Eventually, once we’d reboarded the boat after our snorkeling, I did start talking with a few of the women I met at the Gen O mixer earlier that week, and it only took a couple of drinks for us to become the best of friends. The top 40 LGBTQ+-friendly colleges are based on scores from the Campus Pride Index. The Campus Pride Index includes more than 50 self-assessment questions sent to colleges that correspond to eight different LGBTQ+-friendly factors:

It’s like a Rubik’s cube of sexuality, where you turn it a different way, and the factors don’t fit together. It may be that the commonly held wisdom was wrong, that people just liked to imagine women in college having sex together, or it may be that society has changed, and as more people come out publicly, in politics or on television, we are getting a clearer view of the breadth of sexuality.” As part of the university’s efforts to provide an inclusive and respectful campus environment that is responsive to the needs of our community, single-occupancy restrooms and shower facilities on campus are designated as All Gender.” There’s no one, simple way of defining what makes for LGBT friendly colleges, but there are some guidelines that can give an indication of their level of welcoming. Obviously, a vocal and well-promoted campus pride organization is a clear sign, but most LGBTQIA organizations are student-run; they don’t show an institutional commitment. However, the presence of a strong campus pride network is a good indication of queer acceptance and protections; if students feel safe to form an active (and activist) organization, that’s a pretty good sign that the institution is at least tolerant.When my partner jokingly warned me, before I left for the cruise, not to fall in love with a hot older butch — seriously, we joked about this — I thought, Fat chance. Not only because I had no intention of falling in love with anyone else, but because I thought hooking up with hot older butches would remain the stuff of my fantasies. The Stonewall Center runs workshops, support groups, and connects students to UMass and local trans resources. Adequate health services that provide counseling and gender-affirming treatment are also important factors.

I settle for some Kelly Clarkson, and after my screechy but enthusiastic rendition of “Since U Been Gone,” five (!) different women approach me, complimenting my performance. One of them tells me her friend thinks I’m really cute, and could she buy me a drink? The organization's projects and initiatives are concentrated in five core values: social justice, youth voice and action, empowerment, positive change, and diversity. I was scared of so many things, and worried about, as usual, lesbian stereotypes — moving too fast, feeling too much. And I said so. It was one of our talents that week: saying absolutely everything that was on our minds, and processing until we felt we couldn’t possibly process anymore — at least, of course, until the next night. The University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire is located in Eau Claire, WI, and has received a 5 star rating by the Campus Pride Index as the best school in Wisconsin for LGBTQIA+ students. UW-Eau Claire Blugolds have launched meaningful careers upon graduation for a century. They’re a LGBT friendly college believing in equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). They created an open, supportive campus focused on ending racism, sexism, homophobia and xenophobia. They created a certificate in EDI for faculty and staff as part of their professional development. The LGBTQ+ Equity Center is a professionally staffed office at the College Park campus with a plethora of resources available to students.I actively choose to identify as a lesbian and a dyke, as well as a queer. I have found love and community unlike anything else I’ve ever known in what still exists of lesbian culture, despite all external (and, TERF-wise, internal) attempts to exterminate it: the art, the literature, the physical spaces. Plus, most importantly (and most obviously), the word “lesbian” quite literally describes what I am: a woman who loves women in both a feminist way and a super-gay way. According to Shane Windmeyer, the founder and executive director of Campus Pride, the mission is to serve LGBTQ and ally student leaders and campus organizations in the areas of leadership development, support programs, and services to create safer, more inclusive LGBTQ-friendly colleges and universities. A recent report by the Proud and Thriving Project found that LGBTQ+ students experience greater incidences of mental health conditions than their non-LGBTQ+ counterparts, making adequate mental health resources critical. What Is Campus Pride?