Campus Pride Climate Index ranks gay-friendliness of American colleges and universities just in time for ‘Back to School’

Nineteen schools nationwide make highest five-star rating; Other schools taking positive steps to 'come out' for their LGBT students

(Charlotte, NC) – As thousands of students return to their college or university campus and as many step onto campus as a new student for the first time this fall semester, they now have one complete and comprehensive national resource ranking for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) inclusion and friendliness.

The Campus Pride LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index lists over 230 publicly available campus climate reports online at www.campusclimateindex.org. The nationally praised Index takes an in-depth look at LGBT-friendly policies, programs and practices. Colleges are ranked from one to five stars, depending on their answers to a detailed, voluntary questionnaire submitted to Campus Pride, a national non-profit working to create safer, more LGBT-inclusive colleges and build future LGBT and ally leaders. In development since 2001, the Index has become a staple in student and faculty research, campus organizing efforts and benchmarking for LGBT student safety and inclusion on campus.

Each summer, university officials are encouraged to fill out new questionnaires and update their Index profiles. This year, the Campus Climate Index is proud to announce five-star rankings for 19 colleges and universities – the most ever achieving the Index’s highest ranking since the its inception in 2007-08.

Congratulations Emily Wunderlich & University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse on winning $10,000* in FREE OUTmedia Entertainment for campus!!!

Winner of Campus Pride & OUTmedia's 1st International Video Contest & Campaign

When reviewing all of our submissions there was only one that stole our hearts and perfectly spoke the message of Campus Pride and OUTmedia's "Be Queer, Buy Queer!" International Video Contest and Campaign. With simple engineering and her empowered voice, Emily Wunderlich is a student not only making change, she's creating it. Her video embodied the message of BQBQ! She used her voice to show that every member of the LGBTQQIA community can stand together and make a difference. So take note and remember "dollar signs change times".

NEW YORK TIMES FEATURES CAMPUS PRIDE

How to Find a Gay-Friendly Campus?

CAMPUS PRIDE'S NATIONAL LGBT COLLEGE FAIR PROGRAM

THEY ARE HERE TO RECRUIT YOU
Colleges Reach Out as Never Before
by John Schwartz

READ THE ENTIRE STORY ONLINE
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/18/education/edlife/18guidance-t.html

The scene was similar to one that plays out thousands of times a year in gyms and auditoriums around the country: a college fair. The folding tables, the school banners, the admissions officers with a student representative or two, and the brochures and tchotchkes laid out. The only thing that might have made this one appear out of the ordinary was the preponderance of handouts with rainbow designs, and the fact that the fair was being held at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center in Greenwich Village. This college fair, and several like it around the country, was devoted to recruiting gay students.

“Actually going out and recruiting a gay student — that’s a very new thing for colleges,” says Shane L. Windmeyer, the co-founder of Campus Pride, a national organization that promotes safe college environments for gay students and sponsored the event.

While Ivy League schools are often represented, the fairs also attract lesser-known institutions like Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Scott A. McIntyre, associate director of admissions there, says that his university attends some 500 fairs each year, and that including one for gay students made sense.

WIN $10,000 in FREE Entertainment for Your Campus

OUTmedia & Campus Pride "Be Queer, Buy Queer!" International Video Contest

Learn more online at www.OUTmedia.org

OUTmedia's
"BE QUEER, BUY QUEER!"
INTERNATIONAL VIDEO CONTEST

in partnership with Campus Pride

WIN $10,000
in FREE OUTmedia Entertainment for Your Campus

LEARN MORE

In partnership with Campus Pride, OUTmedia is seeking college students throughout the world to submit original videos on the theme,“Be Queer, Buy Queer!”

Slams,rants, stand up, sketch, music frenzy, spicy splicing are all welcome.We want you to speak boldly, and outrageously on the vision, expressed by OUTmedia’s Founder, Shelly Weiss, “care about where you spend your every dime, invest in the businesses that believe and invest in you.Build your queer vision of your future, with what and where you buy today!”

Submit your own video responding to concept of "Be Queer Buy Queer," with a friend,your LGBTQQIA campus group, or run wild with your entire campus community! Present in video form "What Does Be Queer Buy Queer Mean To You?"

PRIZE: One winner will receive $10,000 in OUTmedia entertainment* and the opportunity to host the First Annual OUTmedia Queer Campus Culture Fest! at their university --hosted by Kit Yan and being developed for TVairing.

An additional prize of a performance by one OUTmedia artist will be given to the school with the most number of registered voters.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: Submissions will be accepted through April 15, 2010, voting from April16-29, 2010 -- and the winner announced at the culmination of Diversity Month on April 30, 2010.

Civil rights leader and highly-acclaimed furniture designer Mitchell Gold
to speak about his book CRISIS and the toll based bigotry

Charlotte, NC, Tuesday, Jan 19, 2010 – The national, Charlotte-based Campus Pride (www.campuspride.org) and local Time Out Youth (www.Time Out Youth.org) have partnered for a joint fundraising event on Thursday, Feb 25 to bring attention to lesbian,gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) and ally youth in the Charlotte area.The fundraiser will take place at 6 p.m. at Myers Park Baptist Church(1900 Queens Road) and then continue at 8 p.m. at Petra’s Piano Bar(1919 Commonwealth Avenue). No tickets are necessary; however, donations are encouraged.

Titled “Believe In Youth,” the one night only event will feature civil rights leader and author Mitchell Gold and his book "CRISIS: 40 Stories Revealing the Personal, Social and Religious Pain and Trauma of Growing Up Gay In America." A resident of Hickory, NC, Gold is a nationally recognized leader in the furniture industry as well as the founder of Faith In America, a national nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness of the harm caused to LGBT Americans by religion-based bigotry and prejudice.

Gold has been honored nationally for his work and most recently in 2009 received a "Visionary Award" from the Stonewall Foundation in New York for his work with Faith in America and for publishing his recent book CRISIS. The book has been hailed as an important tool for understanding the immense harm to LGBT people when prejudice, discrimination and violence toward them is given moral and religious approval.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF CAMPUS PRIDE!
HAPPY HOLIDAY & NEW YEAR!

Campus Pride wishes you a JOYOUS HOLIDAY & NEW YEAR! There are still days left before the New Year. Help Campus Pride continue our valuable work supporting LGBT and Ally college students and helping colleges and universities become more LGBT-friendly.

Campus Pride has a HOLIDAY GIFT CHALLENGE of $10,000 -- we are asking YOU to consider making a $10 or $25 gift right now online. PLEASE HELP US REACH OUR GOAL! DONATE ONLINE NOW.

DONATE ONLINE

Washington Post, Friday, December 11, 2009
Campus Pride Executive Director
Shane Windmeyer

As quoted:

For decades, public and private universities have grappled with how to support gay students and protect them from verbal or physical attacks. Religious schools also have the challenge of upholding church teachings, such as the Catholic stance that it is not sinful to be attracted to someone of the same sex but it is sinful to act on such desires.

This delicate balance often puts gay students in a “conflicted state of acceptance,” said Shane L. Windmeyer, executive director of Campus Pride, a national organization that helps colleges assess their gay friendliness. “The church wants to love the person and hate the sin. But what does that really mean?”

So visible support for gay students — such as a resource center, rainbow stickers, club tables and awareness weeks — is especially important at religious schools, he said. But such actions do not change campus attitudes overnight, he said.

Read the Article

We have come to MARCH!
One Message: Full Equality under the Law!

Follow Campus Pride on Facebook

Follow Campus Pride on Twitter

I am constantly reminded when I visit colleges in the South how much work there is to be done. But I also forget how much change is happening across the nation -- even in the South.

Yesterday Campus Pride was at the University of Louisiana Lafayette. I delievered my program "What's Your Gay Point Average?" This was the first national program of its kind brought to campus -- over 200+ students attended -- not bad, huh? It was one of the many featured events during National Coming Out Month. Earlier in the day I spent time with several students and also did a workshop for the Resident Life Assistants. One of the things that I learned through the RA session is that 75% of the RAs had a family member who was LGBT and similarly 75% also had a "best friend" who was LGBT. Not surprisingly, all but a few had experienced or witnessed LGBT harassment in some form.

I share this because indeed LGBT youth are the future and change is happening. And even in the South, I find young adults who are impacted positively by "best friends" and family who are out as LGBT. This National Coming Out Day use your voice to come out to family and loved ones. Change is happening not because of politicians, athletes or celbrities coming out -- but rather our personal relationships with those we love.

Happy National Coming Out Day!

Congratulations to University of Louisiana Lafayette for a successful NCOM! Keep up your hard work! Plus, I enjoyed eating fried alligator and meeting all of you! Check out a photo from the swamp on campus -- GEAUX RAGIN CAJUNS!