GLBTQ at Colby

Colby College and our Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) supports gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, transexual, intersex, queer and questioning students to participate fully in college life.

Here are some answers to important questions you might have about Colby College:

• Does Colby College have GLBTIQ student organizations supported by student government funds?

  YES, The Bridge, operating from the Pugh Center, works to allow people to live with honesty and dignity and to celebrate being bisexual, transgender, transsexual, lesbian or gay. The group sponsors various social and political events such as movies, lectures, workshops, trips and the annual Colby College Pride Week.

  The Queer Tea, held 4pm at the coffeehouse every Tuesday, provides a safe social space for GLBTIQ students, faculty, staff and their supporters.

• Does Colby College offer GLBTIQ support groups?

  YES. GLBTIQ Conversations, sponsored by OMA/GLBTIQ Support, meets weekly in the Marson Room.

• Does Colby College offer courses regarding GLBTIQ history and culture?

  YES. Courses are offered by the Department of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies that count toward a concentration in Queer Studies. Several other departments offer related courses, as well.

• Does Colby College have a minority affairs office that includes GLBTIQ persons as one of the groups it serves?

  YES, Office of Multicultural Affairs/GLBTIQ Support, associated with the Dean of Students office, invites students to bring concerns regarding sexual orientation and any part of college life, and is committed to responding to these concerns with respectful, focused attention.

• Does Colby College have openly GLBTIQ faculty and staff members?

  YES.

• Does Colby College offer workshops regularly to educate students, faculty and staff about issues important to GLBTIQ persons?

  YES, Project Ally offers workshops to all college community members. Deltech offers Valuing Difference workshops to staff and faculty. Hall Staff training equips and encourages Hall Staff to offer workshops to students.

• Does Colby College allow gay and lesbian faculty and staff couples to live in residence halls and participate fully as faculty/staff residents?

  YES.

• Does Colby College have a clearly stated policy welcoming the full participation of GLBTIQ persons in all college activities?

  YES, the Colby Statement on Diversity:

  "Colby College is dedicated to the education of humane, thoughtful, and engaged persons prepared to respond to the challenges of an increasingly diverse and global society and to the issues of justice that arise therein. The College also is committed to fostering a fully inclusive campus community, enriched by persons of different races, genders, ethnicities, nationalities, economic backgrounds, ages, abilities, sexual orientations, and spiritual values. We strive to confront and overcome actions and attitudes that discourage the widest possible range of participation in our community, and we seek to deepen our understanding of diversity in our daily relationships and in our dealings as an institution."

• Does Colby College have college-sponsored means to address instances of harassment?

  YES, members of the Harassment Advisory Group are available to help you formulate a response to harassment based on race, sex or sexual orientation. Harassment Policy specifically includes sexual orientation and gender. Colby also has an Equal Employment Opportunity commitment which prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Helpful Links

This is a brief list of websites and each one contains further lists of websites and resources of all kinds. Stroll through these for information, connections, readings, support networks and activism links. Each site has its own point of view on the issues and together they represent the incredible diversity of thought, experience and perspective of GLBTIQ individuals.