LGBTQ Leadership in Higher Education

"This is a book whose time has come. Once there were only a handful of openly LGBTQ college and university presidents. Now that numbers have grown and continue to grow, it is important to learn from one another's stories and to share them more broadly. This collection offers wisdom and solidarity. Pass it along."

"LGBTQ Leadership in Higher Education offers provocative and thoughtful reflections on what it means to be a gay leader in higher education, how position intersects with identity to create both challenges and opportunities. It's an authentic and moving book."

"This is a moving and timely anthology that lets us understand both the personal struggles and political visions of LGBTQ presidents of diverse colleges and universities. This collection insists that LGBTQ presidents enjoy privilege and bear responsibility toward a community whose lives are often marginalized and imperiled. The reflections here document their continuing commitment to support LGBTQ communities who have every right to flourish without fear of discrimination and violence."

"Through testimonials told directly from the experience and perspective of out LGBTQ presidents, Raymond Crossman's LGBTQ Leadership in Higher Education chronicles the reality of the proverbial glass ceiling for out LGBTQ leaders, whose numbers are still astonishingly small because of homophobia and the traditionally heteronormative cultural and social framing that surrounds university presidencies. This book should be required reading not only for aspiring LGBTQ leaders but also for boards of trustees who are ultimately in the best position to effect change in the American college and university presidency."

"This is an important book by and about the remarkable group of pioneering LGBTQ presidents who are among the first generation to rise to the top leadership position in institutions of higher education. Their stories, personally recounted here, also draw lessons about the unique leadership qualities they collectively and individually brought to bear in the increasingly challenging world of the twenty-first century."

"With reports of university leadership mired in (hetero)sexual harassment and unequal (hetero)sexual relationships appearing regularly in the news, we must listen to these presidents and chancellors who narrate how queer and feminist leadership will lead the way to more equitable and just institutions. Required reading for anyone seeking to realize their own academic leadership, whether as a department chair, dean, or chancellor."

"This book documents the important changes that have occurred in who is considered for the presidency—and the greater talent pool and diverse perspectives this affords American higher education. These LGBTQ presidents' individual stories are moving, humorous, sometimes distressing, and always inspirational. Although the institutions they lead and their own career trajectories vary widely, these presidents share a commitment to equity and access informed by their own life experiences."

"Centering LGBTQ+ diverse intersectional experiences and narrative histories (including ongoing challenges/opportunities), these authors candidly explore distinct leadership journeys that invoke relevant considerations for current, emerging, and future leaders across higher education and beyond."