Being the only LGBTQ+ person in an office or department can be isolating.
That’s why Washington State University Vancouver faculty and staff created PRISM, an affinity group for LGBTQ+ individuals, advocates, and allies who work there.
The idea began to take shape last fall, then in the spring PRISM hosted off‑campus gatherings, an on‑campus community-building event and a book club. In July PRISM members will have a table at Vancouver’s annual “Saturday in the Park” Pride event.
Sam Buechler, interim co-director of the WSU Vancouver Library, and Sawyer Barragan, campus director of the Center for Intercultural Learning and Affirmation, were co‑conveners of the group.
Buechler, whose pronouns are they/them, said the biggest benefit of PRISM is to help LGBTQ+ employees at WSU Vancouver “know that they’re not alone.”
They also hope PRISM evolves to become an advocate for LGBTQ+ employees.
For example, as an advisor for Cougar Pride, the registered student organization representing LGBTQ+ students and allies at WSU Vancouver, Buechler knows there can be challenges in changing a name in the university system.
“There are a lot of constraints around that,” they said. “We can advocate to create processes that aren’t as limiting.”
Barragan said fostering connections between LGBTQ+ employees could help with employee retention, too.
Nationally, “We know that LGBTQ+ folks get hired at a lower rate and have higher rates of attrition,” he said.
Plus, “In the higher ed field your network is everything, it can really set you up for success.”
PRISM has about 20 members and is growing, Buechler and Barragan say. New leaders have stepped up for the 2023–24 academic year.
“Our biggest goal was to create an organization that was going to exist for years to come on the WSU Vancouver campus,” Barragan said. “That made my heart full to not only have a year under our belt but to have a group that wants to lead it into the future.”
