Women's Center at UMBC

Women's Center at UMBC All are welcome as long as they respect women. Their experiences. Their stories. Their potential.

Last night, we had the joy of celebrating Dr. Carole McCann and her incredible 38 years of leadership, teaching, scholar...
09/04/2026

Last night, we had the joy of celebrating Dr. Carole McCann and her incredible 38 years of leadership, teaching, scholarship, and service at UMBC. 💜

Dr. McCann’s legacy holds a particularly special place for us at the Women’s, Gender, & Equity Center. As one of the visionaries who helped shape the Women’s Center, her commitment to feminist leadership and creating spaces where students could learn, question, connect, and grow helped lay the foundation for the work we continue today.

It is a beautiful thing to celebrate someone whose vision has become part of the fabric of our campus—and whose impact will continue long after her retirement.

Congratulations, Dr. McCann, on 38 remarkable years at UMBC! We are grateful for all you have built, challenged, imagined, and made possible.

Thank you for your scholarship, feminist leadership, mentorship, and vision, and for helping create spaces where generations of students could find community, belonging, and their voices. 💐💜

Wishing you so much joy in this next chapter

Stop by the WGEC to build community, see our space, and build our self-care station! We will have music, meet and greets...
08/12/2026

Stop by the WGEC to build community, see our space, and build our self-care station! We will have music, meet and greets, tours, and a scavenger hunt (with a prize)!

Stop by when you can and we are so excited to see you!

Please reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns at [email protected]

Women’s, Gender, & Equity Center is open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, s*x, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University’s nondiscrimination policy.

The Women’s, Gender, & Equity Center is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive environment for all students, staff, faculty, and visitors. If you have difficulties accessing any of the materials on our site or any of our events or discussions, please contact us so that we can provide an alternative format and/or remedy any accessibility challenges.

We hope everyone is enjoying their summer! To get students ready for this coming school year, the beloved Ms. Pat from t...
07/10/2026

We hope everyone is enjoying their summer! To get students ready for this coming school year, the beloved Ms. Pat from the commons ABM team is holding a donation drive for 30-50 children. She is looking for donations of: rulers, pens, pencils, notebooks, clorox wipes, composition notebooks, scissors, pencil sharpeners, highlighters, binders, and folders. We hope to fulfill some of these childrens school supply needs! Ms. Pat needs all donations by the end of July. The donation bin is located in the Women’s, Gender, and Equity Center in Commons 004, next to the yum shoppe.

To wrap up our Pride Month Spotlight, we want to highlight UMBC! University of Maryland, Baltimore County has been a saf...
06/26/2026

To wrap up our Pride Month Spotlight, we want to highlight UMBC! University of Maryland, Baltimore County has been a safe space for LGBTQIA2+ folks for years. In 1988, Dr. Carole McCann, a professor in the Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies, taught the first LGBTQ+ class on AIDS in the American studies department. In 1992, the LGB FSA (Faculty-Student Association) was formed. In 1994, the Retriever Weekly celebrated “Coming Out” Day. In 1995, the Freedom Alliance was founded, marking the beginning of the Pride Center. In 2008, gender neutral housing was implemented. In 2014, the first lavender celebration was held to honor LGBTQ+ graduates and allies. In 2025, the Women’s Center changed it’s name to the Women’s, Gender, and Equity Center to reflect greater inclusivity and support of all people and gender identities.

Hope you all have a happy and safe rest of Pride Month!!

Happy Pride Month from the Women’s, Gender, & Equity Center!! Today we are spotlighting ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleas...
06/26/2026

Happy Pride Month from the Women’s, Gender, & Equity Center!! Today we are spotlighting ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power).

ACT UP was founded in 1987 in New York City by playwright and activist Larry Kramer in response to the government’s inadequate response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. At a time when thousands of people were dying from AIDS and access to treatment was limited, ACT UP organized direct action demonstrations to demand faster drug approval, increased research funding, affordable treatment, and an end to the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS.

The organization became known for its bold protests, including demonstrations at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Wall Street, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Their iconic slogan, “Silence = Death,” became a powerful symbol of the movement, emphasizing that inaction and discrimination cost lives.

ACT UP’s activism helped transform public awareness of HIV/AIDS, influenced changes to drug approval processes, expanded access to life-saving medications, and pushed healthcare institutions to include the voices of people living with HIV in medical decision-making. The movement also highlighted the disproportionate impact of HIV/AIDS on LGBTQ+ communities, Black and Brown communities, and other marginalized populations.

The legacy of ACT UP continues today through ongoing advocacy for health equity, patient rights, LGBTQ+ justice, and access to healthcare for all.

ID (Alt Text): This graphic features historical photographs of ACT UP demonstrations from the 1980s and 1990s, including large marches and protests advocating for HIV/AIDS awareness, equitable healthcare, and LGBTQ+ rights. Protesters hold signs reading “Silence = Death,” “AIDS: Where Is Your Rage?,” and “Dead From Drug Profiteers.”

Sources:
* ACT UP Oral History Project: https://actuporalhistory.org
* National Library of Medicine: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/survivingandthriving
* HIV.gov: https://www.hiv.gov

Happy Pride Month from the Women's, Gender, & Equity Center!! This week we will be spotlighting q***r social movements ...
06/22/2026

Happy Pride Month from the Women's, Gender, & Equity Center!! This week we will be spotlighting q***r social movements through time, starting with The Mattachine Society and The Daughters of Bilitis.

The Mattachine Society (1950) and the Daughters of Bilitis (1955) were trailblazing groups of America’s early "homophile" movement, establishing a foundation for LGBTQ+ activism long before Stonewall. Both groups formed during the height of the Cold War's Lavender Scare, a period of intense government persecution of gay and le***an people.

Founded in part by Harry Hay (pictured left) and with a focus on Gay men, the "Missions and Purposes" of The Mattachine Society outlined three priorities: 1. to Unify "homos*xuals isolated from their own kind and to provide a principle from which all of our people can . . . derive a feeling of belonging." 2. to Educate "ethical homos*xual culture . . . paralleling the emerging cultures of our fellow minorities" and 3. to Lead political action
against "discriminatory and oppressive legislation."

The Daughters of Bilitis (pictured right) was formed by Rose Bamberger, Rosemary Sliepen, Del Martin, Phyllis Lyon, and two other le***an couples to, at its start, provide a safe meeting place and social club for le***ans away from frequently raided bars. They admitted "Gay girls of good moral character” as members, and as they grew, became more explicitly political, focusing on education and the "integration of the homos*xual into society," aiming to combat the prevailing medical and legal views that homos*xuality was a mental illness or a crime.

Both groups published educational magazines and grew into complex and covert membership-based organizations throughout the United States. Their activism was foundational to the continued q***r social movements we will highlight over the next few days!

The Women’s, Gender, and Equity Center wishes everyone a happy Pride Month! To celebrate, our staff looked through our l...
06/08/2026

The Women’s, Gender, and Equity Center wishes everyone a happy Pride Month! To celebrate, our staff looked through our lending library for q***r books to highlight. These books are all in our library for UMBC students, staff, and faculty to check out.

On each slide there is the book cover, genre, location in the WGEC lending library, and a description. We hope for you to come check some books out!

Come and join us for our summer book club!This year we will be reading Weyward by Emilia Hart. Weyward by Emilia Hart is...
05/19/2026

Come and join us for our summer book club!

This year we will be reading Weyward by Emilia Hart. Weyward by Emilia Hart is a historical fiction novel that weaves together the stories of three women from the same family across different centuries (1619, 1942, and 2019) who discover a shared legacy of female power and natural magic, often labeled as witchcraft, as they each confront abuse and societal constraints. The novel explores themes of female resilience, family secrets, and the historical persecution of women, all connected by a mysterious cottage named Weyward.

We will be having three meetings throughout summer

June 17th Part 1 pgs 1-121
July 22nd Part 2 pgs 122-210
August 4th Part 3 pgs 211-323
We will not be providing lunch but feel free to bring your own if youd like! We have a microwave and utensils.

Come join us to explore this enthrawling book about the female experieance through the lense of feminism and social justice.

If you have any questions, concerns, or want to know more about the group, email us at [email protected].
This book club is open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, s*x, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University’s nondiscrimination policy.
Please note: UMBC is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive environment for all students, staff, faculty, and visitors. If you have difficulties accessing any of the materials on our site or any of our events or discussions, please contact us so that we can provide an alternative format and/or remedy any accessibility challenges.

The Women’s, Gender, and Equity Center staff wishes you a restful and fulfilling summer break! Grateful for a year fille...
05/14/2026

The Women’s, Gender, and Equity Center staff wishes you a restful and fulfilling summer break! Grateful for a year filled with community, growth, and care. From signing yearbooks to sharing laughs over games and lunch, this time together meant so much. Congratulations to our graduating seniors and Social Work interns, we are so proud of you and excited for what’s ahead!

Happy Asian Pacific Islander and Desi American Heritage Month!!!!To continue celebrating APIDA Heritage Month, today we ...
05/07/2026

Happy Asian Pacific Islander and Desi American Heritage Month!!!!

To continue celebrating APIDA Heritage Month, today we are highlighting Michelle Yeoh. Michelle Yeoh is a Malaysian actress and global icon, known for her powerful performances in both action and drama. She made history as the first Asian woman to win the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Everything Everywhere All at Once.

Throughout her career, Michelle Yeoh has challenged stereotypes placed on Asian women in media by choosing roles that center strength, complexity, and resilience. She has spoken openly about the importance of representation and how visibility shapes the way communities are valued and understood.

Beyond film, Michelle Yeoh is also a strong advocate for gender equity and humanitarian work. She consistently uses her platform to uplift women and marginalized communities, highlighting the importance of intersectionality and equity.

Michelle Yeoh’s impact reminds us that representation is powerful and that storytelling can challenge systems, shift narratives, and create space for belonging.

Address

1000 Hilltop Circle, Commons 004
Baltimore, MD
21250

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Women's Center at UMBC posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The University

Send a message to Women's Center at UMBC:

Shortcuts

Share