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Exploring the importance of LGBTQ leadership: A conversation with Adler University President Ray Crossman

Stories | 02.13.23

Those seeking to learn more on why LGBTQ representation, visibility, and leadership matters in higher education are invited to a Feb. 28 discussion organized by Adler University and The Chicago Community Trust.

The event, “LGBTQ and Diverse Leadership: From Stonewall to the University,” brings together Adler President Raymond E. Crossman, Ph.D., and Tracy Baim, Windy City Times co-founder and past president and publisher of the Chicago Reader, for a conversation on the importance and impact of LGBTQ leadership in academia and the world.

The event will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the University Club of Chicago and is free to the general public.

Cover of LGBTQ Leadership in Higher Education cover

Dr. Crossman will reflect on his experiences as the president of Adler and share insights from his new anthology, “LGBTQ Leadership in Higher Education.”

Dr. Crossman will reflect on his experiences as the president of Adler and share insights from his new anthology, “LGBTQ Leadership in Higher Education.” He will be available for a book signing after the discussion.

Dr. Crossman’s book brings together 15 LGBTQ presidents and chancellors in higher education to consider the importance of diversity, inclusion, and equity in meeting today’s challenges for higher education and human rights.

Writing from the perspective of their lived and specific experiences as LGBTQ presidents and chancellors, the contributors consider whether there is something distinctive about LGBTQ leadership and attempt to draw insights and principles from their personal stories. The essays range across 12 topics, including intersectionality, mentorship, feminism, self-care, coming out, heteronormativity, and partners and spouses.

President of Adler University since 2003, Dr. Crossman is the longest-serving LGBTQ university president in the U.S. and Canada. He is a founding member of the LGBTQ Presidents in Higher Education, an organization committed to advocacy for the rights of LGBTQ people, inside and outside of higher education.

Baim is a journalist and author of 13 LGBTQ books. She co-founded the Windy City Times, Chicago’s oldest and only LGBTQ newspaper. In 2014, she was inducted into the National LGBT Journalist Association Hall of Fame. In 2018, she was inducted into the Association of Women Journalists-Chicago inaugural women’s journalism hall of fame.

Register for the event to reserve a spot.

About The Chicago Community Trust
The Chicago Community Trust is a community foundation dedicated to strengthening the Chicago region by creating equity, opportunity, and prosperity for all people who call it home. For more than 100 years, the Trust has united generous donors, committed nonprofits, and caring residents to effect lasting change. In 2019, The Chicago Community Trust embarked on a 10-year strategic plan to address one of the most critical challenges of our times — closing the racial and ethnic wealth gap for the Chicago region while responding to our most vulnerable residents’ critical needs. Thanks to its generous donors, in the fiscal year 2021, more than 7,000 organizations received more than $1.4 billion in funding from the Trust, and affiliated donor advised fund programs. To learn more, visit www.cct.org.

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