U-M among Campus Pride’s ‘Best of the Best’ for LGBTQ+ community

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September 13, 2022  |  Written by Heather Guenther and originally published in the University Record
 

The University of Michigan has been named a “Best of the Best” university — and one of only two in the state of Michigan — by Campus Pride for building an inclusive, welcoming and safe environment for LGBTQ+ students, faculty and staff.

U-M is one of 40 four-year campuses on the annual list from Campus Pride, a leading resource for LGBTQ+ leadership development, diversity inclusion and advocacy within higher education. These institutions achieved five out of five stars on the Campus Pride Index, a national benchmarking tool measuring LGBTQ-friendly policies, programs and practices.

To earn a five-star ranking, campuses receive a percentage score from 90 to 100 based on their LGBTQ-inclusive policies, programs and practices. The methodology to determine this year’s list was based on an overall score of 93 percent or higher.

U-M is home to the nation’s first on-campus office dedicated to supporting the LGBTQ+ community. Established as the Human Sexuality Office in 1971, the U-M Spectrum Center celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2021, marking five decades of outreach, education and advocacy on campus and within the local community.

“The University of Michigan has made a real commitment to supporting inclusiveness and creating an environment where LGBTQ+ students, faculty and staff can feel like they belong,” said Jesse Beal, interim director of the Spectrum Center. “It’s a continuous journey to build and maintain an inclusive campus community free of discrimination in all forms.”

Support for LGBTQ+ faculty, staff and students shows up in a number of policies and programs throughout the university and Michigan Medicine.

University records systems offer the ability to add, modify or delete individuals’ designated pronouns on record with the university.

University Health Service, provider of comprehensive clinical and well-being services, offers affirming care to transgender and non-binary patients through its gender-affirming care team.

And university health care plans cover many medically necessary gender-affirming services for transgender members.

“At a time when LGBTQ+ rights and other civil rights are under assault in states across the country, including Texas and Florida, it is as important as ever to recognize the campuses in these states working to create spaces where the next generation of LGBTQ+ leaders can learn and flourish,” said Tom Elliott, Campus Pride board chair.
 

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