Two Decades of Growth for Lincoln LGTBQ+ Resource Center

In 2004, the Lincoln LGBTQ+ Resource Center opened its doors for the first time. In the 20 years that followed, the rooms it has occupied in Hemmingson and across campus became more than just rooms. They became safe, brave spaces.

“We have opportunities for all students of any identity to come into the space, to learn, to socialize, to check out resources and to ask questions,” says Matthew Barcus, program manager for LGBTQ+ Education & Support.

Before the Lincoln Center, a student-run club called the HERO (Helping to Educate Regarding Orientation) program worked to support underrepresented students. According to Barcus, the club advocated for the creation of a more concrete space. Then – in 2004 – the Center was established, run by a single Americorps volunteer.

Though small, its impact was historic – making Gonzaga the first Jesuit university in the country to have a dedicated resource center for LGBTQ+ students.

“It started from students,” Barcus says, “students who leveraged their spheres of influence with people who were allies, or who really focused on why this was important.”

Barcus, who attended a university without a resource center, understands the value of such a space.

“The University was viewing this work as a priority … as something that was necessary,” he says. “It’s easy to say we value something, but it’s more important to show we value it.”

Since Barcus was hired as the first-full time program coordinator in 2016, he said he’s watched the space transform from a transactional area to a communal one. The Center has doubled in size and expanded programs such as Out to Lunch with Allies and Lavender Graduation, a ceremony honoring LGBTQ+ students for their contributions to Gonzaga. Barcus also facilitates the SAGE (Sexuality and Gender Equity) training for faculty, staff and students.

The new director for the Lincoln Center, Brandon Haddock, starts at Gonzaga in October after serving the past 14 years as coordinator for the Spectrum Center in the Department of Student Belonging and Inclusion at Kansas State University. Haddock, an Indigenous and first-generation student who earned their doctorate at KSU with a research focus on human ecology – particularly underserved and underrepresented rural populations, gender and identity – will lead the center into the future just as it celebrates its first two decades.

Barcus is optimistic about the future of the Lincoln Center, envisioning technological advances and more inclusive bathrooms across campus. But right now, he wants to enjoy everything they have accomplished.

“It’s been a wonderful 20 years, and it will be wonderful for the next 20 years,” he said.

Join the Celebration!

• Lavender Mass: October 11 (National Coming Out Day), 4:30 p.m., University Chapel, College Hall
• Historical Display: October 11-13 Hemmingson Rotunda
• Anniversary Gala: October 12, 6:00 p.m., Hemmingson Ballroom