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Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, & Intersex Life

For Students

Director Chris Purcell discusses community with Vanderbilt students by analyzing themes in Strong Inside by Andrew Marannis

Student Resources

Fall 2023 Drop-in Consultations 

At the K.C. Potter Center for LGBTQI Life:

At other locations:

  • LGTBQI Life drop-in hours at the Black Cultural Center are Mondays 12:00-1:00pm
  • LGTBQI Life drop-in hours on Zoom are Wednesdays 12:00-1:00pm

LGBTQ2S+ & Ally Student Groups
Student groups provide support, affirmation, and programming for all students, whether graduate or undergraduate.

LGBTQI Life Programs
Our programs provide opportunities for meaningful campus engagement and connections to other students. Joining our listserv and connecting with us on social media will also help a student learn about the menu of opportunities we provide.

University Counseling Center
The UCC offers all Vanderbilt students (undergraduate, graduate and professional, and postdoctoral scholars) a mix of direct access counseling, targeted wellness services, and referrals to community providers for specialized care. The UCC is designed to work closely with health and wellness partners, such as the Student Health Center and the Center for Student Wellbeing, to provide an integrated network of care (referred to as Vanderbilt’s Student Care Network) for students and postdoctoral scholars. The UCC also offers Continuum, The LGBTQ2S+ Support Group for students wishing to give and receive support around sexual identity and/or gender identity.

LGBTQ2S+ health on campus
The Student Health Center (SHC) is committed to providing quality healthcare to all Vanderbilt students, including those within the LGBTQ2S+ community. We at SHC consider our environment to be a safe place to come for health care, counsel, and advice. The Student Health Center at Vanderbilt is a leader in the area of LGBTQ2S+ health and provides comprehensive and quality healthcare to the LGBTQ2S+ community.

Trans@VU
Provides critical information for transgender and gender-nonconforming students when navigating Vanderbilt.

Student Same-Sex Domestic Partner Benefits at Vanderbilt (International students only)
Students may register their spouse or partner with the Dean of Students office in order to allow them to receive a Commodore Card and the benefits associated within.

Reporting bias or discrimination
Bias and discrimination should be reported to the Title IX & Student Discrimination Office. Vanderbilt prohibits all forms of sexual misconduct and discrimination. The University will take prompt and effective action to address all allegations of sexual misconduct and discrimination.

International Travel

LGBTQIA+ students traveling or studying abroad are encouraged to meet with the Global Education Office and look into resources such as their Resources for Identity and Culture and the State Department Travel Advisories. Fullbright students can also join Fulbright PRISM, an affinity group for LGBTQIA people. Other resources include:

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Academic Resources

Department for Gender and Sexuality Studies
Our intellectual goal is to transform traditional ways of knowing—in and out of the classroom—by reaching across epistemological and methodological divisions to foster interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary perspectives on gender, sexuality, and identity in everyday lives. Currently, we offer a Major, a Minor, an Honors Program, and a Graduate Certificate. More than 90 faculty members across disciplines and schools are affiliated with our department. Most are involved with teaching, student advising, and social and intellectual events.

LGBTQ+ Policy Lab
Bringing together faculty from five schools (College of Arts & Science, Divinity School, Law School, Peabody College and School of Medicine) and numerous departments (economics, political science, MHS, WGS, sociology, public policy studies, religious studies, divinity, law, LPO, teaching & learning, and health policy), the Policy Lab supports a wide range of discovery and learning activities within the Vanderbilt community. Contact the LGBT Policy Lab Director, Kitt Carpenter, for more information.

The Carpenter Program in Religion, Gender, and Sexuality (Divinity School)
The Carpenter Program is designed to foster conversation about religion, gender, and sexuality. The program is not partisan in theological outlook or political orientation, nor is it focused solely on the academic community. Rather, it seeks to provide education and encourage communication within and across religious affiliations, ideological bases, and cultural contexts.

Library Research Guides
Compiled by Vanderbilt librarians, all of the resources found within these research guides are available in one of the Vanderbilt libraries or online. Included are resources for instructors and lists of films we have at Vanderbilt. These guides are not intended to be a comprehensive resource but rather a good starting point for research. Please feel free to make suggestions for additions to the guides.

To obtain books/articles that Vanderbilt does not subscribe to or to set up an appointment with a librarian to talk about your LGBTQ2S+ related research project: Ask a Librarian

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Career Resources

Vanderbilt Career Center Diversity Opportunities Resource Page
This page is for Vanderbilt faculty, staff, students, and alumni who are interested in diversity-related opportunities promoted by the Career Center. Specifically, the list is used for the distribution of personal and professional development interests.

Out In The Workplace: Tips for Navigating the Internship and Job Search And Beyond
As you delve into the internship and career search, you begin to realize that there is a plethora of considerations that you need to acknowledge. This advice goes for everyone. Now, as a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, or two spirit (LGBTQ2S+) student, you may realize that you have some specific considerations in relation to your sexual orientation and/or gender identity. For the most part, university life has been a supportive environment, with a wonderful LGBTQ2S+ resource center, active student groups, and university-backed non-discrimination policies. However, the workplace can be quite different in terms of the openness of and support for LGBTQ2S+ employees. The ​Out In The Workplace: Tips for Navigating the Internship and Job Search And Beyond​ guide is designed to answer some of the questions that may be floating through your mind and to direct you to more resources.

Transgender in the Workplace
This helpful guide is for transgender workers, from new graduates just entering the workforce to seasoned working professionals, as well as employers and hiring managers. Learn more about current transgender workplace rights, how to navigate some of the biggest workplace and job hunting concerns, and what you can do to prepare to enter the workforce.

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Vanderbilt Medical Center

Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Program for LGBTQ Health
The Vanderbilt University Medical Center Program for LGBTQ health is an innovative effort to improve healthcare for LGBTQ2S+ patients that is housed within the Office for Diversity in Medical Education. The Program coordinates a Trans Buddy program and makes referrals for LGBTQ2S+-competent providers and the VUMC Transgender Health Clinic.

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Student-Athlete Resources

The Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Life is open to all members of the Vanderbilt community, including athletes looking for resources and support about gender and sexuality or a welcome social environment to meet students and staff.

Athlete Ally (contact lgbtqi@vanderbilt.edu to be connected with Vandy’s Athlete Ally chapter)

Sports Psychology

National Collegiate Athletics Resources 
Check out the list of national resources for collegiate athletes under the national resources page.

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