Fairfield University will kick off a series of events celebrating LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning) History Month this October with keynote speaker LZ Granderson , a popular columnist for CNN.com, ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine . Granderson will deliver "Dare You to Move" at 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 6, in the Aloysius P. Kelley, S.J. Center Presentation Room. His talk will be followed by the second annual Fairfield University LGBTQ Social at 8 p.m.

All events are free and open to the public.

Meredith Marquez, associate director of Student Diversity Programs, said recognizing LGBTQ History Month makes perfect sense at Fairfield, a Jesuit university. "A hallmark of Jesuit education is a focus on social justice and LGBTQ History Month provides an opportunity for our community to discuss and reflect upon one of the most pressing social justice issues of our time," she said. "It's important that we support our LGBTQ students, faculty, and staff by providing events that speak to their lived experience and call on everyone to be more accepting and inclusive."

Named Journalist of the Year by the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association, Granderson is the most visible openly gay man in sports today. He writes a weekly column for CNN.com, appears weekly on CNN Newsroom and is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine . He has also appeared on Anderson Cooper 360 , ABC's Good Morning America and other programs.

Granderson is a 2009 winner and 2010 and 2011 nominee for the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation award for online journalism. His popular CNN column focuses on how social and cultural issues affect the way life is lived in America today. His essay on clothing choices for young girls, for instance, was the top story on CNN.com, generating 2.8 million page views, 5,000 comments and 440,000 Facebook 'recommends.'

Prior to his current positions, Granderson was a sports columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution . A member of the National Association of Black Journalists, he was a Columbia University Hechinger Institute Fellow and has interviewed many sports greats, including David Beckham, Dan Marino and Roger Federer.

In addition to Granderson's appearance, Fairfield plans a host of events considering LGBTQ issues, including a free film series on three consecutive Tuesdays in October. All Love: An LGBTQ Film Series begins with Rodney Evans' 2004 film Brother to Brother at 7 p.m., Oct. 11 and continues with Maria Maggenti's 1995 film The Incredibly True Adventure of 2 Girls in Love at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 18. The series concludes at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 25 with a screening of Stonewall Uprising , an episode of the PBS documentary series American Experience . All films will be screened in the DiMenna-Nyselius Library Multimedia Room and light refreshments will be served.

On Wednesday, Oct. 19, the University will host an LGBTQ Activism Workshop with Jason Kelliher of the Human Rights Campaign, who will prepare students to work for change in college and beyond. His hands-on workshop begins at 8 p.m. in the Barone Campus Center Room 200.

Out at the Workplace: An LGBT Alumni Group Panel will take place at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 20, in the Barone Campus Center, Room 200. Fairfield alumni will offer strategies to attaining career success while embracing diversity.

The Care of Souls: Sexual Diversity, Celibacy, and Ministry will take place on Saturday, Oct. 29 from 9:45 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the Dolan School of Business Dining Room. This daylong conference addresses the roles and responsibilities of Catholics who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) in the Church's ministries. It is part of the More than a Monologue series of events sponsored by Fairfield, Fordham University, Union Theological Seminary and Yale Divinity School. For more information and to register for this event, please visit: www.morethanamonologue.org .

For a detailed schedule, visit http://www.fairfield.edu/lgbtq .

Posted On: 09-26-2011 11:09 AM

Volume: 44 Number: 49