The Resource Center for Sexual & Gender Diversity at UCSB is designed to be a safe and supportive environment for all students, staff, and faculty, emphasizing resources for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex (LGBTQI) community, as well as allies and those who are questioning their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. The Resource Center welcomes a diversity of racial, ethic, religious, political and cultural values while advocating for the welfare of those who have historically been marginalized because of their sexual and/or gender identity. The Resource Center staff is committed to serving the campus and larger community with professionalism and respect. The Resource Center provides educational programming, social activities, advocacy and consultation with the goal of enhancing safety, tolerance and quality of life in the UCSB community. History The establishment of UCSB’s Resource Center for Sexual & Gender Diversity can be credited to the efforts of many different people and organizations throughout the years. These efforts included students, staff and faculty whose presence, requests, demands and activism led to the creation of the Queer Resource Center in 1999. The history of campus organizing began when a student organization, the Gay Students’ Union was first created at UCSB in 1972 (later becoming the Gay People’s Union in 1977). A faculty, staff and student LGB awareness group was formed in 1989 and one of their first goals was the creation of a LGB Center at UCSB. A formal bid for a Center was made in 1994 by a number of LGB groups including the student LGBA, GLB Graduate Student Network, LGB Faculty Group, LGB Staff Association, University Committee on LGBT Concerns, the rap groups and LGBs of Color. In February of 1995, UCSB hosted the first UC system-wide LGBT conference. Another formal proposal for a center was made to the Chancellor in 1998 by the Queer Student Union. In October 1998, the day after the vigil for Matthew Sheppard, the Queer Peer Intern spoke to the Chancellor about the lack of support for LGBT students at UCSB and the need for allies. Soon after the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs pledged funds for a LGBT Coordinator and small operating budget. In Winter, 1999, a large group of students protested for the protection and growth of Ethnic and Queer studies on campus. Out of this protest came a commitment from the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor to find a space for a LGBT Center on campus. The first LGBT Coordinator was hired in June, 1999 and the center was officially opened in Fall, 1999 on the third floor of the University Center. The center was originally called the Queer Resource Center until the name was changed to the Resource Center for Sexual & Gender Diversity in Spring, 2001. The first full-time Assistant Director of LGBT Resources was hired in September 2005, thanks to additional funding from a student-initiated mandatory fee that was passed during the student elections the previous April. The Resource Center moved to its current location in the Student Resource Building in February 2007. RCSGD Staffing History: Queer Peer Interns: 1997-1998 Sergio Morales 1998-1999 Janet Mallen 1999-2000 Cecilia “CC” Sapp 2005-2006 Cameo Flores, Joel Rodriguez-Flores, & Christine Shearer 2006-2007 Anti-Racist Community Intern Jennie Beeson Front Desk Associates Pritesh Pillay Isaac Rodriguez Stacy Umezu Leigh Zeiske Graduate Student Intern Larisa Veloz Queer Peer Intern Gloria Schindler Directors: 1999-2000 Debbie Bazarsky 2000-2001 Maurice Hudson 2001-2002 Stacey Shears 2002-2007 Kyle Richards 2007-present [vacant] Assistant Directors: 2002-2003 Rebecca Chapman 2003-2004 Erin McGinnis Pullin 2005-2006 Stephanie Eunha Lee 2006-present chueh jun-fung