LGBTQ+ Support and Resources for Higher Education

In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, dismantling 50 years of legally protected abortion rights.¹ After this landmark decision was reversed, the LGBTQAI+ community and its allies feared that the government might also reverse the decision recognizing same-sex marriage.

Thankfully, that fear has not—and most likely will not—come to fruition. The Respect for Marriage Act (RMA) was introduced in July² to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and codify protections for same-sex and interracial marriage.³ On November 21, the U.S. Senate passed the RMA in a procedural vote, with all Democrats and 12 Republicans voting in favor of the bill. The bipartisan support for the RMA is a good signal that it will pass the final vote, which is set to take place in December of 2022.⁴

In light of this long overdue progress, we’ve put together a list of resources for LGBTQAI+ people employed in higher education.

Resources for LGBTQ+ Higher Education Employees

• Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) for Educators — GLSEN is a group that works with students, teachers, and administrators to create campus environments where LGBTQ students feel safe.
• LGBTinHigherEd.com — a job board for helping LGBTQ+ job seekers connect with employers who are seeking diverse and qualified candidates.
• The Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals — a member-based organization that supports people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as advocates for more inclusive policies and practices through an intersectional and racial justice framework.
• LGBTQArchitect — a grass-roots project designed to provide immediately usable information and resources for creating and improving programs which support LGBTQ+ people on college and university campuses.
• SafeZone — a website offering free online resources and training workshops to help teachers make a campus safe for LGBTQ people.

Mental Health Resources for LGBTQ+ College Students

• The Trevor Project — a crisis line for LGBTQ+ young adults.
• Trans Lifeline — a non-profit organization offering direct emotional and financial support to trans people in crisis.
• National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network — healing justice org committed to transforming mental health for queer & trans people of color (QTPoC).
• Mental Health Fund for Queer and Trans People of Color — provides financial support for QTPoC to increase access to mental health support.

General LGBTQ+ Resources for College Students

• Scholarship Database – Human Rights Campaign — a list of scholarships, fellowships and grants for LGBTQ+ and allied students at both the undergraduate and graduate-level.
• The Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) — GSA is a unique non-profit group that brings together LGBTQ and straight students with the common interest of creating a campus that is safe, open minded and free of bigotry.
• Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) — GLSEN is a group that works with students, teachers, and administrators to create campus environments where LGBTQ students feel safe.
• Trans Student Educational Resources (TSER) — A non-profit organization that is run by students, this group puts its effort into making more school environments trans-friendly.
• The Campus Pride Index — a free online tool allowing those interested in higher education to search a database of LGBTQ-friendly campuses.
• The Campus LGBTQ Centers Directory — a project to document staffed campus resources regarding sexual orientation and gender identity and to provide LGBTQ resources in higher education.
• AMSA Gender & Sexuality Action Committee — a group dedicated to combating sexism and heterosexism, and to assuring equal access to medical care and equality within medical education.

To learn more about how Uprise Health serves members, visit our members page.

References

1. https://www.guttmacher.org/abortion-rights-supreme-court
2. https://www.hrc.org/press-releases/respect-for-marriage-act-what-it-does-how-it-interacts-with-the-obergefell-ruling-and-why-theyre-both-essential-to-protecting-marriage-equality
3. https://www.glaad.org/marriage/doma
4. https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/legal-and-compliance/employment-law/pages/respect-for-marriage-act-company-benefits.aspx