Jodie Patterson is a graduate of a historically black college. She is also the mother of a young transgender boy. And as a parent, she said, she knows what she wants to see from schools.

“I need to see conversations,” she said. “I need to be a part of those conversations.”

Patterson spoke Wednesday at an event hosted by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. She and another parent shared the stories of their families — and their perspectives and concerns as parents — with leaders of historically black colleges and universities who gathered for a summit at the LGBT rights advocacy organization.

“I need proof that we are in it, that we are committed to the conversation, that it is robust, that it is diverse,” said Patterson, who is a member of a Human Rights Campaign parent council.

A dozen schools were represented at the gathering in the District, including Howard University, Morgan State University and Spelman College, the Human Rights Campaign said. Participants discussed HIV prevention, corporate diversity and supporting families.

Learning about those issues reflects the schools’ commitment to social justice, said Parris Carter, associate vice president for student affairs at Howard University in Northwest Washington. “So if we’re looking at the way that our campuses should embrace all students, in terms of social justice, I think that’s kind of the foundation of why this is important,” he said. Read more via Washington Post