The Speakers Bureau is an educational service provided by the Gender and Sexuality Center at UIC. Speakers Bureau sessions provide opportunities for individuals to participate in open and informed discussions on campus and in our Chicago community about LGBTQ+ lives. UIC students, faculty, and staff volunteer to speak about their experiences as a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Gender Expansive person, or Cisgender and/or Heterosexual ally at UIC and in the Chicago community. Sessions typically consist of individual storytelling followed by a question-and-answer period. It is available by request for student groups, in classes, in residence halls, for faculty/staff groups, in the Chicago community, or for other appropriate engagements.

 

We have transitioned our Navigating Allyship workshops (formerly known as Safe Zone) to a Speakers Bureau format. We have found that this new format provides a more dynamic and engaging experience for those interested in learning more about LGBTQIA+ communities.

 

For questions or to schedule a session, please contact us at lgbtqa@uic.edu

Speakers Bureau Goals Heading link

  • Increase LGBTQIA+ visibility and counteract misinformation about the

    lives of LGBTQIA+ people.

  • Discuss the diversity of LGBTQIA+ communities.

  • Make real the oppression of LGBTQIA+ people.

  • Empower audience members who may not be out about their sexual and/or

    gender identities.

  • Empower ourselves as LGBTQIA+ people.

  • Demonstrate the importance of being a heterosexual or cisgender/non-

    transgender ally.

  • Serve as an impetus for questioning larger issues of social oppression.