Mayoral Candidate Doug Greco Says Austin Should Provide Support to LGBTQ Students Given Closure of UT’s Gender and Sexuality Center

Austin, TX – Austin mayoral candidate Doug Greco is calling on the City of Austin to take a role in providing support to LGBTQ students at the University of Texas at Austin given the recent closure of the university’s Gender and Sexuality Center due to Texas’ new anti-DEI law.

“Where the state has failed LGBTQ students at UT, the City of Austin needs to lead,” said Greco, who is running to be Austin’s first openly gay mayor. “University LGBTQ centers provide life-saving services and gathering spaces for LGBTQ students. This closure is unacceptable. As mayor, I would call together leaders in the LGBTQ community as well as university officials, students, and local legislators to determine what the city and community can do to help replace these supports.”

In the summer of 2023, Governor Greg Abbott signed a law to ban diversity, equity, and inclusion programs from Texas schools and universities. Since then, UT Austin has closed not only its DEI office, but closed or repurposed many of its diversity-focused organizations and cultural centers. The Gender and Sexuality Center has functioned jointly as the LGBTQ and women’s student center since 2002. It will now be known as The Women’s Center, which is permitted under the new law.

“We should look at the overall impact of the anti-DEI law, and together with the university decide which programs and gathering spaces the greater Austin community can help provide,” said Greco. “This also includes the Multicultural Engagement Center.  Austin should be a safe haven and a safe place for those marginalized because of their race, sexuality, gender identity, or being part of any group targeted by this new law.”

Austin also currently has no comprehensive LGBTQ community center for the city overall.

For more information please contact the Doug Greco for Austin Mayor Campaign at [email protected].