Abstract

As a microcosm of the global societies in which we live, the university campus provides a lens through which we can envision and enact progress. This idea becomes visible as we look at the developments many institutions of higher education have implemented to improve their own environment with a focus on equity for its immediate constituents. In this paper, the author seeks to establish a greater role for higher education in the approach to social inclusion from the perspective of sexual and gender minorities. Universities can influence equity on a much larger scale through intentional learning opportunities and a campus culture that incorporate the interdisciplinary curriculum of an academic program of study with the student centers and leadership programs for the LGBTQ student, constructs already seen in American higher education. This effort connects multiple types of learning to educate LGBTQ students, their allies, and others who can reciprocally work to reduce hostility towards sexual and gender minorities in organizations and broader communities.