LuLu Géza Kelemen (they/them/theirs) has been George Mason University’s assistant director for LGBTQ+ Resources since 2017. But their history with the office goes back even further.
“[As an undergraduate at Mason] I explored, figured out what I wanted to do, what was important to me, and who I was,” said Géza Kelemen, who majored in integrative studies. “I got to be involved with so many things and one of them was being a Safe Zone facilitator with LGBTQ+ Resources.”
Mason’s Safe Zone Program hosts workshops on issues facing the LGBTQ+ community, allyship, and learning resources, Géza Kelemen said. After earning their bachelor’s degree, they returned to Mason for a master’s in sociology while working as a graduate professional assistant with LGBTQ+ Resources for three years.
“As a student I felt like I could be anything that I wanted,” Géza Kelemen said. “That’s what I want students, LGBTQ+ or not, to feel at Mason.”
Géza Kelemen now runs the Safe Zone Program, and has helped advocate for inclusive polices on campus, such as the LGBTQ+ Living Learning Community, Mason’s recent Chosen Name and Pronouns Policy that streamlines students’ ability to be recognized by the name and pronouns they use, and a new mentoring program for LGBTQ+ and ally first-year students.
It’s about creating spaces where students can feel safer, they said, and that’s also their favorite part of the job.
“I really like working with students,” Géza Kelemen said. “I get a lot of people who come to my office who just need to talk it out a little bit.”
“Having those one-on-one interactions and letting people know that they’re enough is some of the most important work that anyone could be doing,” they said.
It’s what building a community is all about.
Join Mason’s Lambda Alumni chapter for a Pride Trivia Night, June 30, 5-6:30 p.m., via Zoom. Register here.