Practices of LGBTQ+ Empowerment in University Contexts : Case Study from Kent State University, USA, and Osaka University, Japan

ダイガク　ニ　オケル　LGBTQ+ エンパワーメント ノ　ジッセン　ベイコク　ケント　シュウリツ　ダイガク　トオオサカダイガク　ノ　ジレイ　カラ

コスミ, ダイキ

Kosumi, Daiki

Center For Education In Liberal Arts And Sciences, Osaka University

LGBTQ+エンパワーメント

性的マイノリティ

高等教育

大学

事務職員

実践事例

組織構造

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

LGBTQ+ empowerment

Sexual minorities

Higher education

University

Administrator

Case study

Organizational structure

Researchz Reports

In recent years, the Japanese government has been integrating sexual minorities (LGBTQ+) into its national policies, particularly in suicide prevention, education, and labor environment. However, the situation of LGBTQ+ students at Japanese universities has not improved according to various surveys, including the student suicide case; it cannot be said that the practice of empowerment for LGBTQ+ students is enough. In 2022, the author had the opportunity to interview key administrators from two institutions: the LGBTQ+ Center at Kent State University (KSU) in Ohio, USA, and the Diversity Promotion Division at Osaka University, Japan, as a member of the FY2022 Long-term Educational Administrators Program (LEAP) organized by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). This study aimed to introduce LGBTQ+ empowerment efforts and practices, which may contribute to improving LGBTQ+ empowerment and inclusive management at Japanese universities, through literature review and interviews. The results showed that KSU's LGBTQ+ Center constributes to university operations by building the "beneficial structure" cycle through its LGBTQ+ student support efforts. On the other hand, OU seeks to address unconscious bias by focusing on raising awareness at the management level.