The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s LGBTQ+ Center has reintroduced itself as the Ānuenue Center, a change that comes at a time when universities across the country are facing political pressure over diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
“We have had the opportunity to meet the needs of our students while complying with all university and federal guidelines,” said Cameron Miyamoto, director of the Ānuenue Center.
Since August 2023, at least 31 gender and sexuality-based resource centers have shuttered at campuses across the country.
DEI programs have been eliminated at institutions including the University of Florida and the University of Michigan.
Miyamoto added that eliminating such programs would come at a serious cost.
“We can’t let universities erase programs for diversity and gender-focused programs, it is our responsibility to meet the needs of all our students,” he said.
According to Kathy Ferguson, a professor in the Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Political Science departments at UH Mānoa, the effects of national politics affect the foundation of higher education.
“Everyone who’s paying attention feels that pressure,” Ferguson said. “There’s a tendency to want to hide and hope you escape notice from the authorities.”
Miyamoto said that adjustments had to be made in order to maintain local events and outreach activities by forming local partnerships.
“We have been able to pivot and turn to community partners to sponsor events that used to be sponsored by the LGBTQ+ Center,” he said. “Rainbow Graduation, for example, became a larger community event encompassing many campuses and was sponsored by organizations at Hawaiʻi Theater.”
Ferguson said the biggest concern revolves around attacks on DEI programs that threaten the entire network of academic collaboration and discovery.
“Research is like an interconnected web of projects,” she said. “When that is stymied, the whole flow is endangered. The advance of whole areas of science is endangered.”
As national debates continue, UH Mānoa’s community centers remain committed to serving students and preserving inclusive spaces.
