I am back in Washington, D.C. this week for the ACPA – College Educators International Annual Convention (ACPA). The convention brings together thousands of student affairs professionals who work at colleges and universities across the country in all types of positions (housing, student activities, dean of students, financial aid, greek life, orientation, etc).

What is so wonderful about this convention is the fact that they are and have been LGBT-affirming for a number of years and have worked hard through the LGBT Standing Committee to challenge the membership to do so. Campus Pride is proud to have partners like ACPA (often referred to ask GayCPA due to the large numbers of LGBT membership/attendance). We have worked with ACPA over the last eight years in various ways and hope to continue building bridges.

Campus Pride this year at the convention was chosen to present a session titled “National Trends: The State of Higher Education for LGBT People.” Sue Rankin (the Campus Pride QRIHE Research Director) and myself are doing the presentation on Tuesday, March 31 in the afternoon. The session will focus on the first year of aggregate data from the LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index (http://www.campusclimateindex.org) and will also introduce our new longitudinal Campus Pride College Climate Survey (http://www.campuspride.org/research). We’re very excited to share the national trends and areas for improvement in LGBT services at colleges and universities.

In addition to attending the convention, Campus Pride is also participating in the annual Cabaret Drag Show coordinated by the ACPA Standing Committee for LGBT Issues. The show starts at 9:30 p.m. at Towne in the Cordoza Park area. Every year ACPA raises money from the drag show for the standing committee and its charities for the year! Campus Pride’s very own Buff Faye (Buff Faye on Facebook) will perform her heart out! If you’re in the area on Tuesday, March 31, you should not miss it!

And for those possibly Happy Campers out there interested in the Campus Pride Camp (http://www.campuspride.org/camp.asp), this Monday we are meeting with U.S. Congress Rep Tammy Baldwin's Office. We are working on something special this year for Camp. Stay tuned.

Btw, my next stop is Rhodes College in Memphis!