SCampus Student Guidebook

Student Services

Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) Resource Center

Director: Vincent Vigil
(213) 740-7619
Student Union 202B
Email: lgbt@usc.edu
Instant Messenger: usclgbt
www.usc.edu/lgbt

The LGBT Resource Center works in collaboration with other campus departments, student organizations and community networks to create a safe, welcoming and inclusive campus environment for LGBT students and their supportive student, faculty and staff allies. If you identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, a supportive ally or are simply interested in our services, please contact us. The LGBT Resource Center’s services include the following:

• supportive setting for you to seek assistance on any issue of concern, with or without confidentiality
• a mentoring program for students who are dealing with problems or concerns about their sexuality and gender identity/expression
• LGBT-sensitive educational programming for supportive allies, as well as working on sensitivity concerns with various departments, residence halls and student organizations
• LGBT-related crisis interventions, information and local referrals to help you deal with coming out issues, hate crimes or simply getting involved with campus activities
• student programming opportunities and leadership development, such as an emerging spring semester leadership retreat called “Generation Queer”
• connections with neighboring LGBT-friendly resources, including employment, mentoring and volunteer opportunities within Los Angeles County
• networking opportunities for students with university faculty and staff, alumni and community professionals who are supportive allies

Additional LGBT Campus Support

The LGBT Resource Center works with the Office of Residential Education to provide support to the Rainbow Floor, which is special interest housing for LGBT and ally students located in Century Apartments. All students, including first-year students, are encouraged to apply to live on the floor. We are proud to be one of few colleges in the country with LGBT-themed housing. For more information about the floor, visit www.usc.edu/rainbowfloor.

The Queer and Ally Student Assembly (QuASA), a constituent part of Program Board and Undergraduate Student Government, provides large-scale student programming for LGBT and ally students. QuASA provides programming and support to the undergraduate population and is always looking for new leaders. Freshmen can get involved through the Freshman Advocacy Board (FAB), which coordinates activities for LGBT and ally freshmen. QuASA also coordinates the weekly LGBT listserv sent to students, alumni, faculty and staff via email. Additional assembly involvement opportunities include the following:

• uRap – a weekly confidential peer-to-peer discussion series with experienced facilitators focusing on a different topic each week
• interest-focused student organizations such as Ally Alliance, Genesis 9:13, JAGS, OutReach, FAB and more
• collaborative opportunities with supportive student organizations
• leadership positions on the QuASA Executive Board
• involvement with committees that coordinate campus-wide annual programming such as Coming Out Month, Gender Justice Month, Pridefest Month and Second Chance Prom

For more information, email quasa@usc.edu.

LGBT student involvement is not limited to undergraduates. There are several graduate and professional student organizations at USC. Most are discipline-focused to establish networking within specific career fields, such as the OUTLaw for law students, the Marshall School of Business Gay and Lesbian Association, MedGLO on the Health Sciences campus for medical students and the Social Work Rainbow Caucus. Organization representatives meet monthly through the Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS) LGBT Concerns Committee. For more information, contact the LGBT Resource Center.

The center also works closely with the Lambda LGBT Alumni Association (LAA) to create relationships between students and alumni. LAA is the official USC alumni organization for LGBT and supportive allies, and provides annual scholarships and awards to students engaged in LGBT-related research and campus activities. It is one of only a few such organizations in the country. For more information, email LAA at lambda@usc.edu or visit the Website at alumni.usc.edu/lambda.

The Gender Studies Program offers an informal curricular focus in lesbian and gay studies, with courses for both undergraduate and graduate students. These offerings are interdisciplinary, with particular emphasis in the areas of anthropology, history, literary theory, law, feminist theory and psychological counseling. Contact Gender Studies at (213) 740-8286 or via email at gender@usc.edu.

In addition, Student Counseling Services offers free counseling and support group opportunities for lesbian, gay and bisexual students.

For more information about these programs, contact the LGBT Resource Center, located on the second floor of the Student Union Building.