Center for Women and Gender Equity

Hello! My name is Erika Lindsay. I am a fourth year from Marine City, Michigan studying communication sciences and disorders and Spanish here at BGSU. Being involved on campus has been a huge part of my experience here at Bowling Green. I am currently the director of Lady Parts Improv. We are an improv and sketch comedy team composed of female-identifying and gender nonbinary students. We pride ourselves in empowering those with marginalized gender identities through comedy and performance, as well as through our philanthropy for The Cocoon in Bowling Green. I am also serving as the vice president for the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA). The purpose of NSSLHA is to engage students interested in issues regarding speech and hearing, and provide opportunities to hear from professionals that work in this field.

Creating spaces where female-identifying students can thrive is something I am passionate about, I am choosing to donate to The Center for Women and Gender Equity here on campus for my Falcon Funded project. One of the most powerful parts of my experience at BGSU has been the strong group of women I have had to support me through the ups and downs of college life. Not all students have access to the same support system, but The Center for Women and Gender Equity is working to change that reality through their many programs and services. From offering support to victims of sexual assault, finding help for students with children so that they can continue their education, and educating men on campus to reject toxic masculinity – the CWGE is putting in the work to make campus safe and accessible for all students.

Although we want all students to belong, stand out and go far, we need to recognize that not all students have the same advantages as others. The CWGE is working to help break down some of these barriers, so that all students have the chance to be successful and feel supported by their University. We need to not only focus on supporting those with marginalized identities, but also to educate students with privileged identities on how to be engaged allies. Because I know the difference having a positive support system can make in someone’s college experience, I am proud to be donating to an office that is doing the work to create those support systems for women and gender-nonbinary students at BGSU.