Erwin de Leon, Ph.D. Chief Diversity Officer of Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies and a Lecturer in the Nonprofit Management Program, is passionate about allyship. In June 2022, Dr. de Leon was honored to be named to Crain’s Notable LGBTQ Leaders List.
As we enter October, LGBTQIA+ History Month, we sit down with Dr. de Leon to discuss his role at Columbia University and how one can be an LGBTQIA+ ally all 12 months of the year.
Tell us about your roles at Columbia University
I serve as SPS’ Chief Diversity Officer and a Lecturer in the Nonprofit Management Program.
In this role, I lead and manage the school’s DEIA Initiative. This means collaborating closely with our DEIA committee, senior leadership, and various departments and affinity groups, with the shared vision of a community committed to the practice of DEIA and the creation of a welcoming and inclusive environment. I also learn from the Columbia diversity officers and practitioners network.
As a lecturer in the Nonprofit Management Program, I teach the following courses: DEI in Nonprofits and Philanthropy, Ethics in the Nonprofit Sector, Data Analytics and Metrics in the Nonprofit Sector, and the capstone project. I am currently developing a DEI course designed to cut across sectors and industries, which will be open to all SPS graduate students. It will be offered in the spring semester, entitled DEI at Work: Leading Inclusive Organizations. To keep my nonprofit practice fresh, I also consult pro bono for an international foundation and a domestic nonprofit.
“…at the end of the day, it all starts and ends with treating each other with respect and dignity as fellow human beings.”
What does the DEIA committee do and how can students take part in the work?
The DEIA committee fuels our initiative with its ideas, energy, and commitment. At the end of our initiative’s first year, the committee submitted a set of recommendations to Dean Eggers, which will inform SPS’ DEIA strategic plan that is currently being crafted and will be submitted to the Office of the Provost. Students can participate in the committee’s work, either by running for a student representative seat or simply attending monthly meetings, which are open to the entire community. Students can also share their thoughts and ideas with me and other committee members. And if I may borrow from Dean Eggers, I encourage us all to be kind to one another. We can put in place policies and procedures meant to promote DEIA, but at the end of the day, it all starts and ends with treating each other with respect and dignity as fellow human beings.
How can people generally champion LGBTQIA+ Pride all year long (not just in June during Pride month and October during LGBTQ+ History Month)?
Indeed, allyship should not confine itself to a given month, but worked on and offered every day. I suggest that we start by getting to know a range of individuals with varying and intersecting gender/sexual identities, races/ethnicities, ages, abilities, and socioeconomic backgrounds. We can do this at work, in our neighborhoods, and yes, by reading books and watching media created by LGBTQ+ people. Just like other social groups, the queer community is not monolithic. Let us listen to the stories of our LGBTQ+ neighbors and learn that we have more in common than we think. We can always learn something new, so stay curious and constantly educate ourselves about the queer community. All this would arm you to challenge homophobic, transphobic, and other dangerous notions and stand up for LGBTQ+ folks.
What do you think heterosexual and/or cis people can do to be allies to LGBTQIA+ friends and coworkers?
Building on my previous response, straight and/or cis people should get to know the unique challenges faced by their LGBTQ+ friends and colleagues, and be ready to advocate and stand in their defense. Call out slights and other micro-aggressions. Educate those who don’t know any better. Be the voice of your LGBTQIA+ friends and coworkers in spaces where they are not heard, silenced, and discriminated against.
What will it take to make workplaces more inclusive for LGBTQIA+ people?
This is where DEIA initiatives are crucial. The more queer people and individuals from underrepresented groups there are in a workplace, the more likely will it be inclusive and welcoming. So, hire and empower more LGBTQ+ folks, people of color, and individuals with different abilities and from various socio-economic backgrounds, at all levels of the organization. In the meantime, put into place policies and procedures that are equitable, accessible, and ultimately, inclusive.
Thank you, Dr. de Leon, for sharing your wisdom with us! We look forward to an increasingly queer-friendly future. Students are encouraged to share thoughts, ideas, and stories by sending an email to spsdiversity@columbia.edu.
Dr. de Leon is also a Research Fellow at Knology and a member of the Empire State Bioethics Consortium, his research and teaching interests include nonprofit organizations; diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA); organizational ethics; data and technology in civil society; and AAPI and immigrant communities.
