GENDER AND SEXUALITY RESOURCE CENTER

The Gender & Sexuality Studies Program at Northwestern is a dynamic interdisciplinary program that draws upon faculty and courses from more than twenty departments across several schools. They are home to an undergraduate major and minor, a graduate certificate and cluster in Gender & Sexuality Studies, the Sexuality Project at Northwestern (SPAN) and a lively annual series of speakers, events, and reading groups that are open to all campus and community members. The GSRC enjoys collaborating with GSS faculty for our Queer Book Club’s. LGBTQIA+ undergraduate students are encourage to take at least a couple GSS courses during their time at Northwestern for more in-depth educational experiences! 

The Affinity Leaders and Learners (ALL) Mentorship Program is an identity-based mentorship program that connects Northwestern students to alumni leaders through Northwestern Alumni Association. A complement to the broader Northwestern Network Mentorship Program (NNMP), the ALL Program strives to create a more tailored mentorship experience for students. The program fosters a more personal, impactful relationship for those who may prefer to connect with someone who hold similar identities to them and/or who has similar career or life experiences. Connect with a member of NUPAC through participation in ALL. 

Out Network is an employee resource group for LGBTQIA+ faculty and staff at Northwestern. The role and purpose of this affinity group is to support the advancement and belonging of LGBTQIA+ employee’s at Northwestern’s Evanston Campus. Out Network puts on networking and social events. At times, Out Network will with student groups and the GSRC to cohost networking and connection building opportunities throughout the year. If you are looking for a faculty or staff mentor, member of the OutList have opted into serving in any supportive capacity to your time at Northwestern. Learn more about Out Network through their website. 

The Sexualities Project at Northwestern (SPAN) was created in 2010 following the establishment of a new endowment at Northwestern intended to support research and education. SPAN is a multi-pronged, critical, and interdisciplinary initiative to promote research an education on sexuality, sexual orientation, and health in social context. Most programs and initiatives out of span are geared toward graduate students and university faculty. Learn more about SPAN on their website. 

The Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing (ISGMH) was founded in 2015 and is the first university-wide institute in the country focused exclusively on research to improve the health of the sexual and gender minority (SGM) community. It was founded with the support of the Office of the Provost, the Office of Research, and the Feinberg School of Medicine. Their work is to connect scholars from numerous disciplines with the SGM community to forge collaborations and stimulate innovative research to improve SGM health and wellbeing. The institute provides unique opportunities for high-level research and training for the next generation of SGM scholars. ISGMH has some undergraduate intern positions and is mostly geared toward graduate and pos-doc students. Learn more about ISGMH on their website. 

A byproduct of student activism, the GQNBT Taskforce report is heavily guided by the suggestions of the GSRC’s LGBTQIA+ Student Advisory Board. The recommendations implementation has evolved into the Gender Inclusive Initiatives out of the Office for Institutional Diversity and Inclusion (OIDI). This office serves as a facilitator of policy change across northwestern in efforts to build a more inclusive campus.