The doors to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Resource Center opened quietly Tuesday afternoon.
?We?re steadily starting, we?re just deciding what we need to do,? said Andre Molette, one of two students who works at the resource center. The students were hired Monday.
Molette is trained to handle questions ranging from why the resource center is housed in the Union to sexually transmitted infections and AIDS.
The center was created to provide students with information about the issues concerning sexual minorities on campus. Students can find information and support groups. The center includes a resource library.
Donations from Barnes and Noble have boosted the library?s collection, but obtaining more books is one of the center?s goals, Molette said.
The center will provide a speakers bureau.
?The speakers bureau would allow someone from the philosophy department to call and ask for someone to speak about same-sex relationships, and I can refer to a list of speakers,? Molette said.
The center will not officially open until the latter part of November.
?We will have a grand opening after we hire an adviser, which should be in late November,? said Kay Harward, associate vice president for student affairs.
The search for an adviser is currently underway, Harward said.
?I hope we can have a grand opening before Thanksgiving,? Molette said.
The resource center recently received a $20,000 grant from the Gill Foundation, which makes donations to LGBT and AIDS foundations across the country.
?The grant is more than the Gill Foundation usually gives out, which shows they really support us,? said Mike Alcott, faculty adviser of the Lesbian and Gay Student Union.
The grant money will fund three things: operational expenses, programming and the library, Harward said.
?The U is paying for a half time adviser, which we appreciate, but we?re responsible for the rest of the funding,? Harward said.
The center, located in Union 312, is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Students, faculty and staff can drop in or call 587-7973 for more information.