The past several years have witnessed many important developments in the promotion of  LGBTQ visibility and equality at URI, including the creation of the President’s LGBTQ Commission.

In 2010, Ann Morrissey organized a subgroup of the URI Equity Council to advance issues for LGBTQ community members. An open invitation was sent out to the entire URI community inviting anyone to join this new group whose goal was to develop an agenda for the future. Approximately 25 faculty, staff, and students joined the effort.

The subcommittee focused on three key areas:

1. Equity in Personnel Related Benefits and Policies especially related to non-discrimination language, sick, family, and bereavement leave, health insurance, and tuition waivers.   
2. Education and Awareness including developing more programming for students, faculty, and staff, ensuring a more inclusive pedagogy and curriculum, and developing areas for collaboration.
3. Safety and Health with an emphasis on ensuring a campus climate that is safe and healthy,  including easy availability of gender neutral bathrooms.

Working on these three subcommittees, the group met monthly as an entire committee.  The final report, in April, 2011 described the group’s findings and provided recommendations that were shared with Interim Chief Diversity Officer Kathryn Friedman and President Dooley. The sub-committee members continued to work on these three priorities and later that year at the recommendation of CDO Kathryn Friedman, President Dooley declared the committee a Presidential Commission.

The Commission has made significant progress on the following initiatives:  

• In 2011 Lynn McKinney, then Dean of the College of Health and Human Services,  joined the Commission as co-chair with Ann Morrissey, and the Commission sponsored its first social event for LGBTQ faculty and staff at the University Club.  
• In 2011, members of the commission reviewed all union contracts under the control of the University and advocated for changes that would create equity in benefits for our LGBTQ employees.  As a result, PTAA, PSA and AAUP all added robust anti-discrimination statements as well as definitions of family which include lgbtq faculty and staff.  
• The Provost’s office has and continues to sponsor workshops on inclusive pedagogy
• The Gender and Women’s Studies program is moving ahead with a Queer Studies minor.  
• Gender neutral bathrooms have been identified and gender neural signs have been added; that work continues.
• The department of housing has developed and implemented an LGBTQ Friendly roommate matching program within it’s housing application.
• In 2016,  the Commission hosted a “HoliGay” party as an important social event for the LGBTQ community.  It was a huge success!
• In 2017, the Commission launched the Out and Proud at URI project to promote the visibility of URI’s lgbtq faculty, staff, and allies and encourage mentoring, awareness and networking.  The goal of the project  is to increase our sense of community and to let our students, staff and faculty know that they are well supported and not alone here at URI.   
• In 2018, the Commission held it’s third social event, a Winter “Gayla”, at 95 Upper College Rd.  Turnout was great!
• Given the success of our socials and requests for affirming spaces for our LGBTQ employees to socialize and network with each other, the Rainbow Network was created.  The first event, a meet and greet luncheon, was held on October 31, 2018.  Turnout was strong and at the request of it’s members, The Rainbow Network now offers monthly gatherings.

The Commission continues to work on areas of Visibility, Policies, Community Building and Assessment.  If you are interested in learning more about the Commission, pleases contact one of our co-chairs.