Charlotte, N.C. - “Campus Pride is proud to announce our fifth year of LGBT-friendly college fairs. Prospective students want to attend campuses that are a welcoming and safe place to learn, live and grow... finally there are annual fairs to help students find LGBT-friendly colleges,” stated Shane Windmeyer, Executive Director of Campus Pride and author of The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students. “Our LGBT-friendly national college fair program showcases campuses who are LGBT-friendly and who want LGBT & ally students. It sends a clear message: Gay students are welcome, even celebrated on this campus.”

Campus Pride has developed the fairs as a public way for colleges to “come out” and recruit out LGBT students who are an important component to campus diversity. The fairs are also being held in coordination with the LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index (www.campusclimateindex.org), the only online resource of its kind that assists colleges and universities in learning ways to improve their LGBT campus life and helps prospective students find a national index listing of LGBT-friendly colleges and universities.

“The LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index demonstrates how colleges are ‘coming out’ to provide programs and services for LGBT and ally students. The idea that LGBT student populations are a part of the campus recruitment and retention efforts is just another sign of the changing times,” stated Windmeyer.

Event Details: Saturday, August 27, 2011
1:30 pm – 4:30 pm

Location: Pride Charlotte Festival, Uptown Charlotte on S. Tryon Street, between 3rd and Stonewall Streets

Campus Pride is disappointed by the decision today, as reported by InsideHigherEd.com, by the Board of the Common Application to not allow lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students the opportunity to self-identify on their college admission application.

The decision today shows how out of touch the Common Application, as an organization, is with LGBT young people and what they face on a day-to-day basis, primarily the impact harassment has had on students while in high school and its potential impact at a student's college or university of choice. Campus Pride's 2010 State of Higher Education report found that nearly a quarter of LGB staff, faculty, and students reported experiencing harassment that interfered with their ability to work or learn. An even greater percentage 39% of transgender students, faculty, and staff reported experiencing harassment as well.

Campus Pride along with other Common Application member institutions had petitioned the organization for nearly four years to make changes in regards to LGBT options on the application. The board's vote to reject the proposal was announced today.

"To be honest, this decision is not surprising," said Shane Windmeyer, executive director of Campus Pride. "The Common Application had a difficult time understanding why LGBT youth would want to come out on the college admission form, though similar questions are asked about other demographic and identity information. Frankly, what we are talking about is having colleges take responsibility for out LGBT youth who are applying to their institutions. Colleges and universities have the responsibility and role to ensure a safe, welcoming place to live, learn and grow. Right now, colleges have no clue who they are admitting in terms of sexual orientation or gender identity."

LGBT youth deserve to know that the institution of their choice will be inclusive and welcoming: "This issue is one of inclusion, safety and accountability," said Windmeyer. "Why should an LGBT student have to experience harassment, bias or fear their first year in college because they were invisible when admitted to the college? Programs, support and services to help their first-year transition and academic success should not be left to chance. Providing students with the opportunity to answer optional questions regarding sexual orientation and gender identity provides college and university staff with vital information they need to most effectively serve their entire student body."

Windmeyer added, "From the moment Campus Pride initiated dialogue with the Common Application, I knew that there was a huge learning curve to overcome in regards to LGBT concerns. The fact that the Common Application allows students to identify their religious beliefs as an option but does not see the rationale for LGBT youth, I think says a lot as to how much work still needs to be done."

Campus Pride has seen tremendous success and greater visibility of LGBT issues on college and university campuses across the nation since 2007. The increased use of our Campus Climate Index and the significant increase in participation in our annual LGBT-Friendly College Fair tours have shown us that LGBT young people have an outspoken desire to attend institutions of higher education where they will be included and where their safety will be ensured.

The board of Common Application should consult directly with LGBT students -- those who will benefit most from the once-proposed and now-rejected changes to their application. Such direct interaction with students will better inform Common Application and allow them to come to a more suitable decision.

READ MORE: Be sure to read this great story by the New York Times Student Journalism Institute's Sergio N. Candido for a better perspective on LGBT students, their desires for higher education and more: thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/20/gay-friendly/

One-of-a-kind event includes campus recruiters from popular regional colleges as well as campuses from around the country

(Portland, Ore.) – Campus Pride, the nation’s leading non-profit working with LGBT and ally student leaders and developing safer, more inclusive colleges and universities, is proud to present its LGBT-Friendly College Fair in the Oregon and the Pacific Northwest at the Q Center of Portland this Saturday, October 16. The event is in collaboration with the Q Center and is the second in a series of fairs to be held across the nation this fall and spring during Campus Pride’s fourth annual National LGBT-Friendly College Fair program.

As of this week, colleges and universities registered to participate in the fair include: Bucknell University, California Institute of Integral Studies, Carleton College, Columbia College Chicago, Everest College and Institute, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Oregon State University, Pacific Lutheran University, Point Foundation, Portland Community College, Southern Oregon University, Stop the Hate, Syracuse University, University of Oregon, Vanderbilt University, Washington State University, Washington State University Vancouver, Western Oregon University, Western Washington Univ - Fairhaven College, and Whitman College.

“Our LGBT-Friendly College Fair in Portland presents a unique opportunity for students, families and universities in the Pacific Northwest,” said Shane Windmeyer, executive director of Campus Pride. “Prospective students want to attend campuses that are a welcoming and safe place to learn, live and grow. Our fair helps students find LGBT-friendly colleges, scholarships and resources.”

Campus Pride cites suicide as sobering example of findings in the "2010 State of Higher Education for LGBT People" released last week at a U.S. congressional briefing on Capitol Hill

(New Brunswick, NJ, Thurs, Sept 30, 2010) Campus Pride, the nation’s largest non-profit organization working with LGBT and ally college and university students, offers its condolences and support to the family of Tyler Clementi and the campus community of Rutgers University.

“Every college student should have the right to a safe campus climate -- void of intimidation and harassment -- for campus learning and living,” said Shane Windmeyer, executive director and founder of Campus Pride. “The suicide of this young man is a terrible, unfathomable tragedy. We send our condolences to the family of Tyler Clementi and to the campus community of Rutgers University. We ask that all campuses across the country remember what happened at Rutgers and act decisively to curb anti-LGBT bias incidents, harassment and acts of violence.”

[Photo right: Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi, who committed suicide after experiencing anti-gay harassment and cyber bullying from a college roommate.]

Through its Q Research Institute for Higher Education, Campus Pride released last week its "2010 State of Higher Education for LGBT People." The in-depth research study is the most comprehensive national LGBT higher education study of its kind. Campus Pride surveyed more than 5,000 LGBT students,faculty and staff for the report. Findings demonstrate that this suicide and incidents of harassment are neither rare nor fleeting-- they are REAL.

Among the findings in the report:

• One quarter (23%) of LGBQ staff, faculty, and students reported experiencing harassment (defined as any conduct that has interfered with your ability to work or learn). Almost all identified sexual identity as the basis of the harassment (83%). An even greater percentage of transgender students, faculty, & staff reported experiencing harassment (39%) with 87% identifying their gender identity/expression as the basis for the harassment. The form of the harassment experiences by transgender people was more overt and blatant.
• One-third of LGBQ (33%) and transgender (38%) students, faculty, and staff have seriously considered leaving their institution due to thec hallenging climate.
• More than half of all faculty, students, & staff hide their sexual identity (43%) or gender identity (63%) to avoid intimidation.
• More than a third of all transgender students, faculty, &staff(43%) and 13% of LGBQ respondents feared for their physical safety.This finding was more salient for LGBQ students and for LGBQ and/or Transgender People of Color.

For more information about Campus Pride's "2010 State of Higher Education for LGBT People" report, visit www.campuspride.org/research.

Campus Pride Founder and Executive Director Shane Windmeyer appeared on the Keith Larson Show (WBT 1110 AM, Charlotte, NC, www.wbt.com/larson/index.aspx) on Thursday, Aug. 5, to discuss recent updates to the LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index. Recently, Campus Pride announced 19 schools had achieved a five-star rating in the Index, the highest number of schools achieving the top rating since its inception in 2007-08.

Windmeyer discusses with Larson, a conservative-Libertarian radio host, the top-rated campuses and a bit about our upcoming LGBT-Friendly National College Fair stop in Charlotte on Oct. 2.

Listen to the interview (click to play in browser, if supported, or right click and "Save link/target as..." to download).

You can subscribe to Larson podcasts or listen live when his show airs weekday mornings 9 a.m. to noon. Visit www.wbt.com/larson/index.aspx for more information.

Campus Pride Climate Index ranks gay-friendliness of American colleges and universities just in time for ‘Back to School’

Nineteen schools nationwide make highest five-star rating; Other schools taking positive steps to 'come out' for their LGBT students

(Charlotte, NC) – As thousands of students return to their college or university campus and as many step onto campus as a new student for the first time this fall semester, they now have one complete and comprehensive national resource ranking for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) inclusion and friendliness.

The Campus Pride LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index lists over 230 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 ranked 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. In development since 2001, the Index has become a staple in student and faculty research, campus organizing efforts and benchmarking for LGBT student safety and inclusion on campus.

Each summer, university officials are encouraged to fill out new questionnaires and update their Index profiles. This year, the Campus Climate Index is proud to announce five-star rankings for 19 colleges and universities – the most ever achieving the Index’s highest ranking since the its inception in 2007-08.