Gay alumni raise $300,000 for defunded U. of Tennessee LGBTQ center
by Julie Compton / Feb.11.2018 / 12:03 AM ET
The University of Tennessee’s LGBTQ Pride Center came under threat of closing in 2016 after state lawmakers defunded the university’s Office for Diversity and Inclusion. Now, openly gay alumni are fighting to save it.
Chad Goldman is a full-time volunteer fundraiser who is leading the effort to raise a private $3 million endowment to keep the Knoxville center’s doors open. He said he was infuriated when he found out the diversity office had been defunded, which essentially cut off funds to the Pride Center.
“We were taking a giant step backwards and sending a message to prospective students, students who were there, faculty and staff that gay people are not welcome here," Goldman told NBC News.
The university's Office of Diversity and Inclusion, which included the Pride Center, came into the crosshairs of Republican state lawmakers over a number of issues prior to losing funding, according to local news reports. Among them, lawmakers criticized the center for circulating a newsletter requesting instructors be sensitive to students’ preferred pronouns. Lawmakers were also critical of the center's support for “Sex Week,” a series of educational programs aimed at spreading awareness around sexuality, sexual assault prevention and sexually transmitted diseases.
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https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/gay-alumni-raise-300-000-defunded-u-tennessee-lgbtq-center-n846871