In states with Republican-dominated legislatures, gender and sexuality centers on college campuses have faced widespread closures, a new report finds. While LGBTQ+ resource centers are the most common targets, centers supporting women and racially diverse students have also faced elimination.
A new investigation, based on data compiled by the Chronicle of Higher Education and additional research from Teen Vogue (which published the report), found that 31 resource centers oriented around gender and sexuality have closed in 23 colleges since August 2023.
Of the closed resource centers, 16 were LGBTQ+-specific centers, eight were women’s centers, and the rest were generalized or hybrid spaces, such as “Gender and Sexuality Centers” or “Gender Equity Centers.” All closures occurred in states where Republicans hold majorities. Nearly half (15) of those closures took place after the presidential election.
Many of those states have swiftly enacted anti-DEI laws. In Alabama, the state legislature passed a bill prohibiting public campuses from sponsoring DEI programs and promoting “divisive concepts.” A University of Alabama spokesperson confirmed to Teen Vogue that their closures of the campus LGBTQ+ center was a direct result of that law.
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While the nature of LGBTQ+ resource centers varies from campus to campus, they exist to provide information, mental health resources, sexual wellness services, and even financial counseling. Some can act as community gathering spaces, hosting clothes swaps or bake sales.
“The students who came into our center, the problems they had, that was our business,” Lilli Hime, former program coordinator for the (now closed) Gender and Sexuality Center at UT Austin, told Teen Vogue. “It was a very tangible, very visible thing. Sometimes, you would see how people entered the space, especially for the first time, and the way their shoulders would un-tense and they would be like, ‘Okay, I found a place that can be a home base for me on campus.’”
“These resources are also lifesaving,” they added.
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“We know that this crime may have affected members of the LGBTQ+ community…a full and thorough investigation will take place.”
But outright closing these centers may not be the only option, even when compelled by state law. A key component of these bills is how vague the wording and means of enforcement is, and some schools have exploited this on behalf of queer students.
At Georgia Tech, in a state where no anti-DEI laws have yet passed, the resource centers supporting women, people of color, and queer students merged under a new generic title: the Arts, Belonging, and Community department.
“The actual physical room that [the LGBTQ+ center is] in is not changed, except for the signage,” said Kaz Hayes, president of the school’s Pride Alliance group. “I think more pride flags have actually been put up on the walls,” they joked.
But that’s not to say this is a long term solution to the ongoing backlash. “It’s kind of naive to think that it’s gonna be fine to just rename everything and call it a day,” Hayes added.
In some schools, student groups like the University of Alabama’s Queer Student Association have been picking up the slack. But this too isn’t sustainable long-term.
“QSA can do its best to make up for the loss of the social aspect of Safe Zone,” QSA president Bryce Schottelkotte said. “But I’m a 21-year-old college student. I don’t have the ability, the resources, the knowledge, or the funds to make up for everything that Safe Zone once did.”
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