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Foremost authority on LGBTQ+ higher education measures safety, inclusiveness and resources on campuses for LGBTQ+ students, faculty and staff

For a third consecutive year, �鶹ӰԺ has been selected as one the nation’s top universities for LGBTQ+ students for creating a safe, welcoming environment for students, faculty and staff, according to Campus Pride, a leading resource for LGBTQ+ leadership development, diversity inclusion and advocacy within higher education. 

�鶹ӰԺ State joins only one other Ohio university on the 2022 list of 40 four-year institutions named to Campus Pride’s annual Best of the Best Colleges and Universities for LGBTQ+ students in the United States. �鶹ӰԺ State is the only institution in northern Ohio to receive the honor.

“Being named to this list indicates a continued commitment to serving the needs of our LGBTQ+ community here at �鶹ӰԺ State,” said Lamar R. Hylton, Ph.D., senior vice president for student affairs at �鶹ӰԺ State. “I am incredibly proud of the work emanating from the LGBTQ+ Center along with the work of our campus and community partners.”

�鶹ӰԺ State’s LGBTQ+ Center connects students to valuable university and community resources and provides students with meaningful involvement and leadership opportunities. Some of those resources include the QUEST Mentorship Program, the LGBTQ Library, the LGBTQ+ Emergency Fund, the LGBTQ Studies minor, university counseling services, university legal services, the universal restroom map, the chosen name change process and gender-inclusive housing.

Campuses selected as Best of the Best have achieved 5 out of 5 stars on the , the definitive national benchmarking tool measuring LGBTQ-friendly policies, programs and practices. To earn a ranking of 5 out of 5 stars, 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 Best of the Best list was based on an overall score of 93% or higher.

This is the third year in a row that �鶹ӰԺ State has earned a perfect 5 out of 5 stars on the Campus Pride Index.

“Our commitment and advocacy for all LGBTQ+ students and allies creates a welcoming space and aligns with the university’s mission of an inclusive environment,” said Yvonna Washington-Greer, �鶹ӰԺ State’s assistant vice president for equity, identity and success. “It will also provide motivation for us to maintain this standard for future Flashes.”

�鶹ӰԺ State has a long history of LGBTQ support and action. PRIDE! �鶹ӰԺ (formerly the �鶹ӰԺ Gay Liberation Front) was founded in 1971 and is one of the oldest continually operating LGBTQ+ organizations in the nation. In 1972, Dolores Noll, Ph.D., became the first professor to teach a gay and lesbian course at �鶹ӰԺ State. In 2001, �鶹ӰԺ State became the first university in Ohio and one of a dozen LGBT Studies programs in the country. �鶹ӰԺ State celebrated the grand opening of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Student Center, now called the LGBTQ+ Center, in 2010.

Campus Pride’s 2022 Best of the Best Colleges and Universities list is online at . 

The Campus Pride Index full listing of LGBTQ-friendly colleges and universities is available at . 

For more information about �鶹ӰԺ State’s LGBTQ+ Center, visit www.kent.edu/lgbtq. 

on �鶹ӰԺ State being named to the Best of the Best list. 

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Media Contacts:
Eric Mansfield, emansfie@kent.edu, 330-672-2797
Emily Vincent, evincen2@kent.edu, 330-672-8595