Tulane University has many active LGBTQ+ and feminist student groups. The following under/graduate student organizations focus on gender- and sexuality-related social, health, spiritual, political, intellectual, and cultural matters.  If you have a gender- and/or sexuality-related student group that you would like start and/or have listed here, please e-mail ogsd@tulane.edu.  We would like to include you in our events and offer our services and programs to your members.

Gender & Sexuality Advisory Council (GSAC)

The Gender and Sexuality Advisory Council (GSAC) is a coalition of LGBTQ+, feminist and other organizations that focus on gender- and sexuality-related issues at Tulane University. GSAC meets throughout the semester to foster collaborations between gender- and sexuality-based organizations. GSAC also functions to inform the director of the Office for Gender and Sexual Diversity (OGSD) and the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) of the needs, problems, and issues currently facing students. Though GSAC primarily serves as a hub for organizations, all undergraduate, graduate and professional students across the University may participate upon request. Email ogsd@tulane.edu for more information or to learn how to serve as a representative, even as a first-year student.

Queer Student Alliance (QSA)

Founded in 1972, the Queer Student Alliance (QSA) is the oldest, continuously-operating LGBTQ+ organization in the state of Louisiana. (The organization has been run under the names Gay, GALA, BiGALA, and most recently, MOSAIC.)  We are an alliance that embraces the similarities and differences of all people: gay, lesbian, straight, a/pan/bi/poly/sexual, and transgender. As a group, we seek to promote awareness, tolerance, equality, and compassion in order to cultivate a healthy environment for all individuals at Tulane.  We provide an open forum for discussion in a safe, nurturing environment, and facilitate fun and enriching social activities for all Tulane students.  Whether you identify as gay, straight, trans, lesbian, GNC, or anything at all, know that you are always welcome to come to our meetings. Join the QSA Orgsync page for updates. 

Gender Exploration Society (GES)

The Gender Exploration Society (GES) is a club that seeks to make a safer space for transgender and gender non-conforming people who attend Tulane and Loyola. We also like to help teach our friends, allies, and trans* siblings everything we know about gender, sexuality, and the intersections of identity. GES aims to be a safe, diverse, and welcoming organization, void of racism, sexism, misogyny, and other forms of bias. Join the GES Orgsync page for updates.

Black Queer Collective (BQC)

BQC centers on the experiences of Black students who are a part of the LGBTQ+ community at Loyola and Tulane University of New Orleans. To connect with BQC on instagram and follow BQC @blackqueercollective

Tulane Medical School Pride Alliance (MSPA)

Tulane Medical School Pride Alliance (MSPA) is an organization of the Tulane University School of Medicine. We are dedicated to LGBTQ+ issues within the medical school and New Orleans, as well as the national healthcare and public health needs of the LGBTQ+ community.  You can also follow MSPA on instagram @mspa_tulane. 

Tulane OUTLaw

Tulane OUTLaw (formerly Lambda Law Alliance) is a student organization committed to fostering LGBTQ+ personal and professional relationships. Throughout the year we host a variety of social events including happy hours, game nights, and study halls. In the upcoming years, we hope to strengthen our connection with New Orleans LGBTQ+ attorneys and non-profits. Our overall goal is to create a more empowering law school environment for queer and trans students. OUTLaw is always open to partnering with organizations that align with our interests, please reach out with any questions or suggestions.

The Office of Gender and Sexual Diversity, along with campus and community partners, offers a variety of programs and events throughout the academic year.

To stay current on events, follow OGSD on our Instagram, @ogsdtulane. If your department or organization is hosting an event that may be of interest to the LGBTQ+ community at Tulane, send complete details including date, time, and location along with any other helpful information such as a web link, Facebook event link, WaveSync event link, and/or graphic image to be shared in our newsletter to ogsd@tulane.edu. 

Intercultural Life Orientation for New Students & Families

As part of New Student Orientation the Carolyn Barber Pierre Center for Intercultural Life hosts an orientation program to help new students and their families (of origin or chosen) get connected to resources and individuals who can offer support and advice to ensure students have a successful transition into college.  It's an opportunity to hear from campus administrators, and staff in the Center for Intercultural Life, including the Office of Multicultural Affairs, The Office for Gender & Sexual Diversity, and Religious Life. Our goal is to help every student get access to the tools they need to thrive during their Tulane experience.

Transcending the Wave: Intercultural Convocation Ceremony & Reception

In 1963, Tulane admitted the first Black students to pursue their academic goals of earning advanced degrees. Almost six decades later, we are welcoming more than 500 first-year students who identify as Black Indigenous, Latine/ Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islander, and people of color. We are also welcoming a growing community of queer and trans students to the Tulane community. To honor the continued growth while centering students who hold multiple identities, we will give new students a cultural pin.  During this ceremony, students will hear from administrators, faculty, staff, and student leaders of the Multicultural Council and Gender & Sexual Advisory Council about what it means to be a part of the legacy of diversity at Tulane. This program will be followed by an outdoor welcome reception featuring various student organizations, affinity groups, and a group photo. 

OGSD Annual WELCOME QT Family Dinner

Join the Office for Gender and Sexual Diversity for our annual Welcome QT Family Dinner celebration for 2SLGBTQIA+ undergraduate students, graduate & professional students, staff, and faculty!

Hosted as part of TU Welcome Week this year's WELCOME QT Familly Dinner will be on Friday, August 26, 6–8 pm 2022 at LBC Pocket Park. 

Come and enjoy great food, giveaways, music, resources, excellent company, and more!

You will get the chance to hear from, learn more about, and connect with the following 2SLGBTQIA+ organizations on and off campus: 

• Queer Student Alliance (QSA) 
• Black Queer Collective (BQC)
• Gender Exploration Society (GES)
• Tulane OUTLaw 
• Medical School Pride Alliance (MSPA) 
•  LGBTQ+ Research Collective 
• ALAAMEA LGBTQ+ Faculty & Staff Affinity Group 
• Real Name Change Campaign 
• Crescent Care Gender Clinic
• And more!!!!

For more information, contact ppeterson@tulane.edu.  

Monthly (ish) QT Family Dinner(s)

 About once a month the Office for Gender & Sexual Diversity hosts QT Family Dinner night in the Carolyn Barber-Pierre Center for Intercultural Life.

These QT Family Dinners provide community, food, resources, and more! 

Intercultural Leadership Retreat

The Annual Intercultural Leadership Retreat hosted by  The Carolyn Barber Pierre Center for Intercultural Life: The Office of Multicultural Affairs, The Office for Gender & Sexual Diversity, & Religious Life, takes place during the Fall semester in an off-campus camp setting. The weekend is designed to develop skills that will serve students at Tulane, in New Orleans and beyond, with interactive activities designed to create an environment for individuals to explore cultural identity, share experiences and discuss the meaning of leadership within the context of a diverse society. Participants should come prepared to participate in activities by sharing views, attitudes, beliefs, and experiences openly and honestly. 

The retreat is an opportunity to learn more about who you are, connect with other students, and develop leadership skills to make a positive change at Tulane using Emergent Strategies, Critical Race Theory, and The Leadership Challenge frameworks. We bring together student leaders with diverse perspectives to build relationships across cultural differences and form a purposeful and sustainable leadership community whose members are committed to one another. The program is designed to provide a rich learning experience regardless of your leadership position. Students interested in running for office in any student organization, are strongly encouraged to attend!

LGBTQ+ Hxstory & Celebration Day's (October)

Each October, the Office for Gender and Sexual Diversity hosts annual programs, events, and celebrations that focus on LGBTQ+ communities, history, and cultures. Past History & Celebration Months have included films, workshops, educational history installations in the LBC, performances, keynote lectures, music, exhibits, Queeraoke, and more. Sponsored by the Gender & Sexuality Advisory Council (GSAC) and Office for Gender & Sexual Diversity (OGSD). 

All About Love Program

Trans Day of Visibility: Fill up your identity euphoria bags!

Audre Lorde QT Trips 

Lavender Graduation & Celebrations

Gender & Sexuality Studies at Tulane 

Whether in politics, culture or biology, sexuality and gender are significant dimensions of the human experience.  Yet, most have received little education about the complexity and diversity of gender- and sexuality-based issues and how they have changed over time.  Students interested in learning more about gender and sexuality have many opportunities to investigate those interests through their academic coursework, independent studies, campus-wide lectures, and social networking sites.  Whether focusing on LGBTQ+ movements, the history of birth control, media representations of women, debates over reproductive rights, the politics of HIV/AIDS, transgender history, rape culture, or compulsory sterilization campaigns, or postmodern body modification, the interdisciplinary study of gender and sexuality creates a deeper understanding of some of the most pressing issues of our day.

The Gender and Sexuality Studies (GeSS) Program is the primary hub for teaching and research on gender and sexuality in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and biological sciences at Tulane University.   As an interdisciplinary program, GeSS is home to a vibrant intellectual community of students, teachers, and scholars who specialize in understanding how gender and sexuality operate in and are influenced by a diverse and globalizing world. The GeSS Program offers a Major and Minor in addition to a Graduate Certificate. Students may choose from over forty courses taught by faculty from fourteen academic departments, four other SLA programs, and four Tulane University Schools.  The GeSS Program also sponsors collegial gatherings for students and faculty, and invites prominent scholars in the field to give lectures on campus.

All students who are interested in gender and sexuality studies, even if they are not a major or minor, are encouraged to join the Facebook page: Gender and Sexuality Studies Students at Tulane, a forum where students, faculty and staff post information about events on/off campus as well as news, culture, and politics relevant to gender and sexuality studies.

Want to Get Involved in Gender & Sexuality Studies?

Enroll in a Gender & Sexuality Studies (GeSS) Course.
The Gender and Sexuality Studies (GeSS) Program at Tulane offers a broad interdisciplinary investigation of gender and sexuality as social, cultural, and political phenomena. The program offers a Major and Minor in addition to a Graduate Certificate. Students may choose from over forty GSS-affiliated courses taught by faculty from fourteen academic departments, four other SLA programs, and four Tulane University Schools. 

Do an independent study with a Gender & Sexuality Studies (GSS) Faculty
There are faculty members in many departments who have expertise in areas related to gender/sexuality.  Contact the GeSS Program for a listing of affiliated faculty members who specialize in your area of interest.

Major or Minor in Gender & Sexuality Studies (GeSS)
A major in GSS consists of a minimum of 33 credits and four core courses are required. Click here for more information on becoming a GeSS major.  A minor in GSS consists of a minimum of 18 credits and two courses are required.  Click here for more information on becoming a GeSS minor.

Intern with the Office for Gender & Sexual Diversity (OGSD)
Internships with the Office for Gender and Sexual Diversity (OGSD) offer students the opportunity to learn about how gender and sexuality issues are addressed within an academic environment.  You can contact ogsd@tulane.edu or call 504-314-2183 for more information.

Seek Out Courses with Women, Gender & Sexuality in Mind
If you're looking for a course that specifically examines gender, check out this list compiled by the Newcomb College Institute.  You can also find out which gender and sexuality courses will best fit your interests by contacting the Gender and Sexuality Studies (GSS) website or by meeting with the director of the GeSS Program, during her office hours. 

Director
Katherine Johnson
Department: Sociology
Office: 220E Newcomb Hall

Get Involved with the Newcomb College Institute (NCI)
The Newcomb College Institute offers grants to students and funding for internships, research, community engagement, and conference attendance.  The Newcomb Scholars Program is a unique opportunity for incoming women at Tulane who are interested in an academically enriching and shared four-year experience through undergraduate research, seminars, and experiential learning opportunities. All first-year incoming women are invited to attend an Information Session to learn more about the Newcomb Scholars Program, its benefits and expectations, as well as the application process.  For more information on the Newcomb Scholars Program, student organizations, grants, and internships, contact:

Aidan Smith
Director of the Newcomb Scholars Program
newcombscholars@tulane.edu 

Library, Music and Media Resources

Nadine Vorhoff Library
While all libraries at Tulane University have significant content related to gender and sexuality, the Nadine Vorhoff Library is affectionately known by students as “the Lesbrary” – offering special collections in feminist literature and gender studies scholarship. The Vorhoff Library contains 12,000 books on women, gender issues, feminism, and transgender studies. The library also offers a very quiet, comfortable study area with plenty of desks, chairs, tables, couches, and free black-and-white printing. Bea Calvert, the staff librarian, is a strong ally to gender non-conforming and LGBTQ+-identified students. She can be contacted at bcalvert@tulane.edu. The library is located on the 1st floor of the Caroline Richardson Building.

Collat Media Lab
The Collat Media Lab is located in the Caroline Richardson Building. Students, faculty, and staff in the media lab work with current technologies to design and create digital media projects.  Ongoing activities include the Collat Media Internship Program, workshops and events, and partnerships with various courses that include a digital media component.

Music & Media Center
The Music & Media Center, located on the fourth floor of Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, is home to approximately 14,000 DVDs covering a wide range of topics including women’s rights and LGBTQ+ issues. The film collections include over 260 films from the Women Make Movies catalog as well as numerous titles from New Day Films, Cinema Guild, and several independent filmmakers. A selection of LGBTQ+-related films as well as search tips for discovering more films in our collections may be found online. More information about the Center and the services we provide may be found at http://library.tulane.edu/mmc.

Louisiana Research Collection
Located on the second floor of Jones Hall, room 202, the Louisiana Research Collection (LaRC) houses a new collection informally called the LGBTQ+ Collection, which can also be accessed online beginning in the summer of 2013 at http://larc.tulane.edu/.  These archives, organized in the summer of 2012 by Tulane undergraduate Lauren Kwiatkowski, are a “closed collection,” meaning that you can’t take the material out of the building.  However, the librarian will assist you in retrieving the documents and will give you a space to go through them.  The collection is made up of archival records, periodicals, articles and book chapters, theses and dissertations, and ephemera. Contact: 504-865-5685 or larc@tulane.edu.

Amistad Research Center 
An independent library/archive housed on Tulane’s campus in Tilton Memorial Hall, the Amistad Research Center is the nation’s oldest, largest, and arguably most comprehensive archive specializing in the racial and ethnic history of the United States. Issues of sexuality and gender are addressed in collections as diverse as those of artist Elizabeth Catlett and in the papers of civil rights workers, such as Fannie Lou Hamer. The center maintains a subject guide to its LGBTQ+ holdings, which focus largely on people of color. In addition, the Center’s new zine and graphic novels collections are also useful in analyzing sexuality and gender. An online finding aid database provides access to the Center’s archival collections and its library holdings are included in Tulane’s library catalog. More information can be found at www.amistadresearchcenter.org or by contacting the Center at 504.862.3222.