Organization to Kickoff National BORN THIS GAY Contest with $10,000 in Free speakers, LGBT Event Registrations and other Prizes to commemorate the 10 Year Anniversary all year long

Campus Pride, the leading national nonprofit working to build future lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) leaders and develop safer, more LGBT-friendly colleges and universities, celebrates its 10thanniversary this month. The group is highlighting its decade-long record of achievements and accomplishments and giving back, kicking off their national BORN THIS GAY Campus Tour and a contest including more than$10,000 in prizes.

For 10 years, Campus Pride’s primary objective has been to develop necessary resources, programs and services to support LGBT and ally students on college campuses across the United States. Founded in the Fall of 2001 and launched a year later in October 2002, Campus Pride started as an online community and resource clearinghouse under the name Campus PrideNet. The original founding partners were M. Chad Wilson, Sarah E. Holmes & Shane L. Windmeyer. In 2006, the organization broadened its outreach efforts and restructured as the current educational non-profit organization Campus Pride. As part of the restructuring process, the Lambda 10 Project for LGBT Fraternity & Sorority Issues (www.lambda10.org (http://www.lambda10.org/)) became an educational initiative of Campus Pride.

In addition to its Lambda 10 Project, Campus Pride’s other programs and affiliates, including the LGBT-Friendly CampusClimate Index (www.campusclimateindex.org (http://www.campusclimateindex.org/)), Camp Pride (www.campuspride.org/camppride), Stop the Hate (stophate.org (http://stophate.org/)) and LGBT-Friendly National College Fair Program (www.campusclimateindex.org/events/ (http://www.campusclimateindex.org/events/)), work together to build awareness on an array of issues institutions of higher education must face when working toward safer, more inclusive campuses. In September 2010, Campus Pride released its 2010 State of Higher Education, the first and only in-depth research targeted toward gauging college and university campus safety, policies and practices and including the experiences of more than 5,000 LGBT students, faculty and staff from across the country (www.CampusPride.org/research/ (http://www.campuspride.org/research/)).

“The work we’ve been able to do over the past decade has been rewarding and life-altering, for me, for students, for college faculty and staff,” said Shane L. Windmeyer, Campus Pride co-founder and executive director. “We’re confident our work will continue as more campuses across the country realize the importance of inclusion and take steps to bring their LGBT students, faculty and staff into the full lives of their institutions.”

“The ten year anniversary of Campus Pride gives me pride to have been a part of hundreds of other campus leaders that have returned to their colleges and set up their school's first transgender speaker, first Pride Week, Safe Zone training… among other positive outcomes as a result of Campus Pride,” said Karen Borja of St. Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana. “As an ally, Campus Pride taught me the importance of being an advocate for equality and gave me the tools to create change at my conservative institution.”

In honor of their 10th anniversary, Campus Pride has teamed up with CAMPUSPEAK for its BORN THIS GAY National Campus Tour and contest, bringing progressive ideas, webinars, events, speakers and dynamic resources to your campus. Students and staff can register online at www.CampusPride.org/BornThisGay (http://www.campuspride.org/BornThisGay) for a chance to win FREE speakers, LGBT event registrations, resources and other prizes values at $10,000+ throughout the year. The first drawing will happen in March 2012. Every individual from your campus may register, so spread the word!

The Charlotte-based national nonprofit will also hold a special, weekend-long anniversary celebration in Charlotte, featuring Bebe Zahara Benet, season one winner of Logo’s “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” The weekend includes a drag show celebration, a special meet and greet with Benet and Sunday brunch. For more details on the events, visit www.CampusPride.org/CampusPride10years (http://www.campuspride.org/CampusPride10years).

Campus Pride will also host nationally-renowned rugby player and anti-bullying advocate Ben Cohen in Charlotte on Oct. 5-6. For more details and tickets to special events with Cohen, visit www.CampusPride.org/StandUpwithBen (http://www.campuspride.org/StandUpwithBen).

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Believe In -- Campus Pride. Campus Pride is the leading national nonprofit organization 501(c)(3) for student leaders and campus organizations working to create safer, more LGBT-friendly colleges and universities. It exists to give "voice and action" in building future LGBT and ally leaders.