According to the SR education group rankings, UW-La Crosse has hit the top twenty-five schools in 2017 for most affordable LGTBQ+ friendly online colleges (Affordability Ranking Here). UW-L has also made the list for the top LGBTQ+ friendly online schools in the nation (Top List Ranking Here) and has the longest standing Pride Center in the UW-system. The UW-L Pride Center was established in the early nineties and has continued to be a resource for campus goers since they opened their doors.

UW-L Senior, and Pride Center worker, Wesley Isberner, stated, “The faculty and the students do a pretty good job in terms of friendliness. We also have a physical office for the Pride Center that has three scholarship opportunities for our students.” Isberner elaborates “We are very active and we host a wide variety of campus events for the LGTBQ+ community. The visibility is good, and with good visibility comes a lot of support. I think that’s pretty indicative of the support that we have here at UW-L.”

LGBTQ+ friendliness is still an emerging and heavily discussed topic on the UW-L Campus. Some students say they are very happy with the Pride Center and the LGBTQ+ community on campus. Dani Kallis, first year UW-L student stated, “I love our community on campus. It’s a very close knit supportive community. I come from a place where that community like this didn’t exist. I was one of the people who came to UW-L specifically for the pride center and their friendliness for the LGBTQ+ community. It’s already well established and I came to find family and I did.”

Even though UW-La Crosse is considered one of the more LGTBQ+ friendly-campus’ in the nation, there is still room for improvement. Isberner states “There are still a lot of our buildings that do not have gender neutral bathrooms in them. This causes problems for people who don’t feel comfortable using the male or female gendered bathrooms.” Isberner elaborates “In addition, there is only gender inclusive housing in Eagle, Reuter, and Wentz and the space there is limited.”

Kallis commented on what could be done to increase the LGBTQ+ friendliness on campus, “Even though there is a lot of friendliness with the students and faculty on campus, there are a lot of policies our school has that doesn’t reflect inclusivity.” Kallis elaborated, “I hope to see expansion for campus events or classes that increase the awareness of LGBTQ+ friendly events. If you want to help our cause and be an ally you need to do so with action, not just words.”

Overall, UW-La Crosse continues to be one of the most LGBTQ+ friendly campus’ in the UW-system, but also in the entire nation (SR Education Group). The Pride Center on campus is always accepting new members and allies as a part of their goal to create a safe and open campus experience for everyone. The UW-L Pride Center holds events at 7 PM Tuesdays and Thursdays every week. Any questions or inquiries for the UW-L Pride Center can be directed to their website here.