Center for Gender + Sexuality

9 Participants and 1 coordinator posed together at the 2024 Gender Inclusive Fashion Show

Empowering you.

The mission of the Center for Gender + Sexuality is to elevate diverse voices and perspectives. We provide opportunities for all members of the Dolphin community to explore, organize, and promote learning around issues of gender and sexuality.

To facilitate a greater responsiveness to the needs of women and the LGBTQIAA+ communities, we organize activities such as panel discussions on policy decisions, small group conversations about topics relevant to LGBTQIAA+ and women's experiences, safe space study halls, health fairs, and much more.

Centrally located on the second floor in JU's Swisher Library, the CG+S provides a safe study and hangout space as well as resources related to the experiences of LGBTQIAA+ people and women.

The CG+S also houses JU's Women's and Gender Studies minor.

EVENTS

Banned book scavenger hunt! October 23-24 all across campus. Find a book around campus and you get to keep it!

Learn, Connect, EmpowerLearn more about the Center for Gender + Sexuality at JU

The Center for Gender + Sexuality offers the JU community a place to learn, grow, and connect. Whether you are looking for research and experiential learning opportunities or a chance to get involved with campus events and the community, check out the CG+S, located in Swisher Library.

Universal access Read a transcript of the video.

Center for Gender + Sexuality

Dr. Sarah Parker:

We want caregivers to feel confident when they bring their student to Jacksonville University. That they are getting an excellent education, but also to care for them as a whole person. We provide students with a place to learn, a place to explore, and a place to embrace their intellectual curiosity. That also means a place to feel safe and a place to feel like they, in learning more about others and themselves, can go on into the world after college and become the kind of leaders who are kind, compassionate, and empathetic, which is absolutely what we need for this generation.

Frankie Nunziata:

One of the reasons I came to JU was because it was so open in being inclusive and supportive, and I learned that the center for gender plus sexuality opened you know fall of 2022. Although I didn't really want to find a job for a semester, I did want to become involved in the community and something that was so focused on inclusivity and research.

Dr. Christine Sapienza:

We're all about students and student outcomes. I think students have a lot of choices nowadays where to pursue their education, and they have to come to an environment that's comfortable for them. They have to come to an environment that's welcoming. The impact the center has for creating a welcoming environment, I think, is really intuitive. I mean, how could you not have a center for gender plus sexuality in today's world?

Dr. Sarah Parker:

One of the things that has been so inspiring and almost to the point of overwhelming in a good way for me, is the response that I have gotten from students. the JU Campus Community of faculty, staff. When they hear about the center, people are so excited for the mission of the center and the potential for what it can accomplish.

Frankie Nunziata:

I feel like everyone deserves the right to feel respected and included. It's just really nice to know that the campus is fully supportive of LGBTQIA people as well and just having that voice and that ability to be who you are on campus in a safe space, being able to find people to talk to you if you need it, and just having a community where everyone supports who you are. It's just such a wonderful thing, and it's something that everyone deserves to feel.

Reframing campus perspectives

The CG+S promotes the Women’s and Gender Studies minor and connect students to campus resources for health and wellness specific to LGBTQIAA+ people and women. This new center will generate opportunities to reframe campus perspectives on how the intersectionality of gender, sexuality, race, age, class, nationality, ethnicity, ability, and other identities impact the social, cultural, educational, and political experience of the Jacksonville University campus community.

Notable Resources

Campus Community SupportOpportunities for LGBTQIAA+ and Women

The Jacksonville University Center for Gender + Sexuality (CG+S) offers students and the campus community a welcoming central location for access to cultural resources, campus events, and mentorship support to increase opportunities for LGBTQIAA+ and women as future leaders. In partnership with the Jacksonville community and community leaders, the CG+S emphasizes experiential learning and leadership opportunities for LGBTQIAA+ and women students.

Student Health Center

Student Inclusion Center

Career Management

Meet Our Team

Meet our PHINtasic staff!

Dr. Sarah Parker

Dr. Sarah Parker, Director of the Center for Gender + Sexuality

Dr. Parker is Professor of English at JU and the inaugural CG+S Director. She is passionate about education, mentorship, and allyship. She is also the faculty advisor to the Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) student organization.

"What I love about the Center for Gender + Sexuality is that there are opportunities for every member of the JU community to get involved. Students can connect with CG+S-sponsored events, engage with us on social media, or simply enjoy the space as a place to study, spend time, learn, and decompress. We also invite students to [delete: connect with us and] use the CG+S to empower them to pursue their own ideas and interests. We invite proposals for everything from research projects to campus-wide initiatives, and we encourage students with academic interests in the CG+S to add the Women’s and Gender Studies minor."

Francesco "Frankie" Nunziata

Lead student associate of the center for Gender + Sexuality

Francesco "Frankie" Nunziata (he/him) is a Marine Science student and the Lead Student Associate for the Center for Gender + Sexuality. As a transgender queer man, he is an open advocate for the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals and he helps to further the center's mission by providing information, research, and outreach.

"As a part of the LGBTQ+ community, moving to Florida was not an easy decision. I wanted to go to a university where I would not only feel safe and respected, but part of a community as well. The Center for Gender + Sexuality offered me a safe space and a place to learn while I navigated the ins-and-outs of college life. Not only is the CG+S a safe area to study and relax, but it is a place to learn, explore, and foster friendships with other like-minded people."

Antonia Caruncho

Social Media Manager and Events Coordinator

Antonia Caruncho is a 19-year-old sophomore pursuing a nursing degree, from New York. Her transition to Florida introduced her to a myriad of challenges, as the differences in cultural and social environments heightened her sensitivity to the significance of safe and inclusive spaces. Amid this transformative experience, Antonia discovered a sanctuary at Jacksonville University's Center for Gender + Sexuality (CG+S). This center became a crucial element in her college journey, providing a supportive atmosphere where she could feel safe, understood, and valued.

“As a queer woman originally from New York, transitioning to a new life in Florida was daunting, given the current socio-political climate. When searching for my ideal university, I sought a campus that prioritized the safety of multiple marginalized communities. Ensuring my safety and that of my fellow LGBTQ+ peers was my greatest concern when choosing a college. When I started my first semester at Jacksonville University, I was frightened. I was concerned for my community, as I was unacquainted with anyone from the LGBTQ+ community at JU, until I found the Center for Gender + Sexuality. Upon my first week of campus life, I was made aware that the center was looking for another student worker, and I was thrilled to send my application. Working alongside individuals like Dr. Parker, Frankie, and Genesis has made me incredibly hopeful for my future education and safety within Jacksonville University, as they are incredibly passionate about uplifting and educating others.”