BUILDING INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP

LGBT & QUEER LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

MODULES FOR STUDENT FACILITATORS
Developed by Travis H Olson, Summer NUFP Intern for the LGBT Resource Center
and the Office of Inclusion and Intercultural Relations
July 2013

BUILDING INCLUSIVE
LEADERSHIP
LGBT & QUEER LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT MODULES
FOR STUDENT FACILITATORS
INTRODUCTION
This guide is intended for LGBT student leaders

CONTENTS

who are interested in facilitating leadership

workshops for their peers. The resources in the

Introduction

next few pages are in no way comprehensive, but

should rather serve as a starting point and guide

Why Identity-Based

for those interested in the topics of sexual identity

Leadership is Important

development, leadership training, and group

What Type of Leadership

facilitation. The information here is presented the

Benefits LGBT/Queer

same way it would be for student affairs

Students?

professionals in order to help student leaders

Topics of Concern for LGBT

become acquainted with relevant academic

Queer Student Leaders

language. It is suggested that users of this guide

meet regularly with LGBT Resource Center staff to
go over any questions and to obtain additional

Notes on Facilitation

13

Suggested Modules

16

Works Cited

23

resources.

Note on use of LGBT and Queer: For the purpose of this guide LGBT is understood as an
acronym describing individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.
Although queer is also often used as an umbrella term for these demographic markers, here it
refers to an identity defined by a commitment to a collective identity based on being
marginalized because of ones sexuality [and/or gender identity], rather than simply
identification because of ones gender [and/or] gender identity and the object of ones
affection (Dilley, 1999). In other words, those who identify as queer are embracing a political
identity in a way that those who identify as LGBT do not necessarily claim.

WHY IDENTITY-BASED LEADERSHIP IS IMPORTANT

Despite an increased interest in leadership theory as an area of study within institutions of
higher education, rigid organizational structures that reward positional leadership, a lack of
campus opportunities to learn relevant skills, and a lack of applicable research in student
leadership development are preventing American colleges and universities from assisting
students in developing the leadership skills needed for our diversifying society (Astin & Astin,
2000; Renn, 2010). Further complicating this trend is the fact that even fewer resources are
being devoted to understanding student leadership development within historically
underrepresented social groups (Dugan, 2011a; Fassinger, Shullman & Stevenson, 2010;
Renn & Bilodeau, 2005; Renn 2007), which are now some of the fastest growing segments of
the overall U.S. American student population (Woo, 2006; Porter, 2006). Additionally, groups
that have always been a part of U.S. American higher education, such as LGBT and queer
students, are becoming increasingly visible as social attitudes change and more legal
protections are gained (Marine, 2011).

This lack of resources for underrepresented students not only raises questions about the
equitable dispersal of resources within institutions and student affairs professionals readiness
to work with these students, but also causes concern for leadership educators. Understanding
how people of various races, ethnicities, nationalities, sexualities, genders, ability levels, social
classes and religious backgrounds develop as leaders is necessary to developing leadership
programs that challenge all students to fight for social equity and societal change (Astin &
Astin 2000, Dugan & Komives 2007, Dugan 2011a). Fortunately, the work of a small but
growing group of researchers (Abes, Dugan, Fassinger, Jones, Rankin, Renn, etc.) is
providing a base of empirical research from which practitioners can begin to develop effective
and responsible programs for both students of non-majority and dominate identities. It is
crucial that student affairs practitioners begin to use this information to benefit students and to
begin testing empirical results in real world situations.

WHAT TYPE OF LEADERSHIP BENEFITS LGBT/QUEER

STUDENTS?
In many traditional understandings of leadership power is derived from a formal title or
domineering traits. This may turn LGBT and queer student away from formal leadership
programs, as the individuals who command these ideals in our society are overwhelmingly
male, gender normative and heterosexual. For this reason it is important to consistently define
leadership as a group learning process in which all participants benefit and anyone can
partake. The social change model (SCM) of leadership is particularly valuable for engaging
underrepresented students and assisting in their efficacy development because it strives to
explain the complex relationship of individual agency and institutionalized norms, recognizing
that to enact change we must involve multiple stakeholders in a holistic, group-oriented

process (Komives & Dugan, 2010) that is collaborative, inclusive, values-based and open to all
people (Cliente, 2009).
The SCM of leadership is built around the concept that leadership happens across three
domains (the individual, group, and societal) and that seven capacities (consciousness of self,
congruence, commitment, collaboration, common purpose, controversy with civility, and
citizenship) are needed to engage in successful leadership at every level (Komives & Dugan,
2010; Wagner, 2009). Research has shown that students are overall more adept at the
individual levels of the SCM and may struggle more with group and societal level capacities.
Theoretical models suggesting that the later levels of the SCM require more complex cognitive
skills suggest why this may be the case (Dugan, 2006b).

THE SOCIAL CHANGE MODEL OF LEADERSHIP (CLIENTE, 2009)

The reciprocal relationships of the three domains of the social change model demonstrate how it is an ongoing
process that is never completely finished.

Specifically within LGBT/queer student populations, lesbian and gay students have not been
found to differ from their heterosexual students in socially responsible leadership development
or leadership efficacy, but bisexual and transgender students have reported lower scores for
some markers (Dugan & Yurman 2011; Dugan, Kusel & Simounet 2012). This discrepancy
between different LGBT/queer student subpopulations has largely been attributed to the fact
that both bisexual and transgender students navigate campus environments that they perceive
to be far more hostel than their lesbian and gay peers with fewer resources designed for their
specific needs.

FURTHER READING
IDENITY-BASED LEADERSHIP
o Ostick, D. T. & Wall, V. A. (2011). Establishing and Advancing a Leadership Program.
S. Komives, J. P. Dugan, J. E. Owen, C. Slack, W. Wagner & Associates (Eds.),
The Handbook for Student Leadership Development (137-176). San Francisco,
CA: Jossey-Bass.
LEADERSHIP IDENTITY FORMATION
o Komives, S. R., Lucas, N., & McMahon, T.R. (2007). Exploring leadership: For college
students who want to make a difference (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: JosseyBass.
SOCIAL CHANGE MODEL OF LEADERSHIP
o Cilente, K. (2009). An overview of the social change model of leadership development.
In S. R. Komives, W. Wagner, & Associates (Eds.), Leadership for a better world
: Understanding the social change model of leadership development (pp. 43- 78).
San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
o Wagner, W. (2009). What is social change? In S. R. Komives, W. Wagner, & Associates
(Eds.), Leadership for a better world: Understanding the social change model of
leadership development (pp. 7- 42). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

TOPICS OF CONCERN FOR LGBT/QUEER LEADERS

TYPES OF LGBT/QUEER LEADERSHIP
Just as there is an incredible amount of diversity within the LGBT/queer communities, there is
a large array of leadership styles and identities amongst LGBT/queer student leaders.
Research on the topic by Renn (2007) found that students at a large Midwestern research
university had adopted at least three distinct leadership styles that changed over time. If their
leadership style did change, students moved from a positional understanding of leadership to a
transformational one where their role was less about a title and more about individual passion
and facilitating a group process. This shifting of leadership identity matches what happens to
all students as they begin to critically reflect about their experiences.

SHIFTING IDENTITIES (RENN, 2007)

Another research paper by Abes and Jones (2004) suggests that having to make sense of a
non-heterosexual sexual identity through rejecting external labels and examining multiple
perspectives may make LGB/queer students more advanced thinkers. In other words, the type
of thinking that many LGBT/queer students do naturally may make them more competent
leaders over time.
Another key aspect of LGBT/queer student leadership that is more universal comes from the
fact that sexuality, unlike other identities, is a non-visible social identity. As opposed to student
leaders of color, who may be Black or Asian leaders but also visibly carry those identities
outside of leadership contexts, LGBT/queer students sexuality is made visible through the
very act of leadership. This leads to a cycle of becoming more involved as a leader meaning
being more out as an individual (Renn, 2007). As a result, it is much more common for
LGBT/queer student leaders to merge their personal identities and leadership identities than it
is for other marginalized student populations (Renn & Ozaki, 2010). For LGBT/queer student
leaders, the personal is political more often than not on contemporary U.S. American
campuses.

MERGED IDENTITIES (RENN & OZAKI, 2010)

The continued demonstration of how closely related a students understanding of their own
individual sexual identity, their leadership identity, and their ability to think in complex ways
suggests that in order to improve leadership skills it is crucial to regularly engage in personal
reflection. It is also important to note that a merged sexual and leadership identity may create
a tremendous amount of stress on LGBT/queer leaders because there are fewer moments for
an individual to turn off. With a merged leadership identity friends, academics, and the
campus context are all understood through ones work as a leader in an often politicized and
isolated community. Self-reflective practices should not only focus on making oneself a better
a leader, but also on ensuring that leaders are taking care of their personal psychological and
physical wellbeing.

ISSUES TO RALLY AROUND

With LGBT/queer student leaders naturally understanding their positions differently and
adopting different leadership styles it can be hard to agree upon what topics student
organizations should organize. No two groups are going to or necessarily should have the
same agenda, but the following are some overarching concerns that those who study LGBT
college and university students could use help addressing:

CAMPUS CLIMATE
o Nationwide campus climate continues to be a major issue of concern for not only
LGBT/queer students, but also faculty and staff. Although it is now ten years old,
Rankins (2003) Campus Climate Index demonstrates how even at schools with
publicized inclusion policies many acts of bias go unreported and an unacceptable
percentage of LGBT/queer community members feel unsafe. More recent studies
demonstrate that LGBT/queer students still perceive their campuses as more
hostile (Yost & Gilmore, 2011), while employees of the university are often more
affected by their direct supervisors views on sexuality and gender identity than
institutional policy (Sears, 2008). Despite national political gains and increased
general awareness of LGBT/queer issues, student groups should still explore ways
to make their institutions more welcoming to all groups that make up the
LGBT/queer coalition and especially those who are just beginning their first coming
out process.

SEXISM
o Although LGBT/queer communities are distinct and unique from our overarching
normative culture, they are still subject to many of the messages that larger structure
communicates. As a result, cis-gendered lesbians still internalize cis privilege, ablebodies queers still move through the world without thinking about the disabled
experience, and gay men are socialized to act with male privilege. Despite
demonstrating equally well-developed or even more well-developed leadership skills,
cis-women continue to have lower self-efficacy when it comes to their ability to lead
due to continuing stereotypes about women lacking leadership skills (Dugan,
Komives, & Segar, 2008; Dugan, 2006a). This pattern also holds within the trans
community, with female-identified trans students reporting more issues than their
male and non-binary gender peers (Dugan, Kusel, & Simounet, 2012). Researchers
have attributed these issues to gender-blind organizing or that the idea that when
not addressed, male students will unintentionally lead organizations in a way that
perpetuates male privilege and excludes female-identified peers (Westbrook, 2009).
To avoid this LGBT/queer leaders should work with womens groups to regularly
dialogue about sexism, feminism, and masculinity.
TRANSPHOBIA
o Trans students face many challenges that their LGB/queer peers do not. In
addition to reporting higher rates of campus hostility and instances of bias (Rankin,
2003), they also often deal with genderism (the practice of enforcing and codifying a
rigid binary definition of gender), harassment and violence, and an exacerbation of
mental health effects due to daily stress (Marine, 2011). Nationwide and on college

10

campuses gender identity is often not protected to the same extent that sexuality
and sex is. There is a lot of work for LGBT/queer student groups to do on this issue,
but a good starting point is to ensure that all members are well versed on how to be
a trans ally and that language used by the group is inclusive and welcoming. The
LGBT Resource Center and Counseling Center regularly hold workshops for
interested Illinois community members. The workbook for those trainings can be
found here: http://studentaffairs.illinois.edu/diversity/lgbt/Transgender Ally Training
Manual.pdf
RACISM
o It is far too common of a narrative for LGBT/queer students of color to feel
compelled to choose to express either their sexuality or race in a given context
(Abes & Jones, 2004). The fact that these students do not feel supported to fully
express all the facets of their identity is obviously problematic and could be due to
how gay is coded as White in popular and political culture (Shugart, 2003; Teunis,
2005) and White is aggressively policed as the norm to which all people, regardless
of other social identities, should adhere (Brub, 2001). LGBT/queer student leaders
need to begin dialoging with other social justice leaders to explore how social
identities and systems of oppression intersect on both the campus and macro scale.
It should again be noted that these topics are not split into categories for separate groups to
tackle individually. For example, a group primarily for LGBT/queer students of color should not
be solely tasked with addressing racism in the LGBT/queer student community and larger
campus community. Rather, student leaders should develop programming and trainings that

11

help their peers understand how we are all complicit in not doing enough to address these
issues and how they will only begin to be resolved when we all are aware of them.

FURTHER READING
CAMPUS CLIMATE
o Rankin, S. (2003). Campus Climate for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people:
A national perspective. Washington, DC: National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
SEXISM
o Westbrook, L. (2009). Where the women aren't: gender differences in the use of LGBT
resources on college campuses. Journal of LGBT Youth, 6(4), 369-394.
TRANSPHOBIA
o Bornstein, K. (1994). Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women, and the Rest of Us. New
York, NY: Routledge.
o Serano, J. (2007). Whipping Girl: A Transexual Woman on Sexism and the
Scapegoating of Femininity. Emeryville, CA: Seal Press.
RACISM
o Han, C. (2007). They Dont Want to Cruise Your Type: Gay Men of Color and the
Racial Politics of Exclusion. Social Identities, 13(1), 51-67.
o

Wilson, A. (1996). How We Find Ourselves: Identity Development and Two-Spirit

People. Harvard Educational Review, 66 (2), 303-317.

12

NOTES ON FACILITATION

LANGUAGE TOOLS

Many facilitation best practices are the same

regardless of what type of program is being

To ask someone for more

information or to seek to
understand better try,

administered; however, because workshops

addressing social justice and personal identity

Can you tell me more?

can touch on sensitive topics, it is important

Can you give me an example?

What do you mean by

that facilitators be aware of the following

What were you feeling when

points.

To clarify what someone

has just said say,

Adapted from:
Bell, L. A. & Griffin, P. (2007) Designing
Social Justice Education Courses. In M.
Adams, L. A. Bell & P. Griffin (Eds.), Teaching
for Diversity and Social Justice (67-87). San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

So you are saying that

So you feel that
Explore their INTENT and your
IMPACT through,

CREATE COMFORT & BUY-IN

Help me understand your intent

when you

ESTABLISH GROUP NORMS

One of the first things facilitators should do at

What had you wanted to

communicate with your comment?

the beginning of each meeting is go over their

How did that impact you?

What were you feeling when

expectations of how participants should

Summarize the dialogue

behave and communicate while together.

So weve discussed

Make sure to cover language that may be

Do we agree that
unfamiliar to some (i.e. the non-pejorative use
(martinez & Obear, SJTI)

of queer) or how words that may be offensive

to some but not all (i.e. dyke) are to be used.

It is also important to invite and incorporate opinions from the group.

13

ALLOW INPUT ON LEARNING OUTCOMES

The first time you are meeting with a group and going over what you hope for them to learn, it
is a good idea to also ask them what they hope to gain out of the session. If what they want to
learn is different than what you have prepared, meet with your professional staff advisor and
work with them to incorporate the new material. Allowing participants this level of input will help
keep them engaged. Remember to revisit learning outcomes regularly to help explain why
sessions are shaped the way they are.
ENCOURAGE RISK TAKING
You will be facilitating conversations that will be difficult for many students. When someone
shares a personal story or opinion make sure to thank them for their contributions. If
participants are reluctant to engage in an activity, begin by offering your own feelings on the
subject or a personal anecdote that relates to what you are doing.

ENGAGE AT MULTIPLE LEVELS

USE PERSONAL ASSESSMENTS
To encourage participants to think about their own social identities include opportunities for
them to quietly reflect. Some personal assessment activities are built into the modules at the
end of this manual, but more are easily found online.
USE A VARIETY OF LEARNING STYLES
Students learn in a variety of ways. Incorporate multiple ways to learn new information,
including but not limited to: video, large group discussion, small group discussion, reading,
personal reflection, and lecture. For more information on how to engage different types of folks
look for literature on Kolbs Learning Cycle online.

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DO NOT AVOID DISCOMFORT

Moments of discomfort when talking about social justice are not only normal but also
necessary. Students who are being introduced to topics of privilege and power for the first time
may reject some of the information you are presenting, and that is completely fine. Your job is
to simply to open the conversation with those individuals. Although discomfort and heated
conversation may be normal, disrespect is not. Revisit the agreed upon group norms when
necessary and do not be afraid to tell students that they are being too aggressive with their
remarks, if necessary.

BE REALISTIC & OPEN

USE HONEST LANGUAGE WITH STUDENTS
Nothing in this document is a secret. Be open with students that this is a process that they will
have to work at to complete. Share this resource and those listed in the works cited section
with students who would like to go further.
GIVE MANY NEXT STEPS
After being presented this material many students will ask, Now what? The answer to that
question is of course tricky and will depend on the student. Remind them that social change is
an ongoing process and that their awareness of it is just one step. Encourage participants to
brainstorm ways their RSOs can stay engaged and tackle some of the issues you talked about
or look to what other campuses have done to fight injustices that affect their students. Either
way, never present just one next step since there are innumerable things students can do to
become better allies and support change.

15

SUGGESTED LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT MODULES

FOR LGBT/QUEER STUDENTS
The three modules below are intended to each take between one and two hours each and can
be completed within a full-day training or over the course of several meetings. Facilitators
should use icebreakers, revisit group norms/learning outcomes, and close sessions
appropriately, depending on how they decide to break up the modules.

SECTION OVERVIEW
MODULE 1: SELF
MINI-LECTURE: SOCIAL CHANGE MODEL
LARGE GROUP DISCUSSION: WHAT DOES SOCIAL JUSTICE MEAN?
SELF-REFLECTION ACTIVITY: SOCIAL IDENTITY SALIENCE
MODULE 2: GROUP
MINI-LECTURE: LGBT IDENTITY THEORIES & THEIR LIMITATIONS
LARGE GROUP DISCUSSION: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO IDENTIFY AS QUEER?
SELF-REFLECTION ACTIVITY: LEADERSHIP STYLE ASSESSMENT
MODULE 3: COMMUNITY
MINI-LECTURE: POWER & PRIVILEGE
COMMON READING & GROUP DISCUSSION: HOW GAY STAYS WHITE AND
THE TYPE OF WHITE IT STAYS
SELF-REFLECTION ACTIVITY: PRIVILEGE CHECKLISTS

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MODULE 1: SELF
The self is the first domain of the Social Change Model and where the most effective work
always begins. Student leaders who do not have a good understanding of themselves and why
they are engaging in leadership will not be able to help other students make meaning of the
work the group is doing.
MINI-LECTURE: SOCIAL CHANGE MODEL (10-15 minutes)
It is important to begin modules with a brief session that sets up content and give all
participants a common vocabulary. When discussing the social change model of
leadership, clearly describe its components, explain how it is a values-driven process,
and use visuals.
Goal: Explain the social change model of leadership and why it is particularly well
suited for social justice work.
LARGE GROUP DISCUSSION: WHAT DOES SOCIAL JUSTICE MEAN? (15-20 minutes)
Now that you have given participants some content to reflect upon, allow them an
opportunity to share their thoughts. Pose the questions, What type of change are we
trying to accomplish with the SCM? and What does social justice mean to us? Try to
connect broad or abstract definitions to individual actions and responsibilities. This is
what the SCM is designed to do. Do not be so excited to get to the right answer that
you use poor facilitation language.
Goal: Come to a common understanding of social justice as a
SELF-REFLECTIVE ACTIVITY: SOCIAL IDENTITY SALIENCE (25-45 minutes)
The closing activity will ask participants to self-examine and then share with peers.
While it is important to encourage participants to open up to one another, be

17

conscientious of varying comfort levels. To begin, hand out the exercise (found in
Appendix A) and answer any questions about the directions. After participants have
finished the exercise, ask them to get into small groups based on their RSOs. In those
groups ask participants to share why they completed the activity the way they did and
to discuss the following questions:

What challenges do I face at UIUC because of the identities I listed?

What identities do I think about the least and why might that be the case?
How have my identities impacted me as a student leader?

After the RSO groups have had adequate time to discuss, ask those who are
comfortable to report out some of what they said to the larger group.
Goal: Give participants an opportunity to reflect on both their privileged and
targeted identities and how those identities shape their experience as students
and leaders.

MODULE 2: GROUP
Being effective at the group level depends upon individuals reflecting on their own identities
and social position, but also working to understand how those identities cause us to interact
with others who are similar and different from us.
MINI-LECTURE: LGBT IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT MODELS & THEIR LIMITATIONS
(10-20 minutes)
Researchers and university staff and faculty have been talking about the development
and needs of LGBT/queer students for a long time. Unfortunately, the students who hold
these identities are rarely included in the conversation and used more as test subjects
than valued collaborators. Explain several of the theories that professional use to
understand LGBT/queer students and then spend some time discussing how these
ideas may be true or outdated and limited and how they may help leaders understand

18

where other group members are developmentally. The following resources will prove
helpful:

Cass, V. (1979). Homosexual identity formation: A theoretical model. Journal of

Homosexuality, 4(3), 219235.

Bilodeau, B. & Renn, K. (2005). Analysis of LGBT identity development models

and implications for practice. New Directions for Student Services, 111,
25-39.

DAugelli, A. R. (1994) Identity Development and Sexual Orientation: Toward a

Model of Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Development. In E. J. Tricket, R. J.
Watts & D. Birman (Eds.), Human Diversity: Perspectives on People in
Context, (312-333). San Francsico, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Fassinger, R. E., Shullman, S. L., & Stevenson, M. R. (2010). Toward an

affirmative lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender leadership paradigm.
American Psychologist, 65, 216-224.

Goals: Introduce student leaders to common language used to describe

LGBT/queer student development. Encourage participants to think critically about
the models and suggest ways they could be improved.
LARGE GROUP DISCUSSION: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO IDENTIFY AS QUEER?
(15-20 minutes)
Ideally, the group will naturally begin to discuss queer and queering as a label, identity,
and process, but the facilitator may need to pose the questions What contribution do
those who identify as queer have to give to this conversation on identity development?
and How are queer identities both partially captured and ignored by the language used
in these theories?

19

Goals: Discuss the ambiguity of the word and its multiple meanings and
connotations. Come to understand these aspects of the word as both benefits
and potential hazards.
SELF-REFLECTIVE ACTIVITY: LEADERSHIP STYLE ASSESSMENT (30 minutes - 1 hour)
As the session has progressed, participants have hopefully begun to notice that they
respond to new information and interact with each other in different ways. The next
activity is designed to get students to reflect on what type of leader and group member
they are and how they may interact with those who behave differently. There are many
choices for an activity, but True Colors and Strength Quest are both well-tested
experiences. The Illinois Leadership Center provides these types of workshops and
could be a resource for facilitators hoping to learn more.
Contact Info: http://www.illinoisleadership.uiuc.edu/programs/
Goals: Discuss potential conflicts between differing leadership styles and how
student leaders will work through those conflicts.

MODULE 3: COMMUNITY
The most effective leaders will not only understand their own internal processes and how they
work with others to accomplish a goal, but also be able to tie their work to the larger
community and (inter)national issues. This module is designed to connect the exploration of
individual identity and group processes that has already been done to systems of institutional
oppression that are harder to see and combat. Note that the article How Gay Stays White
and What Kind of White It Stays for the second part of this module is lengthy and
should be handed out to participants before the session.

20

MINI-LECTURE: POWER & PRIVILEGE (15-20 minutes)

This topic is likely the hardest of the three mini-lecture subjects to cover. Power and
privilege are complicated topics that can make many people uncomfortable because
they force us to take personal responsibility for large communal problems. This is the
type of complex thinking that the community level and citizenship is all about.
Remember not to fear conflict and to hear out all participants, even those who are
visibly upset, and to draw on what participants have said in previous conversations
about their own social identities.
Goals: Give participants the appropriate language to talk about their targeted and
dominate identities in relation to how they understand themselves and others.
COMMON READING: HOW GAY STAYS WHITE AND WHAT KIND OF WHITE IT STAYS
(20-30 minutes)
Again some participants, especially those who identify as White, may be uncomfortable
with this topic because we are used to speaking about our targeted identities, but not
necessarily our dominant ones. The reading may also trigger some participants through
brining up instances when RSOs and other student leaders were not as inclusive as
they should have been. When preparing to facilitate this section, meet with LGBT
Resource Center staff to brainstorm questions that will allow insight and help
participants speak from experience, but not in an accusatory manner or from a place of
guilt.
Goals: Give participants a chance to reflect upon and dialogue on how racial
privilege is involved in the ways we commonly thinks of what it means to be gay.
Help leaders begin to brainstorm ways that we combat these issues within the
RSOs they help lead.

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SELF-REFLECTIVE ACTIVITY: PRIVILEGE CHECKLIST (15-20 minutes)

After focusing on the larger social structure of privilege and the way RSOs interact with
that structure, it may prove beneficial to allow participants another opportunity to
engage in self-reflection. Following the social change model, this is the point where
individuals can revisit their own personal identities and discover new insights after
engaging at the group and community level. In the appendix is a list of worksheets that
go through some examples of how able-bodied persons, White people, upper/middle
class individuals, legally recognized American citizens, male-identified people, and
Christians are privileged in U.S. American society. Have participants go through one or
two lists and write a short reflection on how they are privileged and steps they are going
to take to recognize that privilege more often. If time allows and participants are willing,
have the group share a summary of their writing with everyone else.
Goals: Allow participants time to reflect on everything they have learned about
privilege and apply it to their personal identities and positions as leaders.

CONCLUSION
Developing an understanding of the complex and challenging ideas of privilege, identity and
inclusive leadership is an ongoing process. While the goal is always to leave students with a
better understanding of their own position in society and how they can motivate others to move
towards positive change, not every participant will get there in the allotted amount of time.
Remember to be kind to yourself as a facilitator and not to demand too much. Working with
others, you will begin to see a positive impact over time. Also, just because you are a student
leader does not mean that you are not learning as well. Continue to reflect and debrief with
others to gain the most out of your experiences leading peers. Good luck!

22

WORKS CITED
Foundational texts that would be especially beneficial to read in full and texts referred to above
in further readings sections are bolded for easy reference.
Abes, E. S. & Jones, S. R. (2004). Meaning-making Capacity and the Dynamics of Lesbian
College Students Multiple Dimensions of Identity. Journal of College Student
Development, 45, 612-632.
Arminio, J. (2011). Establishing and Advancing a Leadership Program. In S. Komives, J.
P. Dugan, J. E. Owen, C. Slack, W. Wagner & Associates (Eds.), The Handbook for
Student Leadership Development (137-176). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Astin, A. W., & Astin, H. S. (2000). Leadership reconsidered: Engaging higher education
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