January 27, 2022
LGBTQ+ Student Success
By Elliot Felix
About 25% of undergraduate students at US colleges do not identify as heterosexual and about 4% do not identify as male or female. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, asexual, and other non-straight and non-cisgender identities are gaining mainstream acceptance, and queer communities are thriving in Pride Centers and at all but the most conservative colleges across the country.
In my book, How to Get the Most Out of College, I provide tips for students to make the most of their college experience — especially today’s students who don’t fit an outdated definition of what a “traditional” student is or should be.
One of the chapters is focused on LGBTQ+ students and for this chapter, I turned to someone I’d been on a conference panel with and interviewed for a whitepaper on the future of college campuses, Genny Beemyn. Genny is the director of the University of Massachusetts Amherst Stonewall Center and an expert on trans-inclusive college policies and trans-supportive campus climates. I really appreciated the perspective and insights they shared, including this:
“In many ways, the challenges that LGBTQ+ students face are about invisibility – like other people assuming you are cisgender and heterosexual – and about visibility – like other people being hateful and hostile when you are just trying to find a bathroom to use or hold the hand of a same-sex partner.”
– Genny Beemyn
Beemyn and I discussed the growing acceptance of queer students and Gen Z’s openness to a wide diversity of gender and sexual identities for themselves and their peers. In fact, Beemyn points out that research shows that a majority of Gen Z either identifies as nonbinary or knows someone who does, and they mentioned the growing number of parents willing to accept their children regardless of their gender or sexual identity.
Based on my talk with Beemyn and interviews with LGBTQ+ students, here are five things colleges and universities can recommend to their queer students for them to have a college experience where they can learn, grow, belong, and succeed:
1. Research and understand the campus climate. I’m not talking about weather patterns; I’m talking about the general atmosphere regarding the queer community and LGBTQ+ issues. Has the college or university routinely barred queer activism, or do they host drag night fundraisers? Does the college or university fly a pride flag just once a year, or do they regularly celebrate their LGBTQ+ students? Consider reading the college’s posted policies or statement of value, but also check out third-party resources such as the Campus Pride Index, especially their Trans Policy Clearinghouse.
2. Check out the LGBTQ+ Resource Center. Many schools have on-campus offices or groups formed with specific student demographics in mind and can provide community and resources to these groups, such as queer students. Unfortunately, there are only about 200 professionally-staffed LGBTQ+ Centers in the nation. If your school does not have an office specific to queer students, the Dean of Students may still have access to many of these resources—or may just need a push to establish such a center.
“I’ve met more than 10 people at the Pride Center in the last few weeks,” explained one student I interviewed. “It makes you feel that you are not alone, that you have a community, that you have a space, that faculty and staff are there for you too.”
– Student Interviewee
3. Be a force for change in your community, but not at the expense of being a student. Trying to enact change that will benefit future queer students is a big and important job. It’s important to remember that the responsibility to do so doesn’t fall solely on you. As one student I interviewed said: “Remember, there’s only so much you can do. But even the smallest change—like drafting a letter—makes a difference. You can take that as a win. You’re not going to be able to change everything.” It’s important to let yourself enjoy activities and explore your passions without getting so caught up in your desire to make real change that you make your identity about what you do instead of who you are.
4. Find, be, and depend on solid allies and others facing the same challenges. Friends, family members, peers, and administrators can all play vital roles in creating a safety net for your LGBTQ+ student experience. Even within schools that have a large queer population, such as liberal arts schools and women’s colleges, there’s a chance that you’ll face challenges related to your gender identity or sexual orientation. Know in advance who the safe people are to confide in when a professor repeatedly misgenders you or your given a housing assignment that makes you uncomfortable. At the same time, be a safe person for others to confide in when their lab partner insists on using an offensive slur or they suspect that their sexual orientation kept them from being accepted into a fraternity they’d been looking forward to joining. Having people to support you, and being someone who supports others, makes the world a little safer and easier. The LGBTQ+ Resource Center is often an ideal place to find such allies.
5. Take care of yourself. Because of the great mental and emotional toll that often comes hand in hand with being an LGBTQ+ student, students within this demographic are more likely to battle anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders. In fact, in 2019 alone, queer youth were nearly four times as likely to attempt suicide as their cisgender, heterosexual peers. Because of the added pressures inherent in living an identity that not everyone will recognize, it’s vital that LGBTQ+ students learn to practice self care and compile resources ahead of time for moments of crisis. Try establishing a place on campus where you feel safe, proactively adding time to rest and recharge into your daily schedule, talking to a therapist who is familiar with the struggles faced by those of your gender identity or sexual orientation, and taking time to do things you enjoy. This way, when the hard days come, they won’t knock you off your feet.
While the visibility of queer students is increasing, that’s no guarantee that their student experience will be a walk in the park. The good news is that LGBTQ+ students are not alone in their search for an uplifting, enjoyable, and academically successful student experience.
No matter where LGBTQ+ students go, they should be able to find a group of likeminded people with which to share their experience. A positive student experience is possible, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.
For additional ways to improve your student experience, learn about other common student experience challenges and brightspot’s proven strategies for addressing them based on our conversations with 50+ colleges and universities.