October 2022
SPEAKERS
LGBTQIA+ History Month Virtual Keynote: Brandon Wolf
Monday, Oct. 3 | 5-6 p.m. | Zoom
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement)
*Open to UA Students, Faculty & Staff, UA System
The Safe Zone Resource Center will host a virtual keynote address for LGBTQIA+ History Month. This month’s speaker is Brandon Wolf, a Pulse Night Club shooting survivor and LGBTQIA+ activist. He has worked with former secretary of state Hillary Clinton and with Sen. Elizabeth Warren as a campaign surrogate and political stumper. Wolf also has testified against gun violence in the U.S. House of Representatives. He has been recognized as one of Huffington Post’s 30 LGBTQ Influencers Under 30 and Business Equality Magazine’s 40 LGBTQ Leaders under 40. He will be speaking about LGBTQIA+ leadership and activism in the world today. Register for this event. For more information, contact the Safe Zone Resource Center at safezone@ua.edu.
Culverhouse DEI Speaker Series: Matt Mitchell
Wednesday, Oct. 26 | 12-12:50 p.m. | Virtual
In celebration of LBGTQ+ History Month, Culverhouse College of Business will host alumnus Matt Mitchell of Fidelity Investments and Mitchell Event Planning as part of its Culverhouse DEI speaker series. Mitchell is a certified inclusive professional through Equally Wed, and serves as an ambassador for OUT GA, which is the only LGBTQ+ and allied Chamber of Commerce in Georgia. He will talk about his education and his career. Register for this event.
EXHIBITS
LGBTQ+ History Month 50 Years: The Stonewall Uprising Traveling Exhibit
Monday, Oct. 3–Monday, Oct. 31 | Opens Oct. 3 at 3 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement)
*Open to UA Students, Faculty & Staff, UA System
To celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month, the Intercultural Diversity Center will host the Stonewall National Museum’s 50 Years: The Stonewall Uprising traveling exhibit. In June 1969, riots at the Stonewall Inn in New York’s Greenwich Village are generally cited as the starting point of the LGBTQ+ rights movement. Participants will learn about the creation and execution of the LGBTQ+ rights movement, the era of LGBTQ+ liberation and the impact of gay activist organizations and understand why the Stonewall riots became the catalytic movement in the effort to secure equal rights for LGBTQ+ Americans. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.
Love Makes a Family Exhibit
Monday, Oct. 3–Monday, Oct. 31 | Opens Oct. 3 at 4 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement)
*Open to UA Students, Faculty & Staff, UA System
In collaboration with the Intercultural Diversity Center, the Safe Zone Resource Center will host Love Makes a Family, a traveling exhibit which includes photographs and interviews with families that have lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer-identified (LGBTQ) members. Through first-person accounts and positive images, this exhibit seeks to challenge and change damaging myths and stereotypes about LGBTQ people and their families. For more information, contact the Safe Zone Resource Center at safezone@ua.edu.
Cedric Smith: Horsepower
Friday, Oct. 7-Friday, Dec. 9 |Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Paul R. Jones Museum, 2308 Sixth Street, Tuscaloosa
UA students, faculty, staff, community, alumni
The Paul R. Jones Museum presents Cedric Smith: Horsepower, an exhibition of new work by the artist opening Friday, Oct. 7 and running through Dec. 9. Cedric Smith will visit Tuscaloosa, Thursday, Nov. 3, at 4:30 p.m. to present a talk in the Camellia Room of Gorgas Library as part of the Paul R. Jones Lecture Series. An artist’s reception will be held Friday, Nov. 4, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., in the Jones Museum. Read more about the exhibition and Smith’s visit to Tuscaloosa.
MOVIES
Social Justice Movie Series: “The Death & Life of Marsha P. Johnson”
Wednesday, Oct. 19 | 7 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
(Educational Engagement)
*Open to UA students, faculty and staff, UA System
The Intercultural Diversity Center’s Fall 2022 Social Justice Movie Series features “The Death & Life of Marsha P. Johnson.” Victoria Cruz investigates the mysterious 1992 death of Marsha P. Johnson, a Black gay-rights activist and Stonewall veteran. Cruz uses archival interviews with Johnson and new interviews with Johnson’s family, friends and fellow activists. Cruz’s investigation of Johnson’s death tells the story of fellow movement leader Sylvia Rivera. Register for this event. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.
EVENTS
Rethinking Alabama Politics from the Civil War to the Present: A History Symposium
Monday, Oct. 3 | 9 a.m.-5 p.m. | Camellia Room, Gorgas Library
The UA Department of History is hosting this symposium, which will host panels on topics including the Civil War and Reconstruction, The New South to World War II, From Civil Rights to the Present and “Rethinking the Civil War to the Present in Alabama Politics,” as well as a keynote address from Dr. Steve Murray, director of the Alabama Department of Archives and History. Co-sponsors: Frances S. Summersell Center for the Study of the South, Charles G. Summersell Chair of Southern History, Department of History, Department of American Studies, Department of Gender and Race Studies, Department of Political Science, University of Alabama Graduate School and the University of Alabama College of Arts and Sciences.
Diversity, Coffee & Conversations
Tuesday, Oct. 4 | 8:30-10 a.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement/Social Enrichment)
*Open to UA Students, Faculty & Staff, UA System
The Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’s monthly Diversity, Coffee and Conversations program will highlight LGBTQ+ History Month, an annual monthlong observance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history, and the history of the gay rights and related civil rights movements. Dr. Lizzie Smith, Safe Zone Resource Center director, will discuss the history of LGBTQ+ History Month and its erasure in higher education. Dr. Smith’s research and pedagogy center on intersectional queer experiences in higher education. In 2021, she completed her dissertation titled: “Let Me Be Professionally Queer: Experiences of Queer, Feminine Subjectivities in LGBTQIA+ Advocacy Roles in American Higher Education.”
Also, Dr. Bharat Mehra, the EBSCO Endowed Chair in Social Justice and professor in the the School of Library and Information Studies at UA, will discuss his own intersectionality within academia and his work on LGBTQ+ advocacy. As a survivor growing up with child abuse and domestic violence in India and as a gay scholar of color in the United States, he is privileged to find his atypical “voice” through his social justice scholarship and LGBTQ+ advocacy. Dr. Mehra’s research focuses on diversity and social justice in library and information science and community informatics or the use of information and communication technologies to empower minority and underserved populations to make meaningful changes in their everyday lives. He has authored/co-authored over 175 peer-reviewed publications on equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and international social justice content since 1999.
Register for this event. For more information, contact the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at diversity@ua.edu.
LGBTQ+ Trivia Night
Tuesday Oct. 4 | 5-6 p.m. | Safe Zone Student Lounge, 2418 Student Center
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement/Social Enrichment)
*Open to UA Students
The Safe Zone Resource Center and the Women and Gender Resource Center will host an LGBTQ+ trivia night for LGBTQ+ History Month. Questions will be presented via a Kahoot, and students will be able to play along on their phones. The event will allow participants a chance to learn more about LGBTQ+ history at UA and in Tuscaloosa. The winner of the event will receive a pride flag of their choice, and catering will be provided for all attendees. For more information, contact the Safe Zone Resource Center at safezone@ua.edu.
Food for Thought: Italian-American Heritage Month
Wednesday, Oct. 5 | Noon-1 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement)
*Open to UA Students, Faculty & Staff, UA System
Diversity Center will continue its Food for Thought series by observing Italian-American Heritage Month. This event will focus on Italian immigrants and their descendants living in the United States, and focus on the arts, science and culture. This program will have several giveaways to support educational efforts such as scholarships, backpacks, and University of Alabama swag. Register for this event. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.
Queering the Past, Connecting the Present
Thursday, Oct. 6 | Noon-1:30 p.m. | Anderson Society Room, 3115 Student Center
UA students, faculty, staff, community, alumni
The purpose of the event, hosted by the Women and Gender Resource Center, is connection – discussing queer history and allowing students to see the threads of sameness and difference through their discussions with guests: UA LGBTQ alumni, members of the Tuscaloosa Lesbian Coalition, and others who want to talk with students. This informal event will open with a discussion from the Tuscaloosa Lesbian Coalition, and then will break into individual group discussions with prompts.
TEDTalk Tuesdays: “Disability and Work”
Tuesday, Oct. 11 | Noon-1 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
(Educational Engagement)
*Open to UA Students, Faculty & Staff, UA System
The next installment in the TEDTalk Tuesday Series will feature “Disability and Work” in observance of National Disability Employment Month. Dr. Hannah Barham-Brown, who uses a wheelchair, will discuss the microaggressions she has faced within the medical field. Brown has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome which affects her ability to walk. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.
National Coming Out Day
Tuesday, Oct. 11 | 3-6 p.m. | Student Center Lawn
(Cultural Exploration/Social Enrichment)
*Open to UA Students, Faculty & Staff, UA System
In collaboration with the Women and Gender Resource Center, the UA Department of Theatre and Dance, and the Honors College, the Safe Zone Resource Center will host a National Coming Out Day festival for LGBTQIA+ individuals at UA. The event will include tabling for LGBTQ+ and allied organizations, inflatables, and live performances celebrating queer identities. For more information, contact the Safe Zone Resource Center at safezone@ua.edu.
TEDTalk Tuesdays: “From Bello to Biùtiful”
Tuesday, Oct. 18 | Noon-1 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
(Educational Engagement)
*Open to UA Students, Faculty & Staff, UA System
The Intercultural Diversity Center will continue its Fall 2022 TEDTalk Tuesday Series with an observance of Italian-American Heritage Month featuring, “From Bello to Biùtiful.” This TEDTalk focuses on what is happening to the Italian language by Annamaria Testa, who is an expert on communication and creativity. She has been a journalist since 1988 and founded the company Progetti Nuovi in 2005. She collaborates with various newspapers and several media companies, including Italy’s national public broadcasting company, RAI. She has taught at major Italian universities, and since 2007 she has taught at Bocconi University. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.
Sex Ed Bingo: Yes, No, Maybe? Let’s Talk about Consent
Tuesday, Oct. 18 | 6-8 p.m. | 3111 Student Center
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement/Social Enrichment)
*Open to UA Students
This program is part of a multipart sex education series. In this session the Safe Zone Resource Center and University Programs will host a workshop discussing social justice frameworks for consent and strategies for discussing consent with relationship partners. Participants will have the opportunity to play Bingo for prizes as an incentive for attending this event, and pizza and drinks will be provided.
Coffee & Mental Health
Wednesday, Oct. 19 | 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
(Educational Engagement/Social Enrichment)
*Open to UA Students, Faculty & Staff, UA System
The Intercultural Diversity Center and UA Counseling Center present Coffee and Mental Health, a time where participants have an opportunity to speak with therapists in a one-on-one setting. The program provides an environment for participants to ask questions, get to know a UA therapist, and learn about counseling as a student resource. In addition, the program will offer a space for guests to learn about the many mental wellbeing resources the counseling center has and ways students can connect with the counseling center. Coffee and Mental Health occurs every third Wednesday. For more information, please contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.
Using Our Voices: LGBTQ Research and Identity
Wednesday, Oct. 19 | Noon-1 p.m. | 3700 Student Center
UA students, faculty and staff
UA faculty and graduate students will discuss their research on LGBTQ+ issues and identities. Sponsored by the Women and Gender Resource Center.
Tide & Turf Alabama Football Tailgate
Saturday, Oct. 22 | Begins three hours before kickoff | The Quad
(Cultural Exploration/Social Enrichment)
*Open to UA Students, Faculty & Staff, UA System
The Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will host a football tailgate for the Alabama Crimson Tide and Mississippi State Bulldogs game in celebration of UA Homecoming Week. The Division is partnering with several other University departments, alumni groups, and others. This inclusive tailgate experience will provide a safe space for building community and cultural learning, teaching and sharing. The program will provide free catered food, giveaways and more. Register for this event. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.
Human Library
Monday, Oct. 24 | Noon- 1 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
Thursday, Oct. 27 | Noon-1 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement)
*Open only to faculty and staff
The Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion begins the human library series by focusing on LGBTQ History Month. The Human Library is an internationally recognized event meant to facilitate conversations between people. Human Library events aim to break down stereotypes and preconceived notions humans have about others by having participants (called “books”) volunteer to tell their stories and other participants (called “readers”) have conversations with these books.
This program features personal stories from fellow staff and community members talking about being a part of the LGBTQ community. Register for these events. Dessert and beverages will be provided to participants. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu or 205-348-9029.
Start Smart
Tuesday, Oct. 25 | 5-7pm | TBA
UA students
The Women and Gender Resource Center will host this pay equity workshop targeted at college-aged women. This workshop discusses the causes of the gender wage gap, in addition to providing information on pay negotiation tactics and how to find and understand a fair salary. Registration for this event.
Pop-Up Shop: Bringing the Multicultural Resource Guide to Life
Wednesday, Oct. 26 | Noon-1 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement/Social Enrichment)
*Open to UA Students, Faculty & Staff, UA System
The Intercultural Diversity Center continues its Pop-Up Shop Series with a focus on National Disability Awareness Month, giving participants the opportunity to learn about resources, services and ways to volunteer from the UA’s Office of Disability Services and The Arc of Tuscaloosa. The Office of Disability Services provides institutionwide leadership and guidance regarding academic accommodations, ADA compliance, and disability-related topics by cultivating partnerships with students, faculty and staff. The Arc of Alabama, Inc., is a non-profit, volunteer-based membership organization whose primary role is to advocate for the rights and protections of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Lunch will be provided. Participants can register at https://tinyurl.com/deiprograms. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.
Lunch and Learn: LGBTQIA+ Activism: Living History at UA
Wednesday, Oct. 26 | Noon-1 p.m. | 2408 Student Center
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement)
*Open to UA Students, Faculty & Staff, UA System
The Safe Zone Resource Center will host a panel discussion featuring the experiences of LGBTQIA+ people who contributed to LGBTQIA+ activism at The University of Alabama in recent history. A catered lunch will be provided to participants. Register for this event. For more information, contact the Safe Zone Resource Center at safezone@ua.edu.
Perspectives on Leadership: Environmental, Social and Governance
Wednesday, Oct. 26 | 6-8:30 p.m. | 3107 Student Center
In this installment of the Perspectives on Leadership speaker series, students will engage industry leaders in Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance, also known as ESG. Panelists include Johnjerica Hodge, partner at Katten, Muchin, Roseman, LLP; Andrew Nix, executive vice president, chief governance officer, deputy general counsel, and assistant corporate secretary for Regions Financial Corporation and Regions Bank; and India D. Williams, partner at Kirkland & Ellis, LLP. Following the panel, students who RSVP for both the panel and dinner (limited to first 30 students), will continue the conversation with the speakers over a meal. The Blackburn Institute will co-sponsor this event with the Capstone Commission on Socially Responsible Investing and the Culverhouse Investment Management Group.
EveryWoman Book Club
Thursday, Oct. 27 | Noon | Legend’s Bistro, Hotel Capstone
The club celebrates LGBTQ+ History Month with a discussion of “In the Dream House” by Carmen Maria Machado. The book is a memoir of Machado’s abusive relationship with an ex-girlfriend. Machado tackles a dark and difficult subject through a series of tropes, including classic horror themes. Published in 2019, the book was awarded the 2021 Folio Prize and the 2020 Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ Nonfiction. RSVP by emailing Debbie Fish.
TRAININGS
Ally Training Program
Wednesday, Oct. 12 | 2-4 p.m. | Zoom
Tuesday, Oct. 25 | 9-11 a.m. | Zoom
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement)
*Open to UA Students, Faculty & Staff, UA System
The UA Safe Zone Ally Training Program provides a visible network of allies for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and asexual, also known as LGBTQIA+, individuals. Safe Zone Allies distribute information regarding sexuality, gender identity, campus and community resources, and methods for reporting harassment and/or discrimination. The Safe Zone Ally Training Program is a two-hour training session that allows participants to develop a working knowledge of appropriate and respectful LGBTQIA+ terminology; recognize the impact that campus climate has on individuals who identify as LGBTQIA+; and identify areas of personal growth as a member of the UA community. Following the training program, participants are invited to sign-up to serve as UA Safe Zone Allies. Register for this event. View the 2022-2023 training schedule.
For more information, contact the Safe Zone Resource Center at 205-348-7297 or safezone@ua.edu.
Webinar: Learn about Microsoft 365 Accessibility Tools
Thursday, Oct. 13 | 1-2 p.m. | Virtual
UA’s Microsoft representative will be hosting a session to teach users how to create an inclusive and accessible classroom using the free tools in M365. Learn about Immersive Reader, Dictation, Translator, and more. This session is free to all. The webinar is sponsored by the Center for Instructional Technology and the Office of Information Technology.
Virtual session link: M365 Accessibility Tools
Session details are available on the UA Events Calendar.
RECURRING MEETINGS
Cinnamon Rolls Not Gender Roles
Tuesday, Oct. 4, 11, 18, 25 | 1 p.m. | Safe Zone Student Lounge
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement/Social Enrichment)
*Open to UA Students
The Safe Zone Resource Center will host its weekly Cinnamon Rolls Not Gender Roles program for individuals of all identities to come together, eat pastries and discuss topics concerning gender identity and performance in our current culture and climate. This group meets weekly. For more information, contact the Safe Zone Resource Center at safezone@ua.edu.
Study Abroad Pop-Up Advising
Tuesday, Oct. 4, 11, 18, 25 | 1-3 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement)
*Open to UA Students
The Capstone International Center will host weekly information sessions on studying abroad. These information sessions will provide advising on the overall process and timeline for studying abroad, dispelling myths about Education Abroad, and program searching. This event takes place every Tuesday. For more information, contact the Study Abroad office at studyabroad@ua.edu.
Rainbow Connection
Friday, Oct. 7, 14, 21, 28 | 2-3 p.m. | Safe Zone Student Lounge, 2418 Student Center
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement/Social Enrichment)
*Open to UA Students
The Safe Zone Resource Center hosts this weekly support and dialogue group for LGBTQIA+ identified students and their allies. This group provides an opportunity to form supportive friendships with other group members, learn resilience skills and strategies for self-care, and set personal goals. For more information, contact the Safe Zone Resource Center at safezone@ua.edu.
Multi-Cultural Coffee Hour
Friday, Oct. 14, 21, 28 | 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement/Social Enrichment)
*Open to UA Students, Faculty & Staff, UA System
International Student & Scholar Services and the Intercultural Diversity Center host weekly coffee hours for students, faculty and staff to enjoy free coffee, tea, snacks and conversation with others from around the world. For more information, contact International Student and Scholar Services’ Sonya Harwood-Johnson at sonya.harwood@ua.edu.