Registration opens for 5th annual Camp Pride for LGBTQ college students, expands trainings for LGBTQA faculty advisors, offers new Unsung Heroes Scholarship to remember Frances A. McDaniel.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Campus Pride, the nation’s only nonprofit organization serving LGBTQ and allied college and university students, has announced open registration for its fifth annual Camp Pride (www.campuspride.org/camppride/), held July 19-24, 2011 at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. A special Happy Camper discount rate of $795 (regular: $895) is available through April 16. Registration is limited.  Register online at www.campuspride.org/camppride.

Campus Pride’s one-of-a-kind Summer Leadership Camp brings together over 60 LGBTQ and allied young people from across the country for five days of student leadership development, campus organizing techniques, conflict management, social justice advocacy, diversity education and more. This year’s Camp Pride will also offer an exciting expansion, offering for the first time ever a special professional workshop track, the Advisor Bootcamp. This track is designed specifically for faculty advisors of LGBTQA student organizations.

“Faculty advisors for LGBTQA student clubs and organizations face unique challenges and opportunities when building awareness on their campuses,” said Shane Windmeyer, executive director of Campus Pride. “Advisors play special roles: they teach students, manage conflict, act as liaisons between clubs and university administration and more. Such tasks often require support and our new Advisor Bootcamp aims to give advisors the tools they need to better their campuses and the lives of their student leaders.”

This year, students will also be able to apply for Campus Pride’s new Unsung Heroes Scholarship honoring Frances A. McDaniel. The scholarship, which covers the cost of Camp Pride registration, will be presented to students who show exemplary service and leadership on their campuses. The annual award recognizes the late Frances McDaniel, director of the Bucknell University (Lewisburg, Penn.) Office of LGBT Awareness, who passed away in January.

“Fran’s passing left a void in the hearts of many Bucknell faculty, staff and students, as well as other higher education professionals across the nation,” Windmeyer said. “We are saddened by her loss but hope her memory, passion and work toward greater LGBTQ equality will live on through the students who will benefit from this award. Fran will be missed dearly.”

Students and advisors can register online for Camp Pride or learn more about the Unsung Heroes Scholarship and other award opportunities at www.campuspride.org/camppride/register.html.

Collegiate track and field athlete went from being a closeted and scared freshman to a tireless advocate for LGBT athletes on his Bucknell campus.

FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS

By Sean Coyne
For Outsports.com

I was sitting in a bar near the Bucknell campus this year with a guest speaker who had just spoken as part of an athletic department program for athletes. At the bar, we ran into a bunch of guys on the lacrosse team and I was a bit wary.

The lacrosse guys always made me slightly uncomfortable, because I assumed that being on such a hypermasculine sport would make them very homophobic and possibly dangerous to me, an out member of the track and field team. I soon learned that stereotypes can work both ways.

Over a few beers, the speaker and I got to talking with these guys about the issues faced by LGBT athletes. I could not have been more wrong about their feelings on the subject. The lacrosse captains were two of the nicest guys and were very receptive to what I had to say about issues I've faced on my team, and that some of their teammates have probably also faced.

I talked to them about the Safe Space program for athletic teams (a program I started to create a safe environment for LGBT athletes), and they agreed to happily participate. I couldn't believe it -- here these jocks I had assumed to be homophobic were to become the second men's team at Bucknell to become a Safe Space.

For the FULL FEATURE, please go online to OUTSPORTS:
http://www.outsports.com/os/index.php/component/content/article/54-comin...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wed, November 4, 2009

Campus Pride College Fair Comes to New York City to Recruit Out LGBT & Ally Students this Friday, November 6, 2009

Nearly fifty colleges to attend national fair program in partnership with the New York LGBT Community Center

New York, NY, Wed, November 4, 2009 – This Friday Campus Pride (www.campuspride.org) comes to New York City to host its national college fair, the only program in the nation for out lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) and ally students to find LGBT-friendly colleges. The fair will take place on Friday, Nov. 6 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the LGBT Community Center at 208 West 13th Street, New York, NY. The fair is in partnership with the Youth Enrichment Services (YES) Program of the LGBT Community Center. More information available at http://www.campusclimateindex.org/events.