Many universities take pride in their sports teams, others on their academics. Some are known as the best school for music in the nation, and others have fantastic fine arts programs.

Less than 1 percent of all colleges and universities in the nation are placed on the Campus Pride Index Top 30 list of LGBTQ friendly colleges and universities. The 2016 list is the third time WSU has been given this award.

“I think it’s really great that we made [the top 30 list]. [Being LGBTQ+ inclusive] isn’t something seen too often,” GSA social media chair Kylie Kilmer said.

Another long-term member and executive of WSU’s GSA, Lucy Worth, agrees that she’s “happy and proud that we’re in the top 30 in the nation.”

WSU has multiple resources for LGBTQ students. The Gender and Sexuality Alliance, or GSA, is a safe space for queer students and allies to meet every Tuesday at 7 p.m. in CUE 518.

“It’s one of the best experiences to see others join GSA and become more and more comfortable with themselves as a person,” GSA Historian Brandon Townsend said.

GSA Vice Chair Eli Bala appreciates the community the GSA provides.

“The best thing about the GSA is finding a family. For a lot of students who come from unaccepting backgrounds, like me, by going to GIESORC and GSA meetings I was able to find people who listened to my story. The sense of community is great,” Bala said.

WSU’s Gender Identity/Expression and Sexual Orientation Resource Center, or GIESORC, offers many resources for those who need them.

Bala agrees GIESORC is an incredibly helpful resource, especially the advisors like Linda Heidenreich, known by students as “Dr. H.”

“If I ever had any problems with professors or anything, Dr. H was already typing out an email before I was even done with my story to anyone who could help with the issue. I know she helped a lot of my friends too,” Bala said.

While WSU made this list, the members of the GSA agree that there’s always room for improvement.

“I spend a lot of time in the STEM buildings for my major, and some certain language and behaviors are shunned and mocked [over there],” Townsend said. “It’s not so bad that you think ‘oh my life’s in danger’ but it definitely makes it hard to feel comfortable in class and do teamwork which is very important in the field.”

The members of the GSA are all working to make the five out of five rating WSU received from the College Pride Index even more true. Last semester, Townsend and a few other students had the idea to start LGBTQ study groups, specifically in the STEM majors.

“Two Ph.D. students actually started working on that this semester,” Townsend said. “We’re trying to establish spaces where LGBTQ students can be both STEM majors and queer without having to worry about being themselves.”

Townsend is collecting names of people interested in joining these LGBTQ study groups for STEM majors and can be contacted through GSA.

“To watch people find a place they don’t have to worry about being invalidated is incredible” Townsend said.