WSU has been named one of the nation’s top 25 campuses for LGBTQ inclusion and safety for a fourth time by Campus Pride.

Campus Pride, an organization that works to create safer college environments for LGBTQ students, produces the list each year. It also provides resources and information to students, faculty, and campuses nationwide.

WSU’s overall Campus Pride Index score was 5 out of 5 stars. A total of four Pac-12 schools made the list. Alongside WSU, the University of Oregon, the University of Washington and the University of Colorado, Boulder also made the Top 25 list.

The local resource in Pullman is WSU’s Gender Identity/Expression and Sexual Orientation Resource Center (GIESORC).

Matthew Jeffries, director of GIESORC, has only been with the center for three months but is very passionate about his position.

“Being able to hang out with students while also being able to amplify their voices within the institution is exactly what I wanted in a job,” he said.

Campus Pride’s criteria for the Top 25 is based on ratings on the Campus Pride Index, LGBTQ-inclusiveness measurements and benchmark tools that assesses LGBTQ-friendly policies and programs.

Some of the criteria met by WSU, as listed on Campus Pride, includes LGBTQ policy inclusion, LGBTQ studies programs, courses and trainings, LGBTQ campus safety policies and more.

“Even though we continue to be recognized for our policy work, we will continue to work on issues that our LGBTQ+ students face on our campus,” Jeffries said.

Resources the center works to provide are the Ally Training and Trans* Ally Training. Jeffries explained that the Ally Training covers basics about the LGBTQ community and the Trans* Ally Training focuses on issues and vocabulary related to trans* students, staff, and faculty.

More is to come from GIESORC in the future as they continue to work towards creating an inclusive campus culture.

“The future is bright,” Jeffries said.

He said the group is working toward including graduate students and staff in their events as well as increasing events such as UndocuQueerConference.

Jeffries also hopes to work more with WSU student groups, such as the Gender and Sexuality Alliance, the WSU Queer People of Color and Allies and the Graduate Pride Alliance at Washington State, to magnify what their concerns are in regards to inclusion.

More information on LGBTQ resources can be found at GIESORC’s website or in their office located in the CUB Room 401.

Reporting by Jennifer Forsmann