DEIJ Intersectional Events: Spring 2025

Safe Zone at Loyola University Maryland fosters an affirming environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans & gender non-conforming, non-binary, queer, pansexual, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQPIA+) members of the University community and their allies. In support of the University's mission to promote intellectual excellence and ethical leadership in the Jesuit tradition, Safe Zone at Loyola:

- Cultivates dialogue, understanding, and fellowship among all University community members around LGBTQ+ issues and contributions
- Sponsors designated Safe Zones around campus that offer safety, support, and confidentiality for LGBTQ+ students and their allies
- Offers training to faculty, staff, administrators, and students on how to fully welcome, support, and value LGBTQ+ people and perspectives in the University community

Becoming Safe Zone trained at Loyola is a three-step process. Training sessions should be completed in order and upon completion of Session 3, participants have the opportunity to sign a commitment to contributing to an affirming campus for LGBTQ+ members. When you see a Safe Zone decal on campus, it indicates that person completed the entirety of Loyola's Safe Zone program.

Some people complete the Safe Zone program over the course of a month, while many others choose to complete it over the course of a few years when they feel ready to take each step in the process.

Congratulations class of 2025! Graduation stoles are now available for purchase. Please fill out this registration form to complete your order. All orders MUST be placed by April 16th, 2025 at 12 pm (No exceptions!).

NOTE: When you make your payment, make sure you enter the billing address that is on your credit card, NOT your Loyola address.

• Latinx Heritage Serape Stole
• African-American Heritage Kente Stole
• 1 Flag
• 2 Flags
• 3 Flags

As part of Phi Beta Kappa's ongoing visiting scholar program, Loyola will host Tammy Kernodle as she addresses topics in race, gender, and pop culture. This year's title is "All Rhythm but None of the Blues: Black Music, Black Women and the De-Mythologizing of Post-Racial America"

In the wake of Barack Obama's election in 2008, political pundits and cultural critics began declaring that the election of the first African American President was representative of America moving into a period of post-racialism. This notion of post-racialism was not simply based in political ideology, but also in the continuous globalization of black culture, especially black music. First through playlist and later through performances at the White House, Obama used music as a means of cultivating a form of nationalistic unity that was multi-ethnic, multi-racial, and intergenerational. On the surface, he had seemingly created a soundtrack for post-racial America. However, just as Obama prepared to launch his re-election campaign, a series of violent events began to undermine this notion of post-racialism. This resulted not only in the awakening of new social movements, but also new forms of protest culture. These presentation looks at four key events that occurred between 2012 and 2016 as a lens to understanding the current wave of protest and socially conscious music. It will specifically focus on the music and cultural responses of black women as a method of illuminating the long and varied history of black women musicians in shaping and promoting a public rhetoric of social change.

One Question is an interactive event designed to help the audience envision a world where we see ability rather than disability. The event combines a short film, "What Makes You Happy?" with a panel discussion and some additional activities that incorporate the audience, so that they become part of the event rather than passively receiving information. The event centers on our neighbors with disabilities, and our panel usually consists of four to six individuals with disabilities who share stories about their lives and answer questions from the audience. The goal is to raise awareness about our neighbors with disabilities and our relationship with them—to envision a world where we see potential and ability first.

Join Messina and Residence Life for a night of fun and competition as we cheer on our Men's Lacrosse team as they face Towson University. Join us at 4pm for a pep rally in Bowman Hall's Lobby where we will have food, games, poster making, and giveaways you can use to cheer on our athletes at the game. The game is at Towson so the bus will depart from Boulder promptly at 5:15pm after the pep rally ends. Tickets have been paid for and return transportation is included.

Please wear Loyola gear as our small but mighty cheering section needs to be seen and heard!

**Please note registering for this event commits you to BOTH the pep rally and lacrosse game so only register if you can attend both.

Join us for an informative session on Developing Proactively Supportive & Trauma-Informed Environments. Centering members of the LGBTQ+ community, join us as we explore ways to make Loyola affirming for all in relation to physical space, interpersonal interactions, and policies and practices. Learn how to foster a campus culture that affirms and supports LGBTQ+ individuals and creates inclusive physical spaces that promote belonging and safety.

Facilitated by Pat Cassidy and Dr. Jessica David, this session will provide an overview of how colleagues, students, and campus community members bring with them all of who they are and all that they have experienced.

About Cura Conversations:

Hosted by The Office of Equity and Inclusion, The Counseling Center, Campus Ministry, ALANA Services, LGBTQ+ Student Services, and The Office of Human Resources. This lunchtime dialogue series addresses critical topics through the lens of compassion, curiosity, and care. Open to all members of the Loyola Community!

Come see a childhood favorite movie in play-form at Loyola's former home (all the way back to the 1850s!) Play synopsis for those who have never seen the movie: Akeelah has a passion for words, the crazier the better! Under-challenged at school and overwhelmed by her daily life in a tough, Chicago neighborhood, Akeelah is finding it difficult to try. But with the Scripps National Spelling Bee just around the corner, her community is ready to show her she has the courage and tenacity to make her dream come true.

**Chosen showtime offers an ASL intrepreter.**

Are you in a space of uncertainty? Unsure of how to navigate with the many changes shaping today’s climate? Come and join our Cura Conversation dialogue space on Friday, March 14, 2025, to discuss Advocacy in Action - - actionable steps for workplace/community advocacy and allyship.

Advocacy in Action refers to the proactive and dynamic process of promoting a cause or policy through tangible, real-world efforts. It’s about turning core beliefs and values into concrete actions that foster social change. Participants will be invited to engage in conversation, reflective exercise, and small group interactive activity.

About Cura Conversations:

Hosted by The Office of Equity and Inclusion, The Counseling Center, Campus Ministry, ALANA Services, LGBTQ+ Student Services, and The Office of Human Resources. This lunchtime dialogue series addresses critical topics through the lens of compassion, curiosity, and care. Open to all members of the Loyola Community!

On Tuesday, February 25th, the Karson will be hosting a celebration in honor of Black History Month. There will be poetry, music with Chosen Generation, a panel, refreshments, and much more! It will be held in the Loyola Notre Dame Library from 6:30 PM- 8:30 PM. Registration is required!

Wrongfully convicted at 16, Jones spent 37 years of his life incarcerated. During that time, Jones earned a college degree, wrote two books, and is now a successful author and speaker but most importantly, free. This event is perfect for any law, political science, philosophy, or even writing majors as themes like justice and hope are explored during this talk.

Campus Ministry invites you to our 8th annual Hope and Renewal Prayer Service (HARPS), an interfaith prayer service that celebrates the beginning of Spring semester at Loyola with music and messages of hope and renewal from multiple faith traditions. Loyola's Chosen Generation Choir and Chapel Choir will be performing, in addition to campus community members. Please join in this celebration of belonging at Loyola.

Join us for brunch at the Cohn Hall common space following the prayer service!Doors open at 9:30 am, it is first come first serve seating.

Come by to the LNDL for free coffee refreshments and cookies

The Thriving Spaces: Environment for Learning, Living, and Working survey aims to assess how all members of our community are experiencing the current campus climate. The survey will launch on Tuesday, February 4th and will close on Friday, March 7th.

The Office of Equity and Inclusion and the Climate Survey Working Group (CSWG) will host events for students and employees to learn more about the Thriving Spaces survey, ask questions, complete the survey, socialize, and enjoy food and drinks together!

The schedule of events is below:

Thursday, February 6 (Launch Day Café)
Breakfast: 8 – 9:45 a.m.
Lunch: Noon – 12 p.m.
Employee-only event: 5 – 7 p.m.
Location: 4th Floor Program Room

Friday, February 14
9 a.m. – Noon
Location: Hug Lounge

Tuesday, February 18
9 a.m. – Noon
Location: Green & Grey Café

Wednesday, February 19
9 a.m. – Noon
Location: Cohn Hall

Monday, February 24
9 a.m. – Noon
Location: Hug Lounge & Café


Please complete this form to help us understand how many people to expect. Thank you!

Hora De Café Con Leche provides native/fluent Spanish Speakers, and those looking to practice their Spanish, with a space to build community, play games, and discuss different topics in Spanish! Stop on by, enjoy delicious café, and connect with your fellow Spanish speakers in this affinity space!

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Nikole Hannah-Jones will deliver the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation address at Loyola University Maryland on Monday, January 27, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. in Reitz Arena. The topic, "In Conversation about Truth, History, and The 1619 Project," will be moderated by Karsonya Wise Whitehead, Ph.D., the founding director of the Karson Institute for Race, Peace & Social Justice and a professor of Communication and African and African American Studies at Loyola, along with David Carey, Ph.D., the Doehler Chair and professor of History at Loyola.

The event will also be live-streamed on YouTube, with closed captioning provided.

This event is part of the Peace & Justice Bunting Speaker Series and is free and open to the public, although advance registration is encouraged.

Celebrating its 32nd year, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation is an opportunity for Loyola and the Baltimore community to come together and launch the spring semester and New Year with a shared inquiry into issues of social justice, politics, spirituality, and the legacies of race and racial justice in America.

The convocation is co-sponsored by the Office of the President, Office of Equity and Inclusion, Office of Peace & Justice, the Karson Institute for Race, Peace & Social Justice, Messina, and the African and African American Studies Program.

Persons with disabilities who may require special services should contact the Office of Disability and Accessibility Services at 410-617-2062 (TDD) or 410-617-2141 at least 48 hours before the event.

• RSVP - I'll attend in-person
• RSVP- I'll attend virtually

Let's have a kiki! Pop by the Pride Resource Room at any point during the day for a little community and connection. Drinks, snacks, movies, and resources galore! Members of LGBTQ+ Student Services will be available to chat, answer questions, and share resources. Come stay a while or pop in for a quick hello - it's up to you!

Join the Loyola University Maryland delegation at the annual IgnatianQ Conference at Loyola Marymount University, April 3-6, 2025!

IgnatianQ brings together the community of LGBTQPIA+ folks (and allies) at Jesuit universities from across the U.S. We are an affirming community, brought together in part by our common experiences of marginalization and exclusion. As LGBTQPIA+ people, we believe that our own desire for social justice and the Jesuit values that inform our education are forces that can and should work together for a more just and humane world. As we explore the intersections of sexuality, gender, and spirituality together, we strive to educate and empower the whole person.

The 2025 theme of the IgnatianQ conference is "Queera Personalis: Embracing the spectrum, nurturing queer souls."

Applications due Monday, February 3, 2025. Email Yulianna Otero Asmar (yoteroasmar@loyola.edu) or Pat Cassidy (pjcassidy@loyola.edu) if you have any questions!