Dozens Join LGBT Center Ally List

The first week back to campus for faculty, staff, and students from the holiday break brought a large outpouring of support for LGBT identified individuals at the University of Louisville. This show of support occurred on the LGBT Center's online Ally List, where faculty and staff can opt to pledge their advocacy to the LGBT community by adding their names to the public list.

In the first week of January over two dozen individuals have added their names. This recent spike in interest was due in large part to the January 4 posting in ULToday.

"This is huge." says Brian Buford, Director of the LGBT Center. "The Ally List has always been a way for current and prospective students to see who on their campus is on the list. It helps them decide who they feel is going to be safe to reach out to about a variety of issues related to their identity. The list has become a measure of climate for straight and cisgender people just as much as LGBT folks. Prospective faculty and staff have also reported that before they took a position at the university, they checked the Ally List to see who in their department or unit had added their name. It provides those prospective employees with an understanding of the inclusive environment that our university has worked hard to develop. Seeing this many individuals adding their names to the list is a moving testament to the support we feel from our campus community."

The Ally List launched in 2008 as part of the LGBT Centers Safe Zone project, and has since grown to over 400 names from across our university community.

Want to join other U of L staff and faculty by adding your name to the list? It's easy! Just follow the link to Join the Ally List. Updates to the list generally appear within 48 hours.