LGBTQ+ Presidential Advisory Committee at the University of Florida Records

The LGBT Concerns Committee, now the LGBTQ+ Presidential Advisory Committee at the University of Florida, was appointed in Fall 1992 under the Office of the Provost. The Committee was proposed to the Provost by the members of the Committee on Sexism and Homophobia in 1990, but it took two years for the new Committee to be appointed. The original name of the Concerns Committee was the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Concerns Committee; in 2002, it was renamed to the LGBT Concerns Committee.

The Concerns Committee had an important activity in Fall 1993 to conduct a Quality of Life survey of lesbian, gay, bisexual faculty, staff, and students. Since the names of lesbian, gay, and bisexual persons were not available, the survey was distributed by the “snowball” method, i.e., surveys were given to specific individuals who in turn asked lesbian, gay, and bisexual persons to fill out and return the surveys.

According to "The History of LGBTQ+ Individuals at UF," "The GLB Concerns Committee submitted a request to the University Senate in 2000 to support adding sexual orientation to the University’s anti-discrimination policy. After a heated debate, the Senate voted in favor of the motion. In 2002 the committee (now called the LGBT Concerns Committee) requested that President Charles Young get Board approval for adding the terms sexual orientation and gender identity and expression to the non-discrimination clause. The Board unanimously approved adding sexual orientation to the anti-discrimination policy in July of 2003. The President promised to come back with gender identity and expression, but retired before that was accomplished.

"The Concerns Committee submitted a request to the University Senate in 2001 to support providing partner benefits to University employees and it passed. The committee went to President Young with a request that the University obtain partner benefits. Because the State would not approve such a request, he decided to wait until we were under the control of a Board of Trustees."

For more information on the Committee, see their website.