LGBTQIA+ Support
Statement of Commitment
November 20 is the International Transgender Day of Remembrance, an annual day to memorialize those whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence.
On November 20, 2022, many awoke to the terrible news that a mass shooting took place at Club Q, an LGBTQIIA+ nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, which resulted in tragic deaths and injuries.
Such acts of violence undermine our collective basic need for physical safety and our potential to thrive. We ask all Jayhawks to stand together and work for an end to anti-LGBTQIIA+ violence.
Our office and campus partners are committed to continuing work to create a campus environment where Jayhawks have learning and working environments that are safe and free from harassment, discrimination, or systemic exclusion.
As a result of this tragic incident, The Office of DEIB would like our community to be aware of the following resources for students, staff, and faculty.
Resources
Please remember that if you or someone is at imminent risk of harm to yourself or others, please contact KU Public Safety or dial 911 for police, fire, or medical emergency response.
Wellness
Mental Health Resource List of campus and community resources that can help you access free or low-cost mental health care.
CARE Coordinator's primary role is to provide institutional support for students who have been impacted by interpersonal violence. All CARE Coordinator services are free, confidential and optional.
Reflection spaces are available across our campus should anyone need space to process these tragic events or find themselves triggered by campus conversation during the work or study experiences during the day.
All-gender restrooms on the KU campus are intended to provide safe and comfortable places for members of the KU community to use the restroom.
Name & Gender Marker Changes is available at KU to ensure that students, faculty, and staff see their lived name and pronouns used and affirmed through KU systems to the extent possible.
For KU faculty and staff, mental wellness resources are available through The State Employee Health Plan's Employee Assistance Program at no charge for benefits-eligible employees and their dependents.
Reporting Support
Formal reporting through The Office of Civil Rights & Title IX can investigate incidents of sexual misconduct, discrimination, harassment, dating/domestic violence, stalking, or retaliation plus help you get the support you need from other campus resources.
Informal reporting through The Ombuds Office can provide you with a confidential, impartial, informal, and independent office on campus to discuss issues you may be facing as a student, staff, or faculty member.
Additional resources for reporting and support can be found on DEIB's Get Support webpage dedicated to helping all Jayhawks get the support they need.
Community Engagement
Several resources for QT students at KU exist including student organizations and recurring events that provide a wide range of opportunities in-person and virtual to network and learn, including identity and career-based affinity groups.
Sexuality & Gender Diversity Faculty Staff Council works to create an immersion space with queer folks and to have a space where we can be authentically queer and be valid in our identities.
Center for Sexuality and Gender Diversity works to build a community and coalition of queer and trans students, faculty, and staff that challenges, supports, and celebrates each other. SGD does this through programs and events, educational trainings and presentations, and advocating for policies and practices which promote success for queer and trans students at the University of Kansas.
Emily Taylor Center for Women & Gender Equity seeks to engage and empower students to act in ways that promote intersectional feminist change and challenge patriarchal norms. This office intentionally centers women and femmes as well as non-binary and trans people, especially those who are marginalized by racism, heterosexism, ableism, and classism, as well as patriarchy.
The Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies is the center of thought and action on critical issues of gender and sexuality on the KU campus. The department's academic studies through undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees, and faculty research span the humanities and social sciences and focusing on both the past and the contemporary world.
If you have resources, suggestions, and comments that further enhance the inclusiveness of this resource list, please share them with diversity@ku.edu. For any clarification please reach out to our office at diversity@ku.edu, 785-864-6705.