On Friday, March 22, the Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion hosted the 27th Annual Mosaic Conference for Intersectionality. The conference included a luncheon for leaders in gender equity, as well as workshops highlighting topics such as student activism on campus, active listening and civility, allyship, and intersectionality.
The Center sponsored and organized the event and partnered with the Office for Institutional Equity and Title IX, the CMU
Sustainability Initiative, Feminists Engaged in Multicultural Matters and Education (FEMME), the CMU Gender Equity Coalition, Student Leadership, Involvement, and Civic Engagement, The Frank-Ratchye STUDIO for Creative Inquiry, and Chartwells to make the event a success for all who attended.
The talks were distinguished by a keynote speech from activist and educator AC Dumlao, who identifies as a transgender, nonbinary, first- generation Filipinx American. They created “Call Me They,” a Facebook page for news and conversation from the transgender community, which tackles issues of nonbinary visibility, Asian and Filipinx representation, fashion, and more. Dumlao was the Grand Marshal, or leader, of the 2023 New York City Pride March. They’ve been honored with titles like “Emerging Voice,” from NBC Asian America, one of the “LGBTQ figures making history right now,” from Mashable 30 Days of Pride, and “Source of the Week” from NPR.
Currently, they work with companies to educate and advise on inclusive human resources and diversity, equity, and inclusion policies and make speeches at conferences all over the country. They are the chief of staff of Athlete Ally, working to create opportunities for LGBTQ+ people in sports. They have been featured inTheHuffingtonPost,Vice,Laura Magazine, Business Insider, and The Advocate for their work and activism.
Dumlao began their keynote by talking about the importance of intentionality and reflection in making leadership a lifelong practice. They shared stories from their Long Island roots, where they were heavily involved in the Catholic Church. While they attended Vassar College, they began to explore more about their sexuality and gender, though struggles with depression complicated their journey.
A women’s studies course and the fallout of the 2016 election led Dumlao to become more aware of the role of intersectionality and identities in politics and society. Their Facebook “rants” gave life to “Call Me They,” which garnered a large following and conversation about transgender rights in a new political landscape under President Donald Trump.
As “Call Me They” launched Dumlao’s career in activism, they started to understand the toll it would take to be a leader in their field. Constant exposure to unaffirmingviewpointsandvoices led them to seek a break from public work. They shared a variety of important lessons they learned from their time as an activist, including taking rest, reflecting on privilege, forgiveness, and giving back to and uplifting others.
Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion director M. Shernell Smith concluded the conference by speaking about the importance of individual action and internal work. She reflected on the history of the Mosaic Conference as focusing on women’s issues and discussed how students could play a role in organizing Mosaic to reflect student needs and interests. She expressed hope that students would be involved in the organization of next year’s intersectionality conference.
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