List continues to grow with over 50 colleges “coming out” to recruit hundreds of LGBT and ally prospective college students at fairs across the country
( Charlotte , N.C. ) – According to Campus Pride officials, “The time is now for colleges to come out of the closet.” Over fifty colleges from across the United States have pre-registered to attend one or more of the LGBT-friendly college fairs and to recruit hundreds of prospective lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) and straight ally youth starting this October.
Campus Pride, a national non-profit working to create safer, more LGBT-inclusive colleges and build future LGBT and ally leaders, will kick off its first 2010-11 LGBT-friendly College Fair in Charlotte, N.C., on Oct. 2, Noon -3:30 p.m., at The NC Music Factory. The event, held in collaboration with the annual Pride Charlotte festival, Time Out Youth and the Lesbian & Gay Community Center of Charlotte , marks the first time the College Fair program has visited the Southeastern U.S. and the first time it will be held in conjunction with a Pride festival.
The second college fair will be held in Portland , Ore. , on Oct. 16, 1 p.m.-4:30 p.m. at the Q Center of Portland, 4115 N. Mississippi Ave. , Portland , OR , 97217 . The event, held in collaboration with the Q Center of Portland, marks the first time the College Fair program has visited Oregon and the Pacific Northwest .
Other cities on the tour include New York (Nov. 5), Boston (Nov. 6) and Los Angeles (April 9). More details on each event, which are free to current or prospective students and families, can be found online at www.campusclimateindex.org/events.
“Our LGBT-Friendly College Fair program presents unique opportunities for both prospective college students and those universities who seek to build more diverse, inclusive student bodies,” 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. These fairs across the country present an opportunity for campuses to ‘come out’ as LGBT-friendly — often for the first time.”
Last year, Campus Pride made a commitment to grow attendance at the Fair by partnering strategically with local LGBT and ally youth organizations as well as hosting in more progressive metropolitan “queer meccas” of LGBT activism – New York , Los Angles and Boston .
Windmeyer especially encourages colleges and universities in the Southeast and Pacific Northwest to take advantage of the opportunities presented to them in the Fair, and said: “The colleges participating in the national fair program send a clear message: ‘Gay students are welcome, even celebrated on this campus.’”
Over fifty colleges and universities have already committed to attending at least one of the Fairs, including: American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Appalachian State University, Bennington College, Binghamton University, Brandeis University, Bridgewater State University, Bucknell University, Carleton College, Charlotte School of Law, Clark University, Columbia College Chicago, Columbia University in the City of New York, Davidson College, Drexel University, Elon University, Emory University, EqualApp,Eugene Lang College, Everest College and Institute, Grand Valley State University, Guilford College, Ithaca College, Indian University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Marlboro College, Marymount Manhattan College, Michigan State University, Mount Holyoke College, North Carolina State University, Oregon State University, Penn State University, Point Foundation, Portland Community College, Richmond, the American International University in London, Southern Oregon University, SUNY Potsdam, Syracuse University, The Sage Colleges, Trinity College, Tufts University, UNC Charlotte, Union College, University of Maine, University of Oregon, University of Southern Maine, University of Vermont, University of Maine Farmington, Vanderbilt University, Vassar College, Warren Wilson College, Washington and Lee University, Washington State University, Washington State University Vancouver, Western Washington University – Fairhaven College and Whitman College.
Free and open to the public, the Campus Pride’s LGBT-Friendly College Fairs allow any student and their family the opportunity to interact with colleges and universities that value LGBT and ally people. Registration for schools is $195 to $250 per fair for each institution and is open to any college or university across the United States . Each fair will also feature expert advice about LGBT-friendly colleges, scholarship resources and even effective tips for campus visits.
To learn more about Campus Pride programs and services, please visit www.CampusPride.org or email info@campuspride.org.
