UCR Newsroom

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (www.ucr.edu) — The UC Riverside Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Resource Center celebrates its 15th anniversary with an open house Jan. 17 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. to showcase a larger space for the center and an expanded David Bohnett CyberCenter.

The wireless CyberCenter now includes five state-of-the-art desktop PC computers, a laser printer, and a scanner, and is networked via high-speed ethernet. The new technology resources will create a safe space for LGBT students and their allies to access online resources and connect with community organizing and advocacy information.

“This provides students with privacy if they don’t have a laptop they can bring to campus or don’t have a computer at home where they feel comfortable checking their MySpace or Facebook accounts in private," said Nancy Jean Tubbs, center director. “We also have a lot of information available on coming out as well as other gay-friendly resources in a safe place for them to find what they need to enhance their college experience.”

The LGBT Center, which is located in 245 Costo Hall on the UCR campus, has more than doubled in size. The space has grown from 500 square feet to 1,200 square feet and includes new furniture.

Tubbs said that the new location with expanded services is quickly becoming a popular gathering place and that creating a community is a large part of the mission of the David Bohnett Foundation, which provided the $10,000 grant for the enlarged CyberCenter. The foundation annually provides funding, state-of-the-art technology, and technical support to innovative organizations and institutions.

"We are honored to provide the additional computers for the David Bohnett CyberCenter at UCR's LGBT Resource Center's new and larger space," said Paul Moore of the David Bohnett Foundation. "There are now 54 David Bohnett CyberCenters --- at LGBT community centers and campuses across the country --- and we believe that the additional technology here at UCR will enable the Resource Center to continue to provide a safe and comfortable space for students."

UCR was the first college campus in California to open a staffed LGBT resource center in 1993 and the first California campus to establish an LGBT Studies minor in 1996. It has been recognized as one of the nation's best campuses for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students. The university is featured in The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students, the first comprehensive campus guide to highlight the 100 most LGBT-friendly campuses in the United States.

For more information on the upcoming event contact the center at (951) 827-2267 or check the web site at www.out.ucr.edu.

The University of California, Riverside (www.ucr.edu) is a doctoral research university, a living laboratory for groundbreaking exploration of issues critical to Inland Southern California, the state and communities around the world. Reflecting California's diverse culture, UCR's enrollment of over 19,000 is expected to grow to 21,000 students by 2020. The campus is planning a medical school and has reached the heart of the Coachella Valley by way of the UCR Palm Desert Graduate Center. The campus has an annual statewide economic impact of more than $1 billion.

A broadcast studio with fiber cable to the AT&T Hollywood hub is available for live or taped interviews. To learn more, call (951) UCR-NEWS.