

A queer, AuDHD, disabled, chronically ill, fat nonbinary femme, they are an esteemed researcher, scholar, and advocate whose work has made significant contributions to the fields of social work, health disparities, and LGBTQ+ studies.

With a steadfast commitment to social justice and equity, Dr. Kattari’s research and advocacy efforts have focused on understanding and addressing the unique challenges faced by marginalized communities, particularly within the realms of gender, sexuality, and disability (including neurodiversity).

Dr. Kattari is featured in a green dress with glasses and red hair.


Neurodiversity Night

March 28 at 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Field Hall, Room 4001

Are you looking to meet more people that are your favorite kind of weird? Offbeat; kind of cool, but not  too cool, you know?

Would you like to watch someone speak about their deepest passion without having to pay for it or needing to take a test at the end?

Do you just want to fill that weird time gap in between class and going downtown on a Friday night?

The LGBTQ+ Center and our collaborators are happy to have you along as we take over Field Hall. We’re going to bring people together for an evening of support and connection across WVU.

We’re kicking off the evening with a 30 minute presentation about neurodiversity by guest speaker  Stephanie Lytle , program director of the WVU  Autism Support Program . She’s been given a platform to speak for half an hour about neurodiversity (her favorite!!)

After that we’ll move to the hallways and lobby in Field Hall. We’ve gotten together a collection of the coolest people we could find for you to talk to! You can satisfy your curiosity about what resources and learning tools are available at WVU for all of our students while you make some new (very cool) friends. 

✨Come to Field Hall Room 4001 on March 28th from 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM!✨

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Monthly Events

SOGIE 101 (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression)

✨Now Available 2x Per Month, Online and In Person!!!✨ 

Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression (SOGIE) are key elements of one’s identity that impact their experience in higher education. Our new SOGIE 101 Training is an educational opportunity to enhance cultural competence, understand student experiences, and learn about campus resources. This one-hour interactive training offers participants the opportunity to reflect on the beautiful complexities pertaining to SOGIE while engaging in activities focused on finding solutions. Participants will gain insights that apply to our Mountaineer core values and mission. These include tools to improve services, expand curiosity, extend respect, incorporate accountability, and appreciate diverse contributions. By advancing this cultural competence, participants will be better equipped to advance education, health, and prosperity for all. We encourage all staff, faculty, and students to take advantage of this opportunity. Sessions are offered online, in-person, and by request to groups and classrooms at  lgbtq@mail.wvu.edu. Certificate of completion provided upon request.


Queer Book Club  with Carruth

March 11 and April 15 from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.

Yoga Room on the first floor of the Student Health Building

Relax and discuss this semester's book:  Black Water Sister by Zen Cho.

✨Copies of the book are currently available for free at the LGBTQ+ Center to all registered participants!✨

Come to visit us in the Mountainlair!

Black Water Sister by Zen Cho book cover.

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Community Corner

WVU Art in the Libraries Graduate Student Exhibits Awards

Submission Deadline: May 15, 2025

WVU Libraries invites graduate students to submit ideas for an exhibit that showcases their scholarship.✨$500 reward✨ for the best visual interpretation based on academic or creative research.

Research - Call for Participants

List of academic research in need of participants. Studies must be IRB approved. Priority will be given to research being conducted as a requirement to fulfill academic degree.


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“Strong com­mu­ni­ties are born out of indi­vid­u­als being their best selves.”― Leanne Betasamosake Simpson


An image with four illustrated individuals with a rainbow above their heads.