LGBTQIA Support at IUP serves the entire IUP community, including students, faculty, and staff. It’s the umbrella term for anyone who identifies as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, or Ally—anyone on the rainbow
spectrum.
In collaboration with university offices and colleagues such as the Office of Social Equity, LGBTQIA Support works to create a welcoming and supportive campus climate for all LGBTQIA individuals.
Our staff presents in classes and for organizations. We offer ally training for the campus community, designed for IUP faculty, staff, and students. The training will provide a theoretical framework for understanding LGBTQIA identity, tools for involvement
in diversity advocacy work, and will help participants develop skills as global citizens.
Get Involved
- The Pride
Alliance at IUP is committed to fostering a safe and supportive academic and social environment regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression. Get involved today! Email the pride alliance at prideallianceiup@gmail.com, or follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
- The Queer
Colors group at IUP works to create a radically inclusive, confidential, safe space for queer and transgender people of color to learn, be inspired, become empowered, and connect with each other. We provide a platform for students of marginalized
racial, sexuality, and gender backgrounds.
- The Queer Conversations Workshop series offers students an opportunity to gather, to discuss important topics, and to share resources. You do not have to be a member of the LGBTQIA community to attend.
- Queer Arts Showcase is an annual spring event open to the entire IUP community to perform, display, and highlight the variety of types of queer art. Art is open to interpretation, and all are invited to participate.
- You can always find other events on IUP’s
diversity calendar.
Celebrate Lavender Graduation
An IUP tradition since spring 2011, Lavender Graduation is an intimate opportunity for LGBTQIA-identified students and allies to be recognized for their accomplishments at IUP. Graduates from bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs can also request
lavender-colored cords to wear in the official university graduation ceremonies.
The Lavender Graduation Ceremony takes place during the spring semester each year. However, graduates from every term are welcome to request cords and to participate in the ceremony.
Other LGBTQIA Resources and Initiatives Across IUP
The LGBTQIA
Commission is an advisory group to the Social Equity and Title IX Office as well as IUP’s president. Comprised of IUP faculty, staff, and students, it’s designed to improve the climate for diversity within IUP and to specifically address issues affecting
the welfare of LGBTQIA-identified members of the university community.
The minor
in LGBTQ Studies, housed in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, provides students the opportunity to critically examine diversity in sexual and gender identities. It’s designed to supplement all majors at IUP and provides valuable preparation
for careers in all fields.
The LGBTQIA+ Living Learning Community, housed in Wallwork Hall starting in fall 2021, will be open to those who are interested in living within
a community of those who identify as LGBTQIA+.
Helpful Terms
“Sex”: the biological and physiological characteristics that define men (males) and women (females).
“Gender”: the socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes that society considers appropriate for men (masculine) and women (feminine).
“Gender Identity”: the internal sense of gender which is not visible to others. One’s gender identity may or may not align with one’s assigned sex at birth.
“Sexual Orientation”: to whom one is sexually attracted. Gender identity and sexual orientation may affect one another, but they are not the same.
“Trans” or “Transgender”: an umbrella term for people whose gender identity or expression does not match the gender they were assigned at birth.
“Cisgender”: Someone whose gender identity matches the gender assigned at birth.
Health Information for the LGBTQIA Community
- Resources
on sexual assault and the LGBT community from the Human Rights Campaign. As a community, LGBTQ people face higher rates of poverty, stigma, and marginalization, which put us at greater risk for sexual assault. We also face higher rates of hate-motivated
violence, which can often take the form of sexual assault.
- Resources from the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network. Sexual violence affects people of every gender identity and sexual orientation. People who identify as
part of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) communities also experience sexual violence and may face different or additional challenges in accessing legal, medical, law enforcement, or other resources than other
populations.
- A report
of existing research on intimate partner violence and sexual abuse among LGBT individuals.
- Information
on sexual assault stigma and myths within the LGBT community from the National Center for Lesbian Rights.
- Information on sexual
harassment, abuse, and assault in the LGBTQ community from the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape.
- Sexual
Violence and Individuals who Identify as LGBTQ: Guide for Transformative
Prevention from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.
- Resources from
the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network.
- A guide on Substance
Abuse and Mental Health in the Transgender Community from Sunshine Behavioral Health.