Brandon McMinn Completes Brave Zone Training at Lebanon Valley College

2017 Nov 21

Brandon McMinn of Hanover, Pa., is one of 81 students who completed the Brave Zone Network Training Program during the past academic year at Lebanon Valley College. McMinn, a graduate of South Western High School, is pursuing a bachelor of science in business administration and accounting at The Valley.

The Brave Zone Network trains students, faculty, and staff with the goal of creating an on-campus network of allies and members of the LGBT+ community. The program educates members regarding how to address issues involving the community and how to advocate for peers, family members, and other acquaintances. A large portion of Brave Zone training focuses on education. Trainees are immersed in situations that members of the LGBT+ community often encounter so they will be able to understand the oppression the community experiences.

There are sections of the training that cover vocabulary, pronoun usage and why it's important, understanding gender identity and gender expression, sexual attraction versus sexual orientation, and romantic attraction.

There are more than 150 members involved with the program, including students, staff, and faculty. Members can be recognized on campus by a door decal on their dorm, house, or office door.