A preferred name is a name that students plan to go by on campus. Other than cases where legal name is required, this is the name will be used in different instances such as CANVAS and class roster.

UNA allows any student to request a preferred name to reflect in CANVAS and for the class roster. Electing to use a preferred name will not change your legal name.

Visit the link here to learn how to request a name change and view frequently asked questions.  

Check out this comprehensive list of around 200 financial awards, internships, and nonprofit resources for LGBTQ+ students and allies. 

• LGBTQ+ College Culture Guide: Tips for finding a welcoming college along with advice from experts who have a deep understanding of the LGBTQ+ experience in college
• Scholarship Opportunities for LGBTQ+ Students: Explore 47 scholarship offers designed for applicants who proudly express their unique experiences in the LGBTQ+ community
• The Human Rights Campaign’s LGBTQ+ Scholarship Database: Look up LGBTQ+ college scholarships here.
• Point Foundation Scholarships: This organization offers scholarships for LGBTQ+ college students as well as mentoring and training.
• Pride Foundation Scholarship Opportunities: Both allies and LGBTQ+ college students can apply for their numerous scholarships.
• Gamma Mu Foundation Scholarships: Offering funds and scholarships to the LGBTQ+ community, especially those in rural areas, this charitable organization also offers other kinds of direct services.
• LEAGUE Foundation LGBTQ+ Scholarships: LEAGUE offers multiple scholarships for LGBTQ+ students including the Matthew Shepard Memorial Scholarship.
• Out for Education Scholarships: This award recognizes outstanding LGBTQ+ students.
• Stonewall Community Foundation Scholarships: Offering the Traub-Dicker Rainbow Scholarship, which is available for lesbians, and the Levin-Goffe Scholarship for LGBTQ+ Immigrants, which is available for New York City immigrant LGBTQ+ or intersex people, this organization is also very important to those hoping to learn more about LGBTQ+ history.
• Live Out Loud Young Trailblazers Scholarship: Awarding as much as $10,000 in scholarships, this organization is for LGBTQ+ youth pursuing a college degree.
• The Jonathan Lax Scholarship for Gay Men: This organization was created to encourage gay men to further their education and act as role models to other gay college students.
• Trans Student Educational Resources Scholarships: Trans and gender-diverse scholars are eligible to apply for this small scholarship. STARTING AGAIN IN 2025
• National Women’s Studies Association: This organization offers funds for students who are LGBTQ+, college grants for women of color, and much more within the field of women’s studies.
• Reaching Out LGBTQ+ MBA Fellowship: This fellowship offers $10,000 and $20,000 scholarships for MBA students.
• The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists Scholarships: NLGJA offers both awards for excellent journalism and scholarships for communications students.
• The Kenneth W. Payne Student Prize: This prize is for students of queer anthropology who’ve written on the topic.
• Markowski-Leach Scholarships: This organization aims to create role models for LGBTQ+ people going to one of five major California schools.
• Horizons Foundation Scholarships and Fellowships: Offering queer people in California numerous fellowship opportunities, this might be a great opportunity for those looking at West Coast schools.
• eQuality Scholarships: This program is for California student leaders who’ve contributed a service to the LGBTQ+ community.
• NGPA Scholarships: Have you ever wanted to be a pilot? This massive scholarship is offered by the National Gay Pilots Association.
• Campus Pride National Scholarship Database: A list of scholarships, fellowships, and grants for LGBTQ+ and ally students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Bisexuals Tell their Southern Stories for BiWeek

Bisexual People Tell their Stories at Stonewall for BiWeek

Bi Leaders on Learning to Love their Identity for BiWeek

Out Celebrities have a BiWeek Message for Bisexual+ Youth: You Matter

Building my Bi Community 

32 Young Adult Books with Bisexual Characters

Things to Know about Bisexual Awareness Week and Bi-Visibility Day

Why is Bisexual such a Charged Word?

5 Myths about Bisexuality that Contribute to Bi-Erasure

Bisexual.org

The Trevor Project Support Center - Understanding Bisexuality

GLAAD – Bisexual

HRC – A Resource Guide to Coming Out as Bisexual

Planned Parenthood – Sexual Orientation

Often, your school will have its own schedule for local pride and queer-related events. If you don’t see enough, note that you can always fundraise and create new events for your college.

• Camp Pride Events: This leadership academy is for undergraduate students.
• Creating Change Conference: This conference is run by the National LGBTQ Task Force.
• Spirit Day: This event is run by GLAAD and was created to speak out against LGBTQ youth bullying and harassment.
• BiWeek: GLAAD also organized this event for bisexual+ awareness.
• GLSEN Day of Silence: This day protests harassment of students, involving silence and a “breaking the silence” rally at the end of the day.
• CenterLink Leadership Summit: This organization helps create leaders of all ages within the LGBTQ community.
• ROMBA Conference: For LGBTQ MBA students and graduates, this is the ultimate networking event.
• Out for Undergrad: O4U offers yearly conferences for high-achieving students interested in business, engineering, marketing, and technology.
• Solidarity Week: GLSEN offers this event for allies to show their support for LGBTQ+ students and their families, and learn how to best support the community. 

These are just a sampling of some of the national student communities; a student might want to ask, “Where are LGBTQ+ organizations near me?” to find organizations at specific colleges. There are some great campus-specific organizations to check out as well!

• Trans Mentoring Project: An e-mentoring program for trans youth to connect with supportive, identity-affirming mentors who will empower them to meet their personal goals and thrive.
• Campus Pride: This organization is a volunteer-based group for LGBTQ+ student leaders to encourage safer college campuses.
• GLSEN: The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) offers help to LGBTQ+ students and promotes events like Ally Week, the Day of Silence, and No Name-Calling Week.
• GSA Network: If your school doesn't currently have a GSA club, you can be the one to start it! The Genders and Sexualities Alliance Network is made up of “trans and queer youth uniting for racial and gender justice.”
• The Community of LGBTQ Centers: This is a network of LGBTQ+ rights organizations; see if you can find a local community center.
• GLAAD: The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) promotes positive depictions of LGBTQ+ people in media.
• Trevor Space: This is a safe social network for LGBTQ+ people ages 13-24.
• National Center for Transgender Equality: Transgender people experiencing discrimination can find help and resources here.
• Trans Student Educational Resources: This youth-led group promotes education about trans and gender-diverse lives.
• Asexual Visibility and Education Network: AVEN offers a safe space for asexual and questioning people.
• InterACT Advocates for Intersex Youth: This is an advocacy group for intersex people and advocates for consensual surgeries.
• Intersex Campaign for Equality: Connect and find resources for intersex people.
• Athlete Ally: Sports players can rely on this group for support.
• PFLAG: This organization is for LGBTQ+ people, their allies, and their families.
• COLAGE: This organization is for people with one or more LGBTQ+ parents.
• Straight for Equality: This organization is for straight allies.
• National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance: NQAPIA is an organization for queer Asian American, South Asian, Southeast Asian, and Pacific Islander groups.
• oSTEM: This organization is for LGBTQ+ people interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
• Gender Spectrum: This organization works to create a more accepting world for gender-diverse people of all ages. 

Unfortunately, LGBTQ discrimination on college campuses is still a reality. While many campuses across the U.S. are becoming more and more inclusive, there are still situations where students and administrators fail to rise to the opportunity to support LGBTQ+ students. Sometimes, the harassment can be so bad that it’s hard to find your footing. Learn about how to take a stand and stem the tide of bullying.

• National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments: This is a list of great resources and helps for those being harassed.
• Matthew Shepard Foundation: Report hate crimes and erase hate with this national organization.
• Out & Equal Workplace Advocates: While LGBTQ+ bullying in schools should not be tolerated, neither should bullying in the workplace. Students who work near or on campus should keep this resource in mind as well.
• Stomp Out Bullying: This resource has more information about bullying and creating safe spaces.
• GLAAD’s Amplify Your Voice Resource Kit: GLAAD has outlined the best tips for combating anti-LGBTQ bullying.
• The Safe Zone Project: Find handouts, curricula, and videos for creating safe spaces.

Start by understanding student rights, such as Title IX, the EEOC, and your First Amendment rights, as well as current issues surrounding LGBTQ+ discrimination in schools, like the “no-promo homo” laws. Right now, the Human Rights Campaign is pushing for federal legislation such as the Real Education for Healthy Youth Act, but discrimination still happens. If you’re in a situation that might require legal action, consider looking at some of these resources:

• American Civil Liberties Union: The ACLU fights for LGBTQ+ rights on a national scale, fighting in the legal arena on common issues like adoption, anti-bullying laws, trans rights, and more.
• Federal Laws to Stop Bullying: StopBullying.Gov has a complete resource on all of the federal laws protecting you as well as a guide to state anti-bullying laws.
• Lambda Legal: This organization offers legal help for LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV.
• The LGBTQ+ Bar: This is an association of lawyers and legal professionals offering justice to the LGBTQ community.
• The Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law: With research and data on current protections, this is a great spot for learning about your rights.
• National Center for Lesbian Rights: This organization pushes for LGBTQ+ litigation and policy changes.
• Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund: TLDEF connects pro bono attorneys with low-income trans and nonbinary people through its Name Change Project and also offers education.
• Sylvia Rivera Law Project: Get legal help with name changes and harassment for your gender expression and identity.
• Transgender Law Center: This organization offers legal protection to transgender and gender-nonconforming people.
• GSAFE - Legal Rights Resources: This organization has a legal rights information page detailing federal laws, example harassment incident reports, and more. 

Students with LGBTQ identities have a much higher risk of depression and suicidal thoughts than their heterosexual counterparts. If you’re an LGBTQ student looking for help, use one of these resources:

• 1-866-488-7386 or text START to 678-678 (The Trevor Project): This is the top crisis intervention service for LGBTQ people under 25.
• 877-565-8860 (Trans Lifeline): Offering emotional and financial support to trans people in crisis, this organization has helped thousands of trans people.
• 988 (Suicide Prevention Lifeline): This national resource, funded by SAMHSA, offers help.
• 212-714-1141 (Anti-Violence Project): Report violence or get crisis intervention help with this organization for LGBTQ and HIV-positive people.
• It Gets Better Project: If you want to know that there are happy and successful queer people out there, the It Gets Better Project offers you realistic proof.
• Family Acceptance Project: This project aims to prevent major health and mental health risks for LGBTQ youth by increasing family acceptance.
• The Q Card: Talking with health providers can be hard for queer and trans young people, and the Q Card is an educational tool that can help young people self-advocate in healthcare spaces.

Learn how to properly address trans or queer peers, and use some of these other resources to familiarize yourself with gay culture.

Finding Better Terms and Definitions

• An Ally’s Guide to Terminology: This is the official GLAAD handbook and a good guide for those hoping to run GSAs or for school administrators unused to correct terminology.
• Planned Parenthood’s Sexual Orientation and Gender Guides: Learn about the differences between biological sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation.
• The American Psychological Association’s LGBTQ Questions and Answers: Get answers to questions about sexual orientation, trans identities, and more.
• The Gender Unicorn: Identify your gender identity, gender expression, types of attraction, and more.
• The Coming Out Handbook for LGBTQ+ Young People: The Trevor Project has a great self-care guide for young people coming out.
• LGBTQ-Inclusive Language Do’s and Don't's: This resource lists real-world examples of harmful and helpful terminologies.
• A Comprehensive List of LGBTQ+ Vocabulary: This awesome glossary has a lot of need-to-know LGBTQ+ information.

Other Resources

• SIECUS: This organization promotes sex education for social change.
• Advocates for Youth: This is another organization aimed at improving sexual education.
• It’s Pronounced Metrosexual: This is an educational tool focused on gender and social justice.
• Bi.org: Bi students looking for more information can read tons of articles and resources here.
• The Advocate: This is a news resource for LGBTQ people hoping to stay abreast of politics and culture.

This page was adapted for ease-of-navigation from the Ultimate Guide to Resources for LGBTQ+ Students.

If you have any additional questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to email us at socialinclusion@una.edu, we would be happy to assist you!

#RoarLions