State University of New York Chancellor Kristina M. Johnson will assemble a national conference to reduce violence against LGBTQI+ students on campus. SUNY, in partnership with the New York State Office of Victims Services, will host Sexual & Interpersonal Violence Prevention Education, Capacity Building, and Training in Response for Underserved Sexual and Gender Minorities (SPECTRUM), this week at the Albany Capital Center.
SPECTRUM will include New York State leading experts and national featured speakers from across the country for an audience of nearly 800 faculty, students, human resource professionals, community service professionals, lawyers, physicians, and organizers supporting the LGBTQI+ community.
“SUNY has some of the strongest programs and resources to prevent and respond to violence against our students, and as we have focused on supporting the LGBTQI+ community, the SPECTRUM conference became a forum for our campuses and others across the U.S. to share in solving for this issue,” said SUNY Chancellor Kristina M. Johnson, who will be a featured speaker at the conference. “My thanks to Governor Andrew M. Cuomo for his leadership in serving the community, as well as the Office of Victim Services and other state and non-profit partners for their support and collaboration.”
Office of Victim Services Director Elizabeth Cronin said, “OVS is committed to reaching all victims of crime and our partnership with SPECTRUM and SUNY’s Got Your Back helps us meet that goal. During Governor Cuomo’s tenure, New York has led the way in expanding assistance and protections for the LGBTQI+ community and OVS has improved access to services and expanded compensation coverage to include crimes that frequently target LGBTQI+ individuals: hate crimes and domestic violence. Individuals who are victims of these crimes but not physically injured are now eligible for financial assistance from the agency, an important change that recognizes individuals needn’t suffer physical injuries to have their lives dramatically altered by crime.”
SPECTRUM will feature New York State Attorney General Letitia “Tish” James, SUNY Chancellor Johnson, and Director Cronin, as well as SUNY Cobleskill President Merion Terenzio, SUNY Delhi President Michael Laliberte, Fulton Montgomery Community College President Dustin Swanger, and SUNY Potsdam President Kristin Esterberg. The conference will also include counsel, Title IX experts, trauma specialists, and other healthcare professionals.
There will be a number of firsts at the conference, including featured speakers Charlie Craig and David Mullins, lead plaintiffs in the Supreme Court case Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. This case drew national attention after the couple walked into the Denver shop to purchase a cake for their wedding reception and were denied service for being gay. In addition, renowned activist and survivor, DJ Zeke Thomas, will join attendees for a screening of the documentary “Untold Story,” which he executive produced.
For more information about SPECTRUM, please visit: www.suny.edu/events/spectrum/.
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