Around New England

Not One of 18 Candidates Endorsed by Harvard Diversity Coalition Identifies As Homosexual, Bisexual, or Transgender

March 29, 2019

An alumni group called The Coalition for a Diverse Harvard has endorsed 18 candidates for two boards that influence policies of Harvard University in hopes of implementing overtly race-conscious admissions and an ethnic studies program, but organizers lament the lack of homosexual, bisexual, or transgender candidates among them.

“We note that our research does not show that any of the 18 candidates identify publicly as LGBTQIA+ or have substantial experience in addressing LGBTQIA+ issues,” the coalition said in a written statement. “This is an issue that we and the Harvard Gender & Sexuality Caucus will raise with the Harvard Alumni Association.”

Candidates endorsed by the coalition for the university’s Board of Overseers and the Harvard Alumni Association Board of Directors were asked to fill out a “Diversity Questionnaire” that asks about diversity, inclusion, ethnic studies, affirmative action, and race-conscious admissions.

The diversity coalition formed in 2016 in response to an effort by conservative alumnus Ron Unz to get candidates elected to the university’s Board of Overseers who would support using Harvard’s $37 billion endowment to provide free tuition and making race calculations in admissions more transparent, particularly with respect to Asian-American applicants. One of the candidates that year was former Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader.

Alumni of Harvard College and graduate schools at Harvard can vote for candidates for both boards – and this year, for the first time, can do it online. The voting period is between Wednesday, April 3 and 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 21.