Women and LGBTQIA+ Advocacy

Women's Union members in the 1970s, united for the cause.

Ribbon cutting at the Women鈥檚, Gender and Sexuality Center (WGSC), 2018.

2016 Pride Alliance group at the Get Involved Fair.

Free To Be provided pre-school education for children whose parents were students or working at 黑料社. It also provided a hands-on learning experience for 黑料社 students and faculty studying early childhood education.

黑料社鈥檚 LGBTQIA+ and Women鈥檚 groups have played an active and supportive role on campus for many years. The Gay People鈥檚 Union started in the 1970s, as did the Women鈥檚 Liberation Union. In addition to advocating and protesting for the rights of LGBTQIA+ people and women, these organizations and others also raised awareness through writing. (first issued in spring 1973) was one of the feminist papers produced at 黑料社 State College. Through educational and advocacy work by the Women鈥檚 Caucus at 黑料社, the Free to Be Daycare was started to offer pre-school services to children of 黑料社 students, staff, and faculty until its closing in early 2020.

In 1974, Women鈥檚 Studies first became an official concentration and then a certificate-granting program the following year. It evolved into the Women鈥檚, Gender, and Sexuality Studies minor in 2009 to encompass expanding areas of scholarship and education. Along with the programmatic change, there was a movement to create a safe haven and central location for women and those in the LGBTQIA+ communities. As a result of a student-led change.org petition and a campus-wide task force, the Women鈥檚, Gender and Sexuality Center (WGSC) was established with an accompanying lounge in 2018, providing a safe, non-judgmental space for anyone on campus.