Sophomore Sophie Lin was presented the Sylvia Rivera & Marsha P. Johnson Activism Award for their work as the inaugural WUpan fellow. (Sam Powers | Student Life)

The Spectrum Awards ceremony, formally known as the James M. Holobaugh Honors, recognized eight student and alumni advocates for the LBGTQ+ community, March 20. 

The Spectrum Office was announced in August 2023 as a new part of Washington University’s Center for Diversity and Inclusion. It aims to increase educational programming and support for the LGBTQ+ community. 

The event opened with remarks from Nat Hilterbrand, the Director of the Spectrum Office, describing their experience as the inaugural director and the mission of the Spectrum Awards. 

“The awards ceremony recognizes Washington University students, staff, and faculty and St. Louis community members who live and authentically perform direct advocacy and service to the LGBTQIA+ community,” Hilterbrand said. 

Rob Wild, Dean of Students, spoke about the evolution of the queer community at WashU.

“I came here as a student in 1989. People, including me, didn’t really understand the role and importance of allies. It wasn’t always safe to be queer at WashU,” Wild said. “I came back in 1999, and the campus was changing. Students were beginning to advocate more vigorously for a more inclusive community.” 

Wild spoke about policies created by the University to foster inclusivity, including founding the Washington University Pride Alumni Network (WUpan), hiring an LGBTQ+ coordinator for Campus Life, and making all housing gender-inclusive. 

Emille Taylor, graduate of the Washington University Class of 2023, spoke as the keynote speaker. Taylor said that she always felt out of place as a student. 

“I never felt like I fit in with the people who claimed to be in community with me,” Taylor said. “I always felt like the odd one out as it related to my predominantly cishet peers, and I always seemed to be the problem.” 

While Wild highlighted the changes occurring at the University, Taylor put forth a different perspective. 

“The reason why I never felt comfortable, even though we’ve normalized pronoun introductions and we have an incredible Center for Diversity and Inclusion, is because I realized it was all for show,” Taylor said. “My peers’ progressiveness wasn’t real because it didn’t genuinely extend support to people, especially not Black queer people. That’s when I truly realized I’m not the problem.” 

Sophomore Aspen Schisler received the first award, the Compton’s Cafeteria Emerging Leader Award, as the founder of Kaleidoscope Living Learning Community and an intern for the Center for Diversity and Inclusion.

Next, senior Charlie Shaw received the Frida Kahlo Creative Arts Award, which honors a student who uses artistic mediums to explore LGBTQ+ identities, issues, and experiences. Shaw contributed to the Gephardt Institute’s 2023 art exhibit “The Queer Experience: Joy as Resistance” and was also recognized for their senior thesis on themes of rebirth, the power of naming and renaming, and queer bodies finding sanctuary. 

Senior Pat Wang received the Audre Lorde Academic Exploration Award for his consistent advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community and his work as a Gephardt Civic Scholar with the Human Rights Campaign on projects focused on healthcare equity for LGBTQ+ adults. 

Sophomore Sophie Lin was presented the Sylvia Rivera & Marsha P. Johnson Activism Award for their work as the inaugural WUpan fellow. Through the WUpan fellowship, Lin pursued a 10-week internship with PROMO, Missouri’s statewide LGBTQ+ advocacy organization. She also curated the “The Queer Experience: Joy as Resistance” art exhibit with the aim of inspiring engagement from University students and the St. Louis community. 

Lin told Student Life about what inspired her to get involved in advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community and what she has learned from her engagement in the community. 

“In my high school, I didn’t ever see any queer representation, but I knew a lot about the injustices [queer people experience], so at WashU, I wanted to create spaces for queer connection,” Lin said. “I think the most important form of resistance is taking care of yourself and those around you and existing in community spaces and letting yourself breathe a little bit.” 

Graduate student Jay Buchanan received the Gloria Anzaldúa Advocacy at Intersections Award, which recognizes students who support diversity within LGBTQ+ communities, for his commitment to increasing the visibility of the intersections of the LGBTQ+ community through his artwork and writing. Buchanan also served as the Art Exhibition Project Manager for Moving Stories, an art exhibition about migration. 

Next, the James Baldwin Committed Educator Award was presented to Sophie Devincenti, Class of 2022 alum and Student Engagement Specialist for the Gephardt Institute, for spearheading “The Queer Experience: Joy as Resistance” and working to create an open and affirming space in the Gephardt Institute. 

Devincenti told Student Life about her positive experiences working with the Gephardt Institute.

“It’s been really cool to work with them and build some of the resources and celebrations that I wish I had when I was a student at WashU,” she said. “Something that motivates me is really seeing the joy and community that comes out of that work.” 

Devincenti spoke about learning to take the wins when advocating for change for the LGBTQ+ community.

“Take the wins. How often do you actually get to celebrate the joyful parts of being queer and trans?” she said. “Something we’re really excited about in Gephardt is the WUpan Fellow — I’m excited to continue that work through Gephardt. Personally, I’m also an artist, and I make prints that speak to the queer and trans experience, and I’m excited to keep making work that feels joyful for them.” 

Jasmine James-Milford, Coordinator for Programming and Marketing at Campus Life, was given the Bayard Rustin Bridge Builder Award for forging connections and building authentic spaces within the community through events such as Rainbow Welcome, Lavender Graduation, and the Spectrum Committee, and her holistic approach as an advisor to WashU’s Social Programming Board.

James-Milford told Student Life about her personal experience advocating for the LGBTQ+ community. 

“I’m a queer individual myself, so it came very natural to me to be in these spaces and give back to my community and share my experiences with others,” James-Milford said. “Something that I always come back to is that this work is never done, so I’m always thinking about how I can keep this work going and find spaces where I can bring queer joy and queer community.”

The final award of the night was the WUpan Leadership Development Award, presented to a group of current students or alumni who demonstrate commitment to their leadership growth and a community impact project. 

The award was given to Transcending Gender, a student-run group whose mission is to offer a safe space for individuals to discuss their gender identity amidst a rise in hatred and the removal of gender-affirming healthcare in Missouri. 

In a follow-up interview, Hilterbrand touched on what they’ve learned as the inaugural director for the Spectrum Office. 

“It’s been a wild ride. I’ve found that a lot of different campus partners and offices and students have been super receptive to having dedicated LGBT spaces and resources,” Hilterbrand said. “I’ve learned that rest is important and that the work is never ever done — it really does take a community. With events like this, the purpose of them is to be able to celebrate how we’re all holding each other and doing work in our own pockets, but with support from the rest of the team.”