What started as an effort to help students outside the gender binary find adequate housing, evolved into an LLC with inclusivity as its purpose. It’s been something of a passion project for Pinto, who worked with many other departments in the university to get the Audre Lorde House off the ground, including the department of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, UC Women’s Center, Title IX, the LGBTQ Center, the Department of Public Safety, Gen-1 and the dean of students office.
Fifteen students are moving into the house this fall — some drawn to the gender-inclusive element, while others are following their passion for social justice.
"I think this is going to be our activist group, and that’s something that in this day and age we need to nurture — students who are engaged and willing to challenge one another for the betterment of the community," Pinto says. "UC is the perfect breeding ground for that because we do have very engaged and active students."
As far as special programming, Pinto says students in this house will work collaboratively to find ways to positively impact the student experience at UC and instill a sense of equity and inclusion for the greater Cincinnati community.
"These students care about being Bearcats," Pinto says. "They care about being here. They care about people coming onto their turf and [going] up against their values. And I think this is the perfect community that can help engage and shepherd some of that energy."