Campus Pride awarding LGBTQ social justice grants for ‘activism,’ ‘advocacy,’ ‘organizing’

Applications are open for Campus Pride’s “Social Justice Mini-Grants for Activism,” a funding opportunity for “direct grassroots activism, advocacy efforts and organizing” to support the LGBTQ community. 

Campus Pride, a non-profit “working to create a safer college environment for LGBTQ students,” asks applicants to describe a project that aligns with its mission and answer an essay question about their “diverse intersections and identities.”

Past projects include a student at North Seattle College who created signage for gender-inclusive bathrooms and “sex positive health stations to distribute condoms.” Another mini-grant helped a Brigham Young University (BYU) student host a “family friendly drag show.”

[RELATED: New LGBTQIA+ course to focus on ‘inclusive language’ at UMich]

Todd Hollingshead with BYU Communications told Campus Reform that the drag show did not happen on campus and that the host organization, the Cougar Pride Center, does not receive funding from the university. 

In its advocacy, Campus Pride also serves as a ‘Trans Policy Clearinghouse” for students, families, and university administrators. As “the premier resource for transgender policies at colleges and universities,” Campus Pride advises on gender-inclusive housing, gender-affirming healthcare plans, and other policies. 

Campus Pride issues universities an “LGBTQ-Friendly Report Card” that rates them based on their implementation of these policies. Ithaca College, as Campus Reform has reported, has a five-star rating as one of 427 colleges offering gender-inclusive housing. 

The report cards also rate campuses on whether they host events on “intersectionality” and have a bias-reporting system and staff who offer LGBTQ services. 

A “Worst List” reports alleged anti-LGBTQ discrimination by colleges and universities. Campus Pride references the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), another organization that provides designations to colleges and universities for providing transition-related medical services and procedures. 

[RELATED: Students get Gender Diversity residential area, other transgender services]

HRC, according to Campus Pride, published a report requesting that the U.S. Department of Education address the Title IX exemptions of religious schools. A U.S. District Court recently upheld these exemptions by dismissing a class action lawsuit brought by LGBTQ students, according to Deseret News. 

“[The plaintiffs] allege that their schools have discriminated against them by, among other things, subjecting them to discipline (including expulsion), rejecting their applications for admission, and rescinding their admissions because of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” the opinion read. 

Deseret News called this “a major legal victory” for religious colleges and universities, which the opinion claimed can maintain exemptions because they are “substantially related to the government’s objective of accommodating religious exercise.” 

Campus Reform contacted Campus Pride and North Seattle College for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.