UHCL staff member appointed to Mayor’s LGBTQ Advisory Board

December 20, 2018 | George Mattingly II

It is important for members of the LGBTQ community to have access to resources such as support groups, advocacy and educational training, which can be difficult to find in the Clear Lake area, says Nicholas Jayce Arvizu, interim staff assistant in University of Houston-Clear Lake’s Office of Student Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (SDEI). Arvizu is looking to change that by connecting UHCL’s LBGTQ community to more of these resources in Houston as a new member of Mayor Sylvester Turner’s LGBTQ Advisory Board.

“With current issues that are affecting the community, we need more advocates,” Arvizu said. “There are still many cases of discrimination and violence against the LGBTQ community, so I got involved to not only help the UHCL community, but to also create a better future for my daughter, who is transgender.”

The board was formed in response to the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting that occurred in Orlando, Florida and resulted in the deaths of 49 people. The group aims to provide Mayor Turner recommendations on policies surrounding social, economic and political issues affecting Houston to improve the quality of life for the LGBTQ community through outreach, education and community engagement. Arvizu was appointed for a two-year term , and is one of 39 active members of the group with representation from many organizations like the Human Rights Campaign, Equality Texas, and now UHCL.

Arvizu’s work in SDEI serves UHCL’s diverse student population, which includes women, international students, the LGBTQ community and many ethnic and cultural groups, with programs and events to support student success and retention. The office led a group of students, faculty and staff representing UHCL for the first time in Houston’s Pride parade in June, as well as hosted Pride Week and Transgendered Day of Remembrance events earlier this year. Outside of the university, however, Arvizu said access to resources for the LGBTQ community is limited.

“In doing some research, I found that there is only one PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) group that meets in Clear Lake,” he said. Because of this limited access, if someone wanted to join other organizations, connect with LGBTQ leaders and businesspeople, or find safe spaces for socializing and health testing, they have look outside of Clear Lake.

With his dual role in the SDEI and the board, Arvizu wants to focus on collaborating with his connections in Houston to bring more resources to the university.

“We’ve had success with lots of new events and programs this year, but we’re working on being more visible throughout the year so that students and the community know they have support on campus,” he said. “(Coordinator of Women, Gender and Sexuality Programs) Joshua Quinn and I are working to see what kinds of resources students want, and then collaborating with other organizations to bring them to the university.”

Arvizu said the board has already met a few times since his appointment and is looking into policy changes affecting health care for transgender individuals as well as more avenues for community engagement.

To learn more about UHCL’s Office of Student Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, visit the Office of Student Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.