Campus Pride executive director Shane Windmeyer spoke to Campus Progress writer Jessica Strong last week, following the introduction of the Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act, a bill submitted Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) and Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.) that would require colleges and universities receiving federal aid to institute LGBT-inclusive non-discrimination and anti-harassment policies.

Windmeyer's remarks to Campus Progress:

“A lot of times, people believe that the issue of bullying is limited to only the experiences of high school students and when you get to college, things get better and you’re in this space of acceptance and tolerance,” says Shane Windmeyer, executive director of Campus Pride. “But it doesn’t get better."

Windmeyer says that the proposed measure will certainly have a positive impact on getting colleges and universities to address the issue of LGBTQ harassment and discrimination while providing campuses with campus safety and inclusion measures.

Still, he and many others know there is still a long way to go.

“This act is a bold step for Congress and our nation’s colleges to create that welcoming space, but we really have to make sure that programs that further acceptance and have the ability to actualize a climate that is safe and welcoming for everyone are actually implemented,” Windmeyer says. “For a number of years Campus Pride has worked to push past obstacles through our programs and resources online, our Stop the Hate campaign and our Summer Leadership Camp—all in the name of creating policies to address this issue.”

Read Strong's entire piece:
www.campusprogress.org/articles/tyler_clementi_act_introduced_into_congress_includes_cyberbullying/

My first blog for Campus Pride focused on the aftermath of an alleged anti-gay incident at Emory University that made the national news.  In that blog, I opined  that leaders at Emory and on other campuses across the country should try to figure out ways to have something positive come from an unfortunate event on campus.

After receiving feedback about the article, I thought that a follow-up “post” might be helpful to outline some ideas  about what campus leaders could do on campus to help decrease (or, ideally, eliminate) anti-LGBT harassment and bullying on campus.  As an aside, some feedback noted that I had omitted the “Q” in LGBT-Q in my first blog.  True, I did omit the “Q,” representing those on campus (and everywhere) who may be questioning their own sexual orientation or identify as queer.  For this and future blogs, I will add the “Q.”  My apologies to those who fall into the “Q” segment within the LGBTQ world (which I suspect may have included many of us at some point in our lives).

I noted previously that anti-gay animus is hard to detect, as only the actor who takes action against an LGBTQ individual or group truly knows whether his/her action was based on anti-gay feelings or beliefs.  But, for a moment, let’s put aside that issue since the determination of animus is “post-action”  and, instead, we should focus attention on what campus leaders can do “pre-action,” i.e., to prevent the occurrence of negative events on campus.  More campus energy should be spent on preventing harassment and bullying, rather than attempting to determine (post-action) why it occurred.  Newly introduced federal legislation, if passed, may require such energy.

In thinking about preventive action, I offer the following three ideas after the jump...

Yesterday we posted about Stop The Hate and Campus Pride's November Webinar on developing a bias incident response team on your campus. We've got so much more in store for this Fall's Campus Pride Webinar Series...

Fall 2010 Webinar Series, in partnership with CAMPUSPEAK

A preview of each below, and remember: you can register for any webinar in the series and have a chance to win free registration for your college to attend next year's Campus Pride Summer Leadership Camp (a $795 value!).

Get more information about each webinar and register today.

The Impact & Interpretation: Supreme Court Christian Legal Society v. Martinez (UC Hastings) Decision
Thursday, August 12th :: 1:30 p.m. EST

In early July, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a ruling that could have a major impact on how colleges and universities interact with student organizations, especially those which discriminate against other students based on sexual orientation, gender identity or other characteristics. How does the UC Hastings decision impact student organizing, free speech on campus and the rights of students? In particular, could the decision positively or negatively affect LGBT student groups? Join Campus Pride for this special webinar moderated by Shane Windmeyer, executive director of Campus Pride, with expert panelists John Culhane, professor at Widener Law; D’Arcy Kemintz, Esq., executive director of the LGBT Bar Association; Shannon Minter, Esq.,, Legal Director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights; and Brian K. Sims, Esq., staff counsel for policy and planning at the Philadelphia Bar Association and chairman of the Gay & Lesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia (GALLOP).

See more previews after the jump...

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.