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Prospective Students

Selecting a college can be difficult for anyone.  However, we recognize that LGBTQ+ individuals may have additional questions and concerns about campus climate, programming, and services available to LGBTQ+ students.  If you have specific questions, please email our Director of Gender and Sexuality, Paige Jennings (she/her) at pjennin1@swarthmore.edu

Alok Maid-Venon Featured Poet IC ArtHouse

Alok Maid-Venon Featured Poet IC ArtHouse

Annual Drag Show: Parrish Is Burning

Annual Drag Show: Parrish Is Burning

Andrea Gibson Day of Silence Performance

Andrea Gibson Day of Silence Performance

Alok Maid-Venon Featured Poet IC ArtHouse

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Get Involved

Colors

Founded in 2001, Colors is a student group for students who identify both as LGBTQ and as people of color. Colors is an informal space where queer students of color can talk about their experiences being queer, being of color, and being both at the same time. Colors is open to queer students who identify as multiracial and does not reject anyone based on physical appearance.

Swarthmore Queer Union

The Swarthmore Queer Union (SQU) is an organization that seeks to improve the life of queer, trans, and questioning students on campus. SQU is dedicated to building a community for these students to grow and learn together, and challenge social injustices through discussing and sharing experiences. SQU is a community group for students who self-identify as queer, trans, or questioning of racial/ethnic identity, religious background or ability level. In addition to having weekly hour-long meetings, SQU sponsors speakers, workshops, student/faculty/staff events, open meetings, awareness and outreach events, and parties throughout the year. SQU also advocates to the administration for queer and questioning issues related to student life, faculty, and curriculum.

Housing

Swarthmore offers a range of housing from a cozy 8-person house to a lively 200-person dorm. All dorms house a diverse mix of students of different classes. Over 90% of the dorms have a combination of students of any genders. Students can pick any roommate regardless of gender or they can be assigned a roommate of any gender on all halls outside of Parrish, Dana 3rd floor, and two apartments in PPR. RA’s have special training on LGBTQ and trans gender issues.

Bathrooms

Swarthmore also offers gender-inclusive bathroom options in many of the dorms. A list of these floors can be found here. TBD floors are determined through the following process:

All voting must be anonymous and will be completed by utilizing the ballot created by the Office of Residential Community in conjunction with the Intercultural Center.

On the ballot, students will be asked to mark any bathroom designations that they would be comfortable with.  Bathrooms will be designated in such a way as to make the smallest number of students uncomfortable, while ensuring that every student has at least one bathroom that they are able to use.

Annual Events

Swarthmore Pride Month

National Coming Out Day

National Transgender Day of Remembrance

International Transgender Day of Visibility

Annual Drag Show

Lavender Celebration

Campus Pride Index