LGBTQ+

The many contributions of LGBTQ people to the political, social and cultural fabric of Middle Tennessee are explored in a new exhibit at the Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries. 'Alive with Pride: LGBTQ Existence and Resistance in Middle Tennessee' is on view in the Central Library fourth-floor lobby through September 2025. An opening reception for the exhibit will be on Tuesday, June 24, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., and a series of curator talks will be held at Central Library on three Saturdays—July 12, July 19 and Aug. 9—this summer. Patrons are invited to view the exhibit from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. each session, with guided tours scheduled at 11 a.m. and at noon. Read More

Kirsty Clark, assistant professor of medicine, health, and society, studies mental health disparities impacting LGBTQ+ populations through her lab. Clark recently published research that explores the effects of negative news and media coverage on the intensity of suicidal thoughts in LGBTQ+ young adults. Read More

Vanderbilt University has been awarded a prize from the National Institutes of Health for its creation of the LGBTQ+ Policy Lab, which advances a culture of inclusion for sexual and gender minority individuals through interdisciplinary research and collaboration. Read More

Don Abram, the visionary founder of Pride in the Pews, will be the next speaker in the Dialogue Vanderbilt faith leader series. His conversation with Vanderbilt Divinity School Dean Yolanda Pierce is scheduled for 5 p.m. March 6 at the John Seigenthaler Center. Read More

The lecture by C.P. Hoffman, senior policy counsel with the National Center for Transgender Equality, will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 24, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. as part of the Law School’s Dean’s Lecture Series on Race and Discrimination. Read More

Join the K.C. Potter Center for the annual National Coming Out Day celebration on Alumni Lawn from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., featuring a food truck, popcorn and popsicles, giveaways, photo opportunities, therapy dogs and more. Read More

Featuring researchers, Dean K.C. Potter, and the first directors of Vanderbilt's LGBTQI Life office, this panel will discuss the rich history and climate of Vanderbilt and Nashville's LGBTQIA+ communities. The discussion will take place from noon to 1 p.m. Oct. 9, in the Rothschild Black Box Theatre. Read More

The combined fine art project and feature-length documentary together strike at the root of anti-LGBTQ+ attitudes by exploring the challenges and aspirations of LGBTQ+ Catholics. The screening, which is free and open to the public, will be on Oct. 10 at 6 p.m., followed by a Q&A and community talk back.  Read More

Dawn Bennett has found paths to servant leadership throughout her life, but it was decades before she made a leap of faith and enrolled in Vanderbilt Divinity School. In January 2020, she was ordained by Bishop Kevin Strickland to remain in Nashville and build The Table, a faith collective centered on LGBTQIA+ people and vulnerable identities. Read More