Pacific Oaks College hosted a virtual Pride Panel for LGBTQIA+ members of the community to come together, listen to the stories and advice of panelists, and discuss multiple issues impacting LGBTQIA+ spaces.
Moderators Jacqueline Romero, director of student engagement, and Pat Meda, director of C.A.R.E. Facility, led the discussion, which featured panelists from the Pacific Oaks community who identify as members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Attendees were encouraged to submit questions for the panelists. At the start of the event, Romero shared her intention to make the virtual gathering “a space for community and growth.”
Representing a variety of personal experiences, the panelists provided thoughtful responses to questions about the coming out process and how it’s changed over time; how coming out can affect one’s perception of self, religion, and spirituality; bias from within the LGBTQIA+ community; race and intersectionality; code-switching for LGBTQIA+ individuals; and modes of healing or perseverance.
Panelists
- Peter Escalante, PHR, Human Resources Generalist
- Michael Lopez-Patton, M.P.A., Dean of Students
- Francisco Aragon, Manager of Academic Affairs
- Katie Willert, Executive Assistant to the President
- Niko Shahbazian, Writing Tutor at C.A.R.E. Facility
Moderators
- Jacqueline Romero, M.A., Director of Student Engagement
- Pat Meda, M.A., Director of C.A.R.E. Facility
Listen to the full discussion here:
