3 Pennsylvania Colleges Named Among Most LGBTQ-Friendly

A new report has named the 25 most LGBTQ-friendly colleges in the country, and three of them are right here in Pennsylvania. The college ratings site College Consensus released its rankings Monday. In Pennsylvania, the University of Pennsylvania, Lehigh University, and Penn State University were named among the nation’s best.

The site selected the best LGBTQ schools based on several factors: the strength of their student groups, inclusiveness policies and recognition by the campus pride index, a benchmarking tool to help colleges and universities create safer and more inclusive campuses.

Here’s what they had to say about Penn:

The University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) proudly demonstrates its campus pride by offering The Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center (LGBT Center) to its entire student body. UPenn’s LGBT Center was the first of its kind and has operated as a social hub for 35 years. UPenn’s SafeZones program is an exemplary model used by other LGBT schools. When a student sees a SafeZone sign on campus, it identifies a safe place for LGBT students to talk about gender identity concerns with faculty committed and trained to support diversity and inclusion.

Here’s what they said about Lehigh:

Lehigh University created The Pride Center for Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity (The Pride Center), to reach for the objective of an equitable, just campus (and world). Their mission is to create a campus where everyone has a chance to explore who they and who they wish to be. Lehigh has established SafeZones throughout the campus, where staff, students and faculty are trained to professionally handle gender diversity issues. The Pride Center offers access to resources for students, parents, faculty, guardians and Lehigh University’s alumni.

And what they have to say and Penn State:

Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) as a comprehensive resource providing information, education and reinforced advocacy for those exploring or identifying with a variety of gender and non-gender identities. Penn State is considered one of the most LGBT friendly colleges as it includes all-gender restrooms and gender inclusive housing. Penn State is a proud member of the Consortium of Higher Education LGBT resource.

The colleges on the list spanned 16 states. Notable winners included Harvey Mudd College in California, Pennsylvania State University, Princeton University and Rutgers University in New Jersey, Ohio State University and University of Maryland.

Here are the top 10:

1. Princeton University, NJ
2. Harvey Mudd College, CA
3. University of Pennsylvania, PA
4. Macalester College, MN
5. Elon University, NC
6. Tufts University, MA
7. Lehigh university, PA
8. University of Washington, WA
9. Ithaca College, NY
10. Ohio State University, OH

“LGBT friendly colleges are critical for the safety and well-being of gay, lesbian, trans, and nonconforming young people all over the nation,” the authors noted.

The site’s editors noted in a release that colleges and universities have been at the “vanguard of culture” for decades. Historically, that has included protecting artistic expression and giving young people a forum to voice their political views. However, for LGBTQ students, inclusive policies “can truly be a matter of life or death," particularly given that discrimination and hate crimes are still prevalent in many areas.

"LGBTQ friendly colleges are critical for the safety and well-being of gay, lesbian, trans, and nonconforming young people all over the nation," the editors said, providing "a safe space for queer young people, while helping prepare them for a workforce that is still frequently hostile."

The site acknowledged ranking the most LGBTQ-friendly colleges is somewhat subjective, but stressed it was done with care. An outspoken — and well-promoted — campus pride organization is a “clear sign" of acceptance in the campus community, the authors said.

Another indicator is in official institutional policy. This includes things like “inclusive language” in the student handbook, gender-inclusive or gender-neutral housing and clearly stated anti-discrimination policies.

“In other words, inclusiveness is a grab-bag, based on choices that colleges make based on their own needs and student population,” the authors said. “Policies or organizations that work for one college may not work for another, so defining LGBT friendly colleges means sorting through and analyzing. It’s a little objective and a little subjective, and always open for debate.”

College Consensus says it combines the latest college ranking systems with student review scores.

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.

Photo by David Silverman/Getty Image