BC Hosts Campus Stories: Voices Of LGBTQIA+ Scholars at Bakersfield College
In honor of Pride Month, BC’s Student Government Association recently hosted Campus Stories: LGBTQIA+ Scholars at Bakersfield College.
The event featured a panel of four BC faculty and staff members and two BC students and was moderated by Chris Cruz-Boone, Professor of Communications at BC. Each panel member answered various questions about their experiences as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community in Kern County and at Bakersfield College. Some of the topics and stories focused on positive experiences and hope for the future, while other discussions shed light on areas in the community that the panelists felt needed improvement including healthcare and mental health resources. The overall theme of the event was support, education, and furthering progress in the BC community, Kern County, and beyond.
More than fifty staff, students, and community members were in attendance, eager to hear their colleague’s experiences and show support for the Pride Community at BC. The event concluded with a time of networking, food, and refreshments. It was truly a memorable event, and the hope is to have similar panel discussions in the future to help promote inclusivity and community on the BC campus and beyond. Please visit the BC Online Events Calendar for future event listings and details.
The group of panelists included:
- Helen Acosta, Professor of Communication
- Savannah Andrews, Program Manager for Outreach
- Chris Glaser, Executive Secretary
- Ariel Dyer, Reference Librarian
- Mel Lancaster, BC Student
- Edwin Ramirez, BC Student