Activist Bob Schoenberg works to strengthen gay community

More than 15 years have passed since Bob Schoenberg was hired by the University as a part-time employee to help represent gay, lesbian and bisexual students. Thanks largely to his efforts, however, much has improved for the University's gay community since that time. Schoenberg was first hired in 1982, after several student leaders requested that an organization be established to represent the needs of the University's gay community. At the time, Schoenberg was an active member of the local gay community and was in the process of completing his doctoral dissertation at the University on "sexual identity development during college years." This research, as well as Schoenberg's activist background, made him "a logical candidate" for the job, he recalled. According to Schoenberg, his life as a gay activist began in the 1970s, when "gay liberation was very much a nationwide movement." Having come "out of the closet" himself during the decade, Schoenberg started working with a counseling service in Center City which helped members of the gay and lesbian community. When AIDS became a national issue during the early 1980s, Schoenberg quickly focused his attention on the new crisis. In 1981, he founded an organization known as ActionAIDS which has since grown to be the largest AIDS service organization in Pennsylvania. In 1992, Schoenberg's position was upgraded to full-time status, as he took the helm of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Center. Schoenberg is the "main motivating force behind [the center]," Van Pelt Library employee David Azzolina noted. Azzolina has been a member of Penn's gay community for nearly two decades. Indeed, many gay, lesbian and bisexual students rely on the LGB Center to provide them with a welcoming social environment. "When I came here freshman year, I felt good coming out and a huge part of that has to do with the resources at the LGB Center and Bob Schoenberg," first-year Law student and College alumna Melissa Krakowski said. Nevertheless, Schoenberg said he realizes that his work here is only part of the reason why gay life has flourished at the University. "In general, the administration is very supportive," Schoenberg said, citing the University's generous financial support throughout the years. In addition, Schoenberg receives input from the LGB Advisory Board, a committee composed of both straight and gay students and faculty. While Schoenberg admits that gay life at Penn "is one of the best in the country," he believes that improvements can still be made. For now, he hopes to focus his attention on educational programming. Toward this end, Schoenberg is currently working on several programs to increase exposure to gay life on campus. From late March to early April, the University will celebrate Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian and Transgendered Awareness Days, hosting a number of prominent gay activist speakers. Additionally, Schoenberg is working with the Board to consult other organizations on campus who are trying to make their policies and practices more gay-sensitive. When it all boils down, Schoenberg is trying to do his best at a job he loves. "It doesn't even seem like a job for him," Krakowski noted. "He's just doing a great service for the University and for gay people in Philadelphia."