This weekend, Campus Pride Founder and Executive Director Shane Windmeyer was thrilled to be honored by his alma mater, Indiana University.

On Sunday, the Indiana University Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Alumni Association presented its inaugural GLBTAA Distinguished Alumni Award to Shane, an alumnus of the university's School of Education. Windmeyer attended IU Bloomington and received a master's degree in College Student Personnel Administration from the School of Education in 1997.

Some reflections from Shane: "IU -- the people, the traditions and the community -- have greatly influenced the work and accomplishments of Campus Pride. It often starts with one person 'believing in' who you are -- and then you are able to achieve success. I was lucky in that many mentors at IU stood along side me and helped me pursue my passion and believed in me. As a newly out student at IU I was able to find myself and begin my journey to what I am doing with Campus Pride today. This award is a very special honor. I am humbled by being the inaugural LGBT recipient of the award in its first year."

Many thanks to IU for their honor and for helping to spread the word about the important work of Campus Pride!

Read more about Indiana University and its award to Shane at Bloomington's Herald Times...

Growing number of colleges receive Campus Pride’s five-star gay-friendliness rating, nearly doubles from last year

This Fall a growing number of American colleges and universities are taking steps to make their campuses safer and more inclusive for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students, according to the new ratings from the Campus Pride’s LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index. In fact, 33 schools – nearly double the number from last year – received the highest ratings available for institutions of higher education.

The Campus Climate Index lists nearly 300 publicly available campus climate reports online at www.campusclimateindex.org. The nationally-praised Index takes an in-depth look at LGBT-friendly policies, programs and practices. Colleges are rated from one to five stars, depending on their answers to a detailed, voluntary questionnaire submitted to Campus Pride, a national non-profit working to create safer, more LGBT-inclusive colleges and build future LGBT and ally leaders. Launched online in Fall 2007, the Index has become a staple in student and faculty research, campus organizing efforts and benchmarking for LGBT student safety and inclusion on campus.

Unlike other national LGBT-friendliness rankings for colleges and universities, Campus Pride's Campus Climate Index takes into account answers by students, faculty and staff to highly detailed, comprehensive questions assessing LGBT-friendly policies, programs and practices.

Campus Pride's Lambda 10 Project had phenomenally fun -- and did we mention historic? -- weekend Nov. 12-13 at the OUT & Greek National LGBT & Ally Fraternity & Sorority Leadership Conference at Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind.

Fifteen years ago, Lambda 10 Project started at Indiana University. We returned this year, to count our successes and celebrate our history while continuing to do what we do best: building and strengthening current and future LGBT & allied fraternity members, leaders, staff and organizations.

But you know what really made our weekend? Fifteen Indiana University students were initiated into the first out-of-state chapter for Sigma Phi Beta, a a gay-straight allied fraternity that got its first start at Arizona State University in 2003. After their initiation, the Sigma Phi guys joined us at our conference. It was a blast!

Just as Campus Pride and Lambda 10 Project head to Indiana University for the 2010 OUT & Greek Fraternity Leadership Conference, we learn that gay and straight ally fraternity Sigma Phi Beta will initiate their first out-of-state members at Indiana University this weekend.

Sigma Phi Beta, founded at Arizona State University in Tempe, Ariz., will initiate 15 members at Indiana University. The school is the home of the oldest and largest college fraternity system.

"I look forward to welcoming the new members from the Indiana University colony into our Brotherhood,” Nathan Arrowsmith, the fraternity’s national president, says in a release.

Arrowsmith will preside over the Indiana University initiation ceremony.

"The students at Indiana University have worked hard to bring Sigma Phi Beta to their campus, opening up more opportunities for gay men and their allies to experience brotherhood within the traditional Greek fraternity system," Arrowsmith says. "This is our first major step towards achieving our vision of creating a uniquely diverse safe space within the traditional Greek fraternity system on college campuses nationwide."

Sigma Phi Beta was founded in 2003. It's national organization was formed in 2005.

For more information about Sigma Phi Beta Fraternity, visit www.sigmaphibeta.org.

Nearly 50 students and staff from fraternities across the country will gather this weekend at Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind., for the 2010 OUT & Greek National Leadership Conference.

OUT & Greek, presented by Campus Pride's Lambda 10 Project, is the only conference of its kind for LGBT & ally fraternity and sorority leaders, and offers students, faculty and advisors opportunities to share their stories of coming out in the Greek system, network with other LGBT & ally fraternity and sorority leaders, learn strategies to make their communities safer and more LGBT-friendly and more.

Download the full schedule for all the details(PDF), and check back here for updates over the weekend!

There's just one month left before Lambda 10 Project's OUT & Greek National LGBT & Ally Fraternity & Sorority Leadership Conference. The event is slated for Nov. 12-14 at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.

OUT & Greek is the only conference of its kind for LGBT & ally fraternity and sorority leaders, and offers students, faculty and advisors opportunities to share their stories of coming out in the Greek system, network with other LGBT & ally fraternity and sorority leaders, learn strategies to make their communities safer and more LGBT-friendly and more.

Featured keynotes of this year’s conference include “Reel Diversity” by Brian C.Johnson, “The Time Is Now" with Shane Windmeyer, The New Gay Greek” with TJ Sullivan and “Always Wear Your Head” with Tyson Wooters. Featured sessions include a “Tell Your Story” student panel of LGBT fraternity and sorority members, "Transgender 101" roundtable, “Safe Space & Inclusion in Fraternities and Sororities” by Bucknell University as well as “Bystander Behavior” with Mike Dilbeck. There will also be a special Advisors Track for Fraternity & Sorority Professionals and a showing of the Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt for conference participants.

Over three days on the Indiana University campus, registered participants can expect to learn, mold their leadership and change action plans and get to know other student leaders through fun, resourceful and detailed workshops, featured presentations, discussion groups, special events, national keynote speakers and more.

“There is no other conference nationwide that offers the resources, information and networking LGBT & ally fraternity and sorority leaders need to create change,”said Natalie Shaak, national conference chair. “Each participant will return from the conference with an action plan for change and leadership, ready to tackle challenges in their fraternities and sororities, on campus and in their communities.”

Registration is available online at www.lambda10.org/outandgreek/. Early bird rates are available until November 1. The early bird rate for undergraduate students is $185 and $215 for professional staff, advisors and graduate students. Registration includes all program materials, keynotes and entertainment during the three day conference. A special hotel block is available until October 18 in the Indiana Memorial Union Biddle Hotel & Conference Center. Scholarships are available online or by emailing info@campuspride.org.

The Lambda 10 Project, founded in 1995, works to heighten the visibility of LGBT members of the college fraternity and sorority by serving as a clearinghouse for educational resources and materials related to sexual orientation and gender identity/expression. Lambda 10 is an educational initiative of Campus Pride, a national non-profit working to create safer, more LGBT-inclusive colleges and build future LGBT and ally leaders.

To date the sponsors of the conference include CAMPUSPEAK, the GLBT Student Support Services Office of Indiana University and the Bloomington Hotel and Convention Services. To learn more about Lambda 10 Project, visit www.lambda10.org. For more about Campus Pride programs and services, please visit www.CampusPride.org or email info@campuspride.org.

National LGBT civil rights leader, Campus Pride founder Shane Windmeyer kicks off his LGBT History Month National Campus Tour as IUPUI keynote and spreads his message against "bullying and harassment" to over a dozen colleges and universities across the country this Fall

(Indianapolis, Ind.) – Shane Windmeyer, founder and executive director of Campus Pride, the leading national non-profit working to build future LGBT and straight ally student leaders, is scheduled to keynote IUPUI’s Inaugural Harvey Milk Dinner on National Coming Out Day, Oct. 11, 2010, 6:30 p.m., IUPUI Campus Center, Room 450C. The engagement kicks off Windmeyer's LGBT History Month National Campus Tour to over twelve colleges and universities this Fall.

Windmeyer’s visit to the university comes on the heels of a local bakery’s refusal to fill a special order for IUPUI’s LGBT student organization. What outrageous sweet tooth-soothing delight did the students request? Rainbow cookies and cupcakes. Despite the natural impulse to laugh at this confectionary controversy, Windmeyer says the discrimination doled out by this local business is no joking matter.

“LGBT people experience harassment and discrimination every day,” he says. “Sometimes the discrimination is outright, other times it is subtle. Either way, the discrimination is serious and always indicative of the hostile environments in which LGBT people must live, grow, learn and work.”

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.