Volume 309 | October 10, 2025 | | The LGBTQ History Month Edition | | Photo caption: A rainbow background with the phrase "LGBTQ History Month" in the center. | | October marks LGBTQ+ History Month, an annual month-long observance that provides role models, builds community, and represents a civil rights statement about the invaluable contributions of the LGBTQ community! This month was declared a national history month by former President Barack Obama, and it all began because of a Missouri high school teacher. In 1994, Rodney Wilson believed a month should be dedicated to the celebration and teaching of gay and lesbian history. Wilson gathered teachers and community leaders, and they ultimately decided October should be the month as it coincides with National Coming Out Day and school is in session. | | |
Professor Heather Rellihan has received a Julian Clement Chase Faculty Incentive Grant from the University Writing Program. For the Senior Seminar, Professor Rellihan developed an assignment inspired by the Julian Clement Chase Prize where students will create Leadership Tours (either a walking tour, a bicycle tour, or driving tour) with at least 5 stops that mark important spaces for leadership in D.C.
The third edition of Professor Rellihan's textbook, Introduction to Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies: Interdisciplinary and Intersectional Approaches, has just been published (co-authored/edited with Ayu Saraswati and Barbara Shaw, Oxford University Press, 2025). She is particularly excited about the third edition because it includes the companion workbook, Act Now! A Feminist Toolkit for Twenty-First Century Activism.
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Professor Rellihan has also been published in the 25th anniversary issue of the Journal of International Women's Studies. The essay, "A New Melian Dialogue: Feminist Thinkers on Security Problems of the 21st Century," co-written with Michael Coffey, critically engages with two recent works on feminist foreign policy— Kristina Lunz’s The Future of Foreign Policy is Feminist and Cynthia Enloe’s Twelve Feminist Lessons of War. The essay discusses the role of feminist foreign policy within critical security studies, and reflects on the tensions between feminist principles and the paradigms and exigencies of defense policy makers.
These are amazing accomplishments! Congrats Prof. Rellihan!
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Ecriture with the Body: Contemporary Korean Women's Art
Exhibit Open: October 3rd - November 15th
Opening Reception: Oct 3rd | 3pm - 5pm
Center Atrium, Flagg Building, Corcoran School of the Arts & Design
Écriture with the Body brings together the work of 18 Korean and Korean American women artists who engage with writing, language, and text-based practices as powerful means of articulating subjectivity and resisting entrenched gender and racial inequalities. Rooted in Korean traditions historically shaped by patriarchy—such as calligraphy and literati painting—the exhibition reclaims these forms through an embodied feminist lens. Here, writing is not merely a tool of communication but a visceral assertion of presence, memory, and identity. By inscribing bodily expression into text, the artists generate transformative encounters for audiences. Their works interrogate and transcend formal conventions, offering renewed perspectives and forging empowering narratives that reclaim space within a historically patriarchal artistic lineage.
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SpeakOUT Open House
Saturday, October 11th, 1-3pm
Sign-up for event location!
LGBTQ+ student groups know how essential visibility and community are, especially in this hostile moment when so many queer and trans people are being told to shrink who they are. The SpeakOUT Open House is a space to come together with other students, professionals, and advocates to celebrate our resilience, lift up our stories, and remind one another that we matter.
At the DC SpeakOUT Open House, you’ll experience:
- Remarks from HRC leadership and LGBTQ+ leaders
- Opportunities to connect with other campus groups and local community members
- A space to share stories, build solidarity, and celebrate the power of visibility
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WGSS Fall Mixer
October 14th, 4-5pm
Phillips Hall, Room 411
Come join the WGSS department for our fall mixer event on October 14th! Have some time to relax during midterms, enjoy fall treats, and spend some time with other students!
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Global Women's Institute Open House
October 15 | 11:30-1:00pm
GWI Office (2140 G St NW)
RSVP Here
Have lunch with GWI at our annual open house! We'll have free swag, and students and staff/faculty will get a chance to meet our team.
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PhD Program Info Session
Thursday, October 16th, 4pm
Phillips 329 & Via Zoom
Thinking about applying to a PhD program in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) or a related field? Curious about what applying to a PhD program involves? Come listen to Professor Tambe provide tips! We will also be joined by recent MA grads who are in PhD programs, Emily Wielk and Zhangzhu Wan.
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October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). This year, the GW Office of Advocacy and Support (OAS) will be hosting a community meal in honor of Purple Day on October 16.
Join OAS at Anniversary Park for a meaningful evening of reflection, community and connection. The event will include a meal and some activities, as well as a vigil to honor those impacted by domestic violence.
If you are interested in participating, make sure to RSVP.
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Mini Writing Retreat for Gender Scholars
October 17th, 9am-1pm
MPA Building
Work better with others around? We hold mini writing retreats for all GW community members working on research related to gender and policy across the University. Join us for light refreshments, guided goal setting, several hours of quiet writing time, and a guided reflection. Afterwards, we’ll break for a brown bag lunch. Registration required.
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Careers in Nonprofits
October 23rd | 4-5pm
Duques Hall 225 | RSVP Here
GW alumna Sophie Shack will be discussing Careers in Nonprofits as a resource for students looking for jobs or practicum opportunities. Careers In Nonprofits offers temporary, temporary-to-permanent, and direct hire positions, as well as part-time and full-time opportunities. Sophie will also talk about the current job market in DC and offer tips and advice to students.
| | Support Groups from GW Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) | | |
At CAPS, we offer group therapy as a valuable opportunity for self-discovery and addressing concerns in a supportive and collaborative environment. Our group sessions typically consist of 4-10 students who meet weekly throughout the semester, all under the expert guidance of our CAPS clinicians. Joining a group allows you to gain valuable insights into yourself and others, fostering personal growth and understanding in a nurturing setting.
For more information or questions, please:
Email our Group Coordinator Kortnie Parks, LPC at kortniep@gwu.edu
Fill out the Group Registration Form
Schedule an Initial Consultations with CAPS
| | Support for GW LGBTQ+ Students | | |
UniQue Voices: Mental Health for the GW LGBTQ+ Community
This supportive therapy group is tailored specifically for LGBTQIA+ students, providing a safe and inclusive space to share experiences, explore identities, and enhance mental well-being.
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Sexual Assault Survivors Group
A support and healing space for femme/female-identifying individuals who have experienced sexual assault. This group offers a collaborative space to learn about trauma, process complex emotions, and integrate the experience into a healthier self.
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Healthy Relationships Group
A processing space to help students gain insight and tools to improve all types of relationships.
| | Feminist Campus: Quad Talk is a platform to share bold opinions, fresh takes, and thoughtful reflections on the world we’re navigating. Whether you’re tackling the latest social issue or cracking a joke about the chaos, this is where your voice matters. Submit a piece (500 words or less) to be part of the weekly collection on the Feminist Campus Website of young people’s perspectives on the political and social issues shaping our lives today. Let’s talk about it—your way. | | Gender Policy Research Program Newsletter | | |
Sign up for the monthly newsletter! The GPRP newsletter, sent out on the last Friday of the month, will include updates from GPRP, community spotlights, featured events and resources, and funding, publication, and job opportunities.
Sign up today!
| | Save Foreign Assistance from Cuts | | |
CARE is a humanitarian organization that fights global poverty empowers women and girls around the world. This organization is asking individuals to call elected officials and share support for foreign assistance, knowing just how much these critical investments save lives and promote U.S. and global stability, peace, and prosperity.
Individuals can make a phone call and connect to members of Congress. This organization has included four main points below to make this as quick and easy as possible:
- I am a constituent, and I strongly support U.S investments in foreign assistance.
- U.S. foreign assistance saves lives and promotes U.S. and global stability, peace, and prosperity.
- The consequences of cutting foreign assistance will be devastating – and in some cases deadly – for millions of people worldwide while also jeopardizing American progress.
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Supporting foreign assistance does not come at the expense of domestic priorities. U.S. leadership can do both, it’s not an either or.
If interested, call using this form.
| | The Developmental Social Neuroscience Lab is recruiting adults aged 18-40 to participate in a paid research study! This study includes one online portion (1 hour) and one in-person visit to their lab at George Washington University (3 hours). You can make up to $80 ($20/hr) for completing online surveys and in-person computer games at GW. Please go to their website or email them for more information. | | |
Online Therapy Resources for the LGBTQ+ Community
Online therapy is a resource that offers a plethora of different types of virtual therapy for the LGBTQ+ community. Online therapy makes it easier to access mental health care and to engage in therapy on your own terms. Find more resources that can be helpful for navigating the coming-out process, strengthening your relationships, and learning how to be true to yourself as an LGBTQ+ individual.
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Contribute to the WGSS News Digest | | |
Would you like your event, announcement, or news to be featured in our news digest? There is a process! Please fill out the below form by Thursdays at 4:00 PM to have your event featured in our upcoming digests.
Submit additions to the digest. We look forward to hearing from you!
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