Middlebury's new Prism Center meant 'especially' for 'queer and trans people of color' who may feel 'doubly isolated'

A liberal arts college in Middlebury, Vermont will open a new “Prism Center for Queer and Trans Life” this semester that will focus on LGBT students, especially “queer and trans people of color.”

“The Prism Center will provide outreach, education, consultation, resources, support, programming, and advocacy services for students, staff, and faculty of all genders and sexual and romantic orientation,” Middlebury College leadership stated upon an original announcement in 2021. 

The new center will also “focus particularly on student empowerment and center on the experiences of queer and trans people of color.”

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According to The Middlebury Campus, the initial 2021 opening was pushed back due to COVID-19 related problems.

Chief Diversity Officer Miguel Fernandez told the Campus that, the push for an “LGBTQIA+ Resource Center” was “primarily driven by students.”

“[I]t was felt that a center dedicated specifically towards LGBTQIA+ issues, in particular those affecting queer students of color, was needed for programming, support, and in order to promote emotional wellness,” Fernandez noted. 

In statements to Campus Reform, Fernandez stated that those who identify as queer students of color may often feel “doubly isolated.”

To combat this isolation and lack of resources, Middlebury renovated a campus building with new fully furnished rooms, and added additional “accessibility” features, according to Fernzandez. 

The Campus also reports that the Prism Center will offer services like “affinity spaces” and “gender-affirming” support.

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Renee Wells, Middlebury’s director of education for equity and inclusion, explained in 2022 that the term “prism” encompasses all potential identities beyond “LGBTIA” and that the use of a “+” is excluding to some. She also said that, “Prisms reflect light in a way that forms a rainbow.”

According to the Campus, an Instagram account for the new building said that the Prism Center’s mission “aspires to build a just community that foregrounds critical engagement with intersectional systems of oppression.” 

Campus Reform has contacted Middlebury College, President Laurie Patton, Renee Wells, the Middlebury Student Government Association, and Prism Center Director Janae Due for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.

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