Co-chairs Taylor Shire and Kody Henke of the LGBTQA+ Faculty and Staff Association (FSA) are stepping down after two and a half years to make room for new leadership.

Shire has been working for the Ivy College of Business as an international programs coordinator and recruiter for the past five years at Iowa State. She has three degrees from Iowa State in biology, animal ecology and biological anthropology.

Shire worked in engineering for a while and then started in business over a year ago.

Henke has been working for the Department of Residence as the hall director for four years at Geoffroy Hall. He got his undergrad from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point with a major in sociology and a minor in communications.

Henke received his masters from Southern Illinois University Carbondale with a master’s degree in college student personnel.

LGBTQA+ FSA has been around for 15 years, initially founded by two individuals who started an email list with faculty and staff who identified as members of the LGBTQIA+ community, or supported it, as a way to connect. The group has developed into an organization, having co-chairs as well as a leadership team of 12 people who work in committees to make Iowa State’s campus more supportive and affirming.

Everything members of LGBTQA+ FSA do is as volunteers. There are five different directives group members focus on in certain areas open to change and development. Focuses include ally development, social events, social media and communication, action and outreach, and the pride summit.

LGBTQA+ FSA hosts events each semester. Bingo in the spring and a picnic in the fall have become traditions. Pride summit is when all the different organizations come together and discuss the different things they are doing.

The ally development committee has an ally book club. Their main focus is what it means to be an ally. LGBTQA+ FSA is inclusive of allies, stating they are important and without them, LGBTQA+ FSA couldn’t do the work they do.

Shire discussed why LGBTQA+ FSA is important to Iowa State and the Ames communities.

“We feel that if we have an affirming community of faculty and staff as well as have people that are diverse on campus in those positions, that will lead and create more comfort and diversity in the classroom and across the university,” Shire said.

Shire and Henke said LGBTQA+ FSA could change and evolve to whatever the group needs it to be. As chairs, they don’t set the agenda. Shire and Henke’s role as co-chairs is representing the LGBTQA+ FSA.

As chairpeople, a big role for them is being a primary point of contact for events and keeping connections with other contacts.

“The intent of our organization is to provide community [and] make this campus a safe and welcoming place with people who identify with the LGBTQA,” Shire said.

If someone is faculty or staff at Iowa State and are interested in getting involved with the LGBTQA+ FSA, the process is simple: send them an email. Those interested can also find more information in their newsletter that comes out once a month.

There are also representatives at new employee orientation and pride fests with a sign-up sheet for those interested.

“This group means different things to different people,” Henke said.

Henke said some on the email list have yet to come out as members of the LGBTQIA+ community, so the emails are a way they can stay connected in a way they feel safe to.

“[The] Ames community has come a long way but still has a long way to go in terms of providing a strong resource base for people who identify as LGBTQA,” Shire said. “It’s a ripple effect. If we can change things in our little part of Ames; that can expand outward and that is super important.”

The Ames Progressive Alliance put the very first pride fest together, which happened in October. The next pride fest is planned for September 2018.

“It’s family friendly so there’s a bunch of kids there,” Henke said. “The public library, who was also involved, had their librarians read books about gender and sexual orientation identity development for the kids. It was all very themed, appropriate and inclusive.”

Henke said creating a family-friendly environment was important to the organizers.

“Middle schoolers and high schoolers drove hours to be there in the pouring rain,” Henke said. “That just showed how much of a need it was. It was really magical.”

LGBTQA Faculty and Staff Association will be choosing their new co-chairs in the upcoming weeks.