Trekell reaches out as new LGBT center director

Students constantly wander into Eric Trekell’s workspace on the second floor of Memorial Union, many looking to book a vacation or have a passport photo taken.

Trekell always takes a moment to explain that they’ve found UW–Madison’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Campus Center, not the adjacent Union Travel Center, before walking them out and pointing them in the right direction.

“Our location is terrific,” he laughs. “It’s a place people tend to walk into.”

On a larger level, Trekell’s first semester as the first full-time professional director of the LGBTCC has been similar, full of finding his own way, while beginning to step up efforts to educate the campus about the center.

The LGBTCC, the newest unit of the Offices of the Dean of Students, is responsible for fostering a positive learning environment for LGBT students, and for providing resources and advocacy on LGBT issues to the wider university community.

That may seem like an easy task in a community such as Madison, but Trekell says that there’s still quite a bit of work to be done.

“Despite Madison’s reputation as a pretty progressive place, I do know that the university can still be a negative place for LGBT students,” he says, noting that there are occasional reports of harassment.

In any community, reaching out to members from rural areas is important. They often have had little exposure to gays or lesbians and no education about their issues, he says.

That’s been Trekell’s strength during his previous two stops, both as a graduate student, staff member and faculty member at Texas A&M (“a very conservative place”) and at tiny Adams State College in Alamosa, Colo., where he laughs about being “the only openly out gay male on campus.”

During his time at both of those schools, he helped organize gay-straight alliances among students, staff and faculty. He plans to make a similar program a priority here.

Although LGBT students may never feel like they want to discuss an issue of sexuality with a straight member of the community, signs or stickers stating support can go a long way to create a positive and welcoming campus climate.

Eric Trekell talks with student staff John Powers and Meredith Schofeld-Hicks in the center's Memorial Union office.

A native of rural Colorado, Trekell decided to become open about his own sexuality after the suicide of a co-worker at Texas A&M, who, Trekell learned after his death, was a closeted gay man. Although Trekell was comfortable with his identity, he realized that he hadn’t been visible or actively participating in community activities.

“We need more visible members of the LGBT community, not to feel safe, but so people see successful, well-adjusted peers and mentors,” he says. “We need people out there saying “Yes, I’m LGBT’ so people don’t buy into the stereotypes or self-hatred.”

“Straight people become more accepting when they know a gay person and learn that they’re not what they thought, or what they see on television,” he says. “In small towns across the country, kids have the impression that gay people are lispy and limp-wristed, and that frustrates me.”

Trekell knows that the prevailing culture won’t change overnight, but he’s hopeful that he can begin to improve support for LGBT people of color, outreach to transgendered members of the community, and to facilitate cooperative efforts among LGBT student groups on campus.

Since arriving in September, he’s spent time getting to know campus leaders and committees, and helping organize the center, which had some staff turnover before he was hired. Previously, the center was student-run, but it experienced problems with efficiency and continuity.

Trekell is also learning to say “no” occasionally to better focus on his major priorities. The shared-governance nature of the university creates a high demand for LGBT academic staff members to participate in numerous committees and work groups.

Trekell is trying to balance his campus plans with the non-student LGBT community’s desire to do advocacy work on behalf of issues such as domestic partner benefits and gay marriage. The LGBTCC is taking its first step into that area by co-sponsoring a forum on marriage equality from 7-9 p.m. at the Orpheum Theatre on Thursday, Feb. 12.

John Powers, student office manager at the center, says Trekell brings a positive new energy and professional focus to the center.

“Eric constantly stresses the importance of our image, and that we should take advantage of any time we can get our message out there, and make sure that students and staff know that we are a resource,” he says.