The rankings include:

• Top 30 LGBTQ-friendly college ranking by Campus Pride Index. UofL has been one of the organization’s top schools for the last four years, earning five out of five stars on the index.
• on its top 10 list of best campuses for LGBTQ students.
• Ranked 24^th by on its list of LGBTQ-friendly and affordable colleges in the U.S.

“These awards are a direct result of UofL’s commitment to building an inclusive and LGBTQ-friendly environment on campus and in our community,” said UofL President Neeli Bendapudi. “I am so proud of our efforts and look forward to seeing how we continue to grow in the future.”

Brian Buford, executive director of The LGBT Center, says these accolades are well-deserved, but the university’s work is not finished.

“There is still a lot to do to remove barriers for LGBTQ students and make sure they have all the resources they need. But I do think that honors like these tell us we are heading in the right direction and that the hard work and investment has made a difference,” Buford said. “Especially in a southern state, being recognized for LGBTQ inclusion is a big deal and also during a time when we are seeing protections rolled back at the national level.”

Buford said the university’s widespread dedication to inclusiveness and recently-implemented initiatives contributed to this year’s awards. For example, the Human Resources Department implemented changes that allow employees to change their gender-marker, the Housing and Residence Life staff opened a new residence area that caters to LGBTQ students, the Speed School of Engineering created trans-friendly restrooms and the university is adding new courses to the LGBT Studies minor each year.

“All these advances really add up to create a welcoming space,” Buford said.

, including the LGBT Center’s Safe Zone Training to provide faculty and staff the tools and resources they need to understand LGBT students and create a welcoming, affirming campus environment for all.Ěý

The effort is being amplified into an Ally Campaign, officially launching this week. The campaign comes on the heels of a study conducted last year to gauge the climate for LGBTQ people on the HSC campus.

“One of the biggest themes that came out of that study is that LGBT people said they were hesitant to come out and that they didn’t know who their allies were,” said Chaz Briscoe, program coordinator senior for the LGBT’s HSC satellite office.  

Briscoe notes that while UofL is an LGBT-friendly campus, staff, faculty and students are often reluctant to come out because they don’t know who to trust. This campaign is a way to make their working environment more comfortable.

“We want allies to make it known and say out loud, ‘you can trust me.’ Our goal is to help people identify who and where their safe spaces are,” Briscoe said.

The campaign will launch with email messaging featuring Snapchat-inspired selfies of all four HSC deans — T. Gerard Bradley (Dentistry), Marcia Hern (Nursing), Toni Ganzel (Medicine) and Craig Blakely (SPHIS), as well as faculty and students displaying their ally stickers.

“It was important to get the deans to do this for us. That institutional buy-in allows this ship to launch. When you have support from the ground up, it lends itself more credibility,” Briscoe said.Ěý

The photos include captions such as:

• “I show up as an ally by proudly showing my pride”
• “Being an ally means letting others know I am an ally”
• “Allies make you feel like you belong!”
• “Be an ally, join HSC Pride”

These photos are part of a broader social media campaign that is a component of the initiative. Allies are asked to take a selfie and post it to Instagram or Facebook using the hashtag #HSCally.

Other ways to get involved include:

Training: The HSC office is offering Safe Zone Training sessions for those who want to be an ally. Training includes topics such as the history of the LGBT community, why it is important to know about this population and the social stigma that comes with being a sexual or gender minority.

The first Safe Zone Training is Feb. 24 from 12-1:30 p.m. Registration is .ĚýAnother session is set for March 3 from noon to 1:30 p.m. More information is .Ěý

Show support with an ally symbol: Email the LGBT Center for a free ally symbol to communicate your commitment to creating a safe, welcoming HSC. You will also receive a self-guided training packet to help you grow further as an ally. Available symbols include:

• Ally sticker for your office or educational spaces
• Rainbow sticker for clinical spaces
• Rainbow pin to wear on your lapel or lab coat wherever you go

Join the Center’s Ally List:  Let your colleagues, students and potential applicants to your program know you are an ally by adding your name to the .

Sign up as a LGBT-friendly healthcare provider: Add your name to the OutCare or ULP provider websites, and send a powerful message of inclusion to patients who are actively seeking LGBT-friendly providers. Sign up via email and join the state-wide .

Briscoe said this campaign will run indefinitely and the office hopes to continue adding more layers, including panel discussions and lectures. More information about the Ally Campaign is available by contacting the LGBT Center on the HSC campus.