The meeting was the first attempt to gather the growing number of out [homosexual] college presidents (25 were invited) — and participants said in interviews after the event that they wanted to encourage more gay academics to aspire to leadership positions and wanted to push higher education to include issues of sexual orientation when talking about diversity.
"My advice is to be out since you are a baby or as soon as possible."
UPDATE 6/15/11: Carolyn "Biddy" Martin first homosexual & first woman president of Amherst College
-- From "Gay college presidents form group" by Daniel de Vise, Washington Post 8/9/10
Nine openly gay college presidents gathered in Chicago last weekend and resolved to form an organization to provide professional support to "out" presidents and faculty.
Gay and lesbian presidents were considerably less usual as recently as the mid-1990s, attendees said. "Skittish governing boards" often resist hiring or promoting gay presidents for fear of alienating donors or lawmakers, the Chronicle reports. Gay provosts and deans might never offer themselves as candidates for a presidency simply to avoid the scrutiny that comes with a candidacy.
The Chronicle of Higher Education compiled a list of 11 openly gay or lesbian presidents in 2007. Several more have been hired more recently, including the presidents of Grinnell and Montgomery colleges.
Rounding out the Chronicle's list are Michael Hoyle, president of McIntosh College in New Hampshire; Neal King, president of Antioch University in Los Angeles; Sean Buffington, University of the Arts; Raymond Crossman, Adler School of Professional Psychology; Ralph Hexter, Hampshire College; Cynthia Huggins, University of Maine at Machias; Theodora Kalikow, University of Maine at Farmington; Charles Middleton, Roosevelt University; Richard Ortner, Boston Conservatory; Biddy Martin, chancellor of the University of Wisconsin at Madison; and James Warwick, American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Los Angeles Division.
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From "Gay, lesbian college presidents form new group" by Scott Jaschik, Inside Higher Ed, USA Today 8/10/10
The new organization has been named the LGBTQ Presidents in Higher Education, said Charles Middleton, president of Roosevelt University and co-host of the meeting. The group plans to reconvene first in a few months, and then perhaps at next year's meeting of the American Council on Education.
. . . the group will focus on leadership development for those who are gay presidents or who aspire to be, professional development for gay people at all levels of academe, and on education and advocacy to promote equity and diversity.
Several of the presidents noted that they came together at a time when issues of gay rights are very much in the news — both for society as a whole and higher education in particular. The presidents met the same week that a federal judge rejected California's ban on gay marriage and the same year that the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the right of public colleges to require all recognized student groups to abide by anti-bias policies — including policies that some religious groups object to because they cover sexual orientation.
. . . the current gay presidents "are pioneers in a way" and "I think you are going to see a lot more in the next five years."
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