Christian Williams, coordinator for new student orientation programming and outgoing chairman of the Pride Faculty and Staff Caucus at the University of Delaware, was named to The Advocate’s 2020 Champions of Pride list.

A champion of Pride

Article by Cindy Hall Photos by Samantha Piotti and courtesy of Christian Williams August 17, 2020

Christian Williams recognized by The Advocate magazine for LGBTQ+ influence

A painting on the wall of Christian Williams’ office reads “And as you let your own light shine, you unconsciously give others permission to do the same.” The quote, by author and activist Marianne Williamson, is one that serves as inspiration for Williams’ life.

At just 28 years old, he’s already off to a strong start, a shining example at the University of Delaware for those who need a bit of help unlocking their individuality and potential.

His efforts are getting noticed. Williams — who serves as coordinator for new student orientation programming and has chaired the UD Pride Faculty and Staff Caucus — was named to The Advocate magazine’s 2020 Champions of Pride list. The list is an annual compilation of “activists, artists, politicians, influencers, and everyday people from each U.S. state who are advancing equality for LGBTQ and intersectional groups and inspiring others to do the same.”

“To have my advocacy work noticed by one of the original LGBT publications was an honor in itself,” said Williams. “But then I read through some of the names, some of their stories, and I found myself in amazing company. I’m part of quite a community of leaders doing important, intersectional work.”

Williams joins an impressive lineup of champions across the country — people like Kim Jackson, a Black Episcopal priest who’s running to become Georgia’s first out state senator; and Brandon Wolf, one of the LGBTQ+ community’s leading gun control activists and the first survivor of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando to testify before Congress.

Christian Williams, pictured in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., manages various programming for new students including those studying and interning in the district.

At UD, Williams is doing his part to help LGBTQ+ employees, students, families and visitors feel welcomed and valued. The Pride Caucus is one of UD’s several diversity caucuses representing the interests of different groups on campus. Williams helped spearhead its re-founding and re-branding after the original group became defunct in 2017. Since then, the caucus has burgeoned into an influential force on campus, garnering support from UD leaders.

“The University administration has shown a willingness to listen to us as a voice for UD’s LGBTQ+ faculty and staff, and has bolstered our ability to exist in the fullness of our individual — and often intersectional — identities,” said Williams.

Relationships are key, said Williams, who has been going to bat for faculty and staff when it comes to the University’s administration and policymaking — from supporting trans faculty members who needed guidance in seeking a name change in the University’s directory, to asking the right questions to ensure that same-gender families were included in UD’s new paid parental leave policy.

“I’ve been fortunate to be a part of many important conversations that have a huge impact in UD’s ability to not only recruit, but retain and fully support LGBT faculty and staff,” Williams said. “We want to ensure that faculty, POC, trans and other perspectives are included, embraced and, most importantly, actively used as the Caucus continues advocating on behalf of LGBTQ+ people on UD’s campus.”

Williams, who manages various programming for students including those studying and interning in Washington, D.C., has also worked to grow a partnership with the Division of Student Life and student-run organizations, co-sponsoring and co-organizing events to give students opportunities to feel included—and just enjoy being themselves.

It was during his own time as a college student at Florida International University that Williams realized he wanted to help people be true to themselves, and came to appreciate the college campus as an important place where people evolve as individuals.

“As a first-generation, low-income and gay college student who came out during my time in college, the mentors I worked with challenged my thinking, provided me with guidance and support, and empowered me as I made important decisions about my future,” Williams explained.

His fierce commitment to encouraging UD students has even helped embolden Williams in his own personal growth. “I remember being challenged to a dance-off with another staff member at a Lavender Programming Board event last fall, and the cheers and screams of our students encouraging us to take the stage and have fun got me up there,” he said. “And as I entertained the crowd, I realized how far I have come on my own identity journey, in part because of my experience working at UD. I felt happy and free, and I think that comes out in the work I do with my students.”

While he hopes his work on campus helps queer and trans students find a source of encouragement and mentorship on campus, Williams shies away from being called a “role model.” He instead aspires to be a “possibility model,” a term he discovered from Black trans advocates like actress Laverne Cox and writer Janet Mock, who explain it shows individuals a possibility, the chance to forge their own path to whatever they want to be.

Williams is now taking the work he started at UD to others around the country in his new role as an officer of community engagement with the Philadelphia chapter of the Association of Latino Professionals for America. By partnering with other chapters to form Pride initiatives in cities across the country, he is hoping to provide opportunities for community and access to professional development among those who, like Williams, sit at the intersection of being Latinx and LGBTQ+.

“Core to my work is the idea that we, as people, are constantly learning and growing. I am still evolving as a person and am excited to continue exploring what makes me happy,” Williams said.

Read the complete list of The Advocate’s 2020 Champions profiles here, and access an interactive experience through Snapchat’s Augmented Reality and Lens Creator, which allows users to transport themselves to various regions of the U.S. where the champions are living and working.