Leif Mitchell

Author and trainer

Leif Mitchell is a trainer/consultant on diversity and sexuality issues. Mr. Mitchell has made presentations and workshops to hundreds of schools, community organizations, colleges and universities on a wide array of topics that focus on the interconnectedness of "isms" and, in particular, the impact that homophobia and heterosexism have in our society. In 1999 he received the Sexuality Educator of the Year Award for the Promotion of Sexual Minority Youth from Connecticut Chapter of the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS). Mr. Mitchell assumes leadership positions within GLSEN, the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network, as a national trainer, national advisory council member, and chair of his local chapter in Connecticut. He is also a trainer for the Anti-Defamation League's a World of Difference Program. Mr. Mitchell is most known for his 1998 publication, Tackling Gay Issues in School, which has been distributed throughout the US and abroad, was translated into Spanish, and was updated in 2007.

As an OUT member of the Beta Alpha Chapter of the Psi Upsilon Fraternity, Mr. Mitchell states that he "probably would never have come out of the closet if it wasn't for the support he received from his fellow fraternity brothers." He described this experience in a chapter of Out on Fraternity Row: Personal Accounts of Gay Men in Fraternities. He also tours the country with his multi-media, fun-filled, interactive presentation, Gay, Greek and Proud: Unlearning Homophobia within the Greek Community.

Mr. Mitchell is currently the Assistant Director for the Community Research Core of the Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS (CIRA) at Yale University. In this capacity he is a liaison between community-based organizations and scientists at Yale doing community-based participatory research on HIV prevention. He enjoys the rich diversity of life in New Haven, Connecticut, with his husband, Will, who also works at Yale.