WGS Cultural Events
2013 National Day of Silence
In April, USC Upstate recognized the 2013 National Day of Silence. This day originated with the University of Virginia in 1996, and has since spread to college campuses worldwide.
The National Day of Silence is a student-led non-violent protest against name-calling, bullying and sexual harassment, based on sexual orientation in schools. Students take a vow of silence for a day or part of a day to illustrate the silencing effect of bullying and harassment against those who are, or are perceived to be, members of the LGBTQ community.
Members of USC Upstate’s LGBTQ student organization, Common, and members of a local grassroots activist group called Gender Benders, partnered with the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies to observe the National Day of Silence by standing in the lower quad with red tape over their mouths, holding up signs with the stories of individuals who were murdered for being gay, lesbian or transgendered, and those who committed suicide after being bullied or harassed for their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Women In...Lecture Series
The "Women In..." lecture series examines women's experiences in various cultural contexts, showcasing faculty research interests and local professionals who work with women in our community.
Uncommon Sense
This series includes five lectures/discussions during the Spring semester to overlap with meetings of the student organization Common. Lectures and meetings are free and open to the public.
SiHLE 
An internship for African American female Upstate students who train to become peer educators, then meet with African American teen girls from Spartanburg to teach them about HIV/AIDS awareness, assertiveness skills and gender and ethnic pride.
Bodies of Knowledge
The Symposium renewed and reinforced campus commitment to the principle of respecting sexual diversity, and to the acknowledgement of sexual orientation as a protected category of identity in Upstate’s longstanding Diversity Initiative. The symposium served to maintain and further fuel the energy of the students, faculty and staff who were galvanized to improve the campus climate for LGBTQ students, faculty, and staff.
ReelGenders International Film Series
Free movies will be screened throughout the academic year on USC Upstate’s campus. After each movie, the audience is invited to engage in a talk-back, facilitated by a student leader.
Institutionalizing the Movement: Constructive Analysis on Cultivating Safe Climates for Black Queer Students
A lecture for faculty, students, staff, and administrators, seeking to explore how Black same sex attracted and gender nonconforming (SSAGNC) undergraduate students build community in spite of the institutionalized social climate, while informing the majority on action-based ways to be allies for this group.
Additional Past Events