Samuel, or Sam (any pronouns), is a Gender & Sexuality educator, consultant, and national board-certified counselor originally from the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. As a first-generation professional, Samuel works to expand access to education, to support mental health and wellbeing, and to dismantle systems of oppression. Over the years, Samuel has served as a public school teacher, college lecturer and counselor, interfaith chaplain, lobbyist, community activist, and drag performer. Samuel directs the Yale LGBTQ Center serving students, faculty, staff, and alumni of Yale University and is the Yale LGBTQ Center’s inaugural Stonewall Librarian.
Whether in the halls of Vatican City, on Capitol Hill, in the streets, or in the classroom, Samuel advocates for underrepresented communities and promotes social transformation through a radical and enthusiastic practices of inclusion. Their current research interests are in Queer, Womanist, and Postcolonial Theology and ancient civilizations.
Outside of work, Samuel loves exploring new places, thrifting, getting involved in the arts and local community, and spending time with their sidekick, Percy Jackson. Samuel is also an avid Dolly Parton fan and can often be found on a mountain adventure in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. Feel free to drop by the center to meet Sam, learn more about the work of the Yale LGBTQ Center, and find ways to get involved in the queer liberation movement.