QNotes, August 20, 2021

life
Getting Involved in LGBTQ Student Life
How to Find Organizations on Your College Campus
The college experience is about more
than just the program you’re in or
the major you study. For many LGBTQ
youth, going to college is their first time
living away from home. When choosing
to attend your college or university, you
should know what resources are available
to you as a LGBTQ student. Having active
LGBTQ student groups and support services
are important factors of a LGBTQfriendly
campus.
Getting involved in LGBTQ student
life on campus allows queer and trans
youth to learn more about themselves
and others like them. Also, it opens the
door to leadership opportunities, support
systems and professional networking.
At schools like Elon University, there are
many ways for LGBTQ students to get
involved on campus.
Finding LGBTQ On-Campus
Groups and Organizations
Are you wondering what resources
and groups are available to you on your
campus? Check out the Campus Pride Map
to find LGBTQ college groups and support
services. Available resources include Pride
student groups, LGBTQ alumni groups,
LGBTQ resource centers and safe spaces.
Also, your campus’ LGBTQ-friendly ranking
in the Campus
Pride Index
features evaluations
of on-campus
resources and
student life.
Some schools
have extensive
lists of student-run
LGBTQ groups,
like the University
of Michigan.
Groups like
AHAVA, Stonewall
Democrats and
TransForm are led
by students for students. These groups
are a great way to make friends and find
your LGBTQ community on campus.
If you attend a smaller college or university,
you may be limited in your student
group options. But no matter the size of
your campus, there are other support systems
in place for LGBTQ students. LGBTQ
resource centers, like the one at Duke
University, receive campus funding and are
run by LGBTQ faculty and staff. Campus
centers educate students and faculty,
influence campus policy, host on-campus
events and help enforce disciplinary action.
If you are struggling to get involved in your
by Jullia Schwenderman | Campus Pride Intern
on-campus LGBTQ
community, resource
centers are a
great place to start.
LGBTQ
Learning
Communities
and Residence
Halls
A quintessential
part of the
first-year college
experience is living
in a residence hall.
Living in an on-campus dorm is an important
social environment for students. If
you are a student seeking LGBTQ-friendly
housing, see if your school offers genderinclusive
student housing.
Many colleges and universities offer
specialized living learning communities.
These dorms plan programming around
shared passions or identities among
residents. Your school’s living learning
communities may include LGBTQ housing
for students looking to join a community.
Schools like Guilford College and Bucknell
University host entire residence halls
exclusively for LGBTQ housing.
Seeking a Community
Elsewhere on Campus
There are many ways to find a community
on campus outside of designated
LGBTQ groups and spaces. Attend your
activities fair or talk to your peers about
other clubs that are LGBTQ inclusive.
Find out if your school has trans-inclusive
intramural sports and other resources for
transgender athletes from TransAthlete, a
database of inclusion.
Lambda 10 Project and
On-Campus Greek Life
College students can join social,
professional and multicultural Greek
organizations. Most students picture
single-sex Greek chapters when they
think of recruitment, but there are other
gender-inclusive options for LGBTQ
students who want to join. Sororities
like Gamma Rho Lambda offer a social
support system to LGBTQ college students.
LGBTQ Greek College Tour brings
information about Black LGBTQ Greek
life to campuses across the country.
If you are a member of a Greek chapter,
join the Lambda 10 Ally Network
to make all Greek life a safe space for
LGBTQ members. : :
12 qnotes Aug. 20-Sept. 2, 2021