Join The CCNY LGBTQ+ Student Center & Lex Horwitz Consulting LLC for a training teaching how to create safer LGBTQIA+ spaces on campus!

Ready to make a difference on campus for all LGBTQIA+ folks at CCNY and CUNY? Join the CCNY LGBTQ+ Student Center for one of two Safe Zone Trainings led by Lex Horwitz of Lex Horwitz Consulting LLC, that will teach the CCNY and CUNY community how to create safer spaces for LGBTQIA+ students.

When: Fri. Dec. 12, 2025 | 10AM -12PM

Where: Zoom

RSVP: Click the "tickets" button for checkout (NOTE: SPACE IS LIMITED - for CUNY Staff and Faculty only)

Questions?: email lgbtq@ccny.cuny.edu

All participants who successfully complete this training will receive a certificate of completion sent to their email. Please note that participants must be present for at least 90 minutes of the meeting in order to receive this certificate.

CCNY Staff and Faculty will also receive an LGBTQ+ Student Center Safe Space magnet to display on their office doors and be featured as Safe Zone Trained on our website.

What Does This Training Entail?

This training will encompas two main themes:

• Creating Affirming Spaces: Understanding Gender and Sexuality & Best Practices
• Allyship in Action: Application of Best Practices & Scenarios

Content Areas Can Include:

• Binaries
• Intersectionality
• Break down of gender by separately addressing
  a. Gender identity
  b. Gender expression
  c. Sex designated at birth / affirming sex
• Break down of sexuality by separately addressing
  a. Attraction (emotional, romantic, and physical)
  b. LGB+ acronym
• Defining cisgender and transgender
• Defining gender roles and stereotypes and gender attribution
• Defining transphobia, cisnormativity, cissexism, cisprivilege, and heteronormativity
• Understanding microaggressions that uniquely impact queer, non-binary and transgender individuals
• Responding to anti-LGBTQIA+ behavior 4. Implementing inclusion strategies

Objectives/Goals Can Include:

• Identify and understand the core terms and concepts related to gender and sexuality
• Understand assumptions, interactions and barriers that impact the experience of LGBTQIA+ people
• Move past assumptions
• Leave with tangible tools and best practices to utilize as an effective ally in action to queer, non-binary and trans people and/or for self-advocacy
• Identify and understand systems of oppression – transphobia, cisnormativity, cissexism, and heteronormativity
• Understand and identify unique microaggressions experienced by queer, non-binary and transgender people
• Leave with tangible tools and best practices to utilize as an effective ally in action to queer, non-binary and trans people and/or for self-advocacy
• Sharing experiences and how to utilize advocacy tools to be proactive and/or reactive (scenarios practice)

Takeaways Can Include:

• Gain an inclusive and affirming understanding of gender and sexuality
• Critically think about areas of improvement to better support queer, non-binary and trans people
• Leave with next steps and tangible tools to put best practices into action
• Best practices on how to ensure that everyone is proactively and intentionally cultivating an inclusive, affirming, and safe environment where queer, non-binary, transgender, and gender expansive people are affirmed, welcomed and thriving.

This CCNY LGBTQ+ Student Center event is made possible due to generous funding from the NYC Council's LGBTQIA Caucus, the Office of the Mayor, and supported by the CUNY LGBTQIA+ Consortium through the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives.

Co-sponsors: Lex Horwitz Consulting LLC, CCNY Division of Student Affairs, CUNY Office of Student Inclusion Initiatives, and the CUNY LGBTQI+ Council.

This event is made possible by generous funding from the New York City Council to the CUNY LGBTQIA+ Consortium, and supported by the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives.

The City College of New York and the CCNY LGBTQ+ Student Center are a proud members of the CUNY LGBTQIA+ Consortium.

About the CCNY LGBTQ+ Student Center

Established in Fall 2021, The City College of New York's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning Student Center is a collaborative resource dedicated to celebrating, empowering, and supporting LGBTQIA+ students, staff, and faculty at The City College of New York. We are committed to leading with a social justice lens, offering and connecting LGBTQIA+ communities at CCNY and across CUNY with accessible support services, relevant programming, engaging events, paid internship/job opportunities, and general guidance navigating college, home life, and futures outside of higher education for those who identify as LGBTQIA+ or questioning. The LGBTQ+ Student Center is also dedicated to increasing awareness about LGBTQIA+ issues, gender, and sexuality at City College.

The CCNY LGBTQIA+ Student Center is located on the first floor of North Academic Building (NAC), Room 1/101B. We are a safe space for LGBTQIA+ students and allies to meet and build community.

About Lex Horwitz

Lex Horwitz (he/him) is a passionate queer, non-binary transgender Jewish LGBTQIA+ Educator, Consultant, and Public Speaker. They support communities by creating inclusive, affirming, welcoming, and safe environments where everyone can thrive. Lex works with educational institutions, nonprofits, medical centers, and businesses creating and presenting LGBTQIA+ curriculum and workshops, developing inclusive policy, producing educational resources, and providing feedback and action steps to address areas of growth. Through his keynote, Lex shares his journey as the first out transgender athlete at his college and in his sport, and what it was like for them to navigate the binary sports world as a non-binary person — including his experience in switching teams.

In providing powerful judgment-free safe spaces where all can engage in critical conversations on gender, sexuality, and community, Lex supports people in becoming effective allies in action to the LGBTQIA+ community.

Some of Lex’s clients include The Philadelphia School District, The American College of Physicians, The Human Rights Campaign, The New England Small College Athletic Conference, and The Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania.

Additionally, Lex is a researcher, consultant and writer in Gender Affirming Health Care at Temple University and Temple Health in Philadelphia, and Lex coaches Middle and High School Varsity and Junior Varsity Squash and Softball at The William Penn Charter School.

You can learn more about Lex and access his free educational resources on his website.

Stay connected and follow Lex’s journey through Instagram and LinkedIn!

Lex received his B.A. in Psychology and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies from Bowdoin College.