LGBTQ 101

Asexual Visibility & Education Network

The Asexual Visibility and Education Network (AVEN) was founded in 2001 with two distinct goals: creating public acceptance and discussion of asexuality and facilitating the growth of an asexual community. Since that time we have grown to host the world’s largest asexual community, serving as an informational resource for people who are asexual and questioning, their friends and families, academic researchers and the press. AVEN members throughout the world regularly engage in visibility projects, included but not limited to distributing informational pamphlets, leading workshops, arranging local meetups and speaking to interested press. The AVEN community centers around the web forum, which provides a safe space for asexual and questioning people and their partners, friends and families to discuss their experiences.

BiNet USA: The largest national organization of Bisexuals 

As an umbrella organization and voice for bisexual people, BiNet USA will facilitate the development of a cohesive network of bisexual communities, promote bisexual visibility, and collect and distribute educational information regarding bisexuality. To accomplish these goals, BiNet USA will provide a national network for bisexual organizations and individuals across the United States, and encourage participation and organizing on local and national levels.

Changed to “6 LGBTQ people (with Berkeley ties) you should know” 

Online article published June 22, 2022 for Pride Month.

Equality California

Equality California brings the voices of LGBTQ+ people and allies to institutions of power in California and across the United States, striving to create a world that is healthy, just, and fully equal for all LGBTQ+ people. We advance civil rights and social justice by inspiring, advocating, and mobilizing through an inclusive movement that works tirelessly on behalf of those we serve.

Hidden History of Berkeley Campus

The Hidden History of the Berkeley Campus is a project of the Gay Bears! Collection in The University Archives. The site gathers together information about the history of sexual minorities at Cal -- students, faculty, staff and visitors. It is designed as a gateway for further exploration into one aspect of the long and fascinating story of the University of California, Berkeley.

Institute for Welcoming Resources 

For nine years, the Center for LGBTQ and Gender Studies in Religion, the Freedom Center for Social Justice and the National LGBTQ Task Force have sponsored a program for transgender, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming seminarians in the United States. The program’s goal is to encourage trans students during their training for religious leadership to complete their degrees, follow their vocation, and embrace the fact that their impact as faith leaders can and should extend beyond their chosen settings for ministry and service to include the welfare of the broader communities in which they live. This is the only program that we are aware of that addresses the unique challenges and gifts of trans seminarians.

Queer Sexuality and Identity in the Qur'an and Hadith by Faris Malik 

A resource for better understanding Queer Sexuality and Identity in the Qur'an and Hadith. 

Blackstripe

The Black Stripe represents the cooperative effort of Same Gender Loving(link is external) (SGL) "Queers"(link is external): Lesbians, Gay men, Bisexuals and Transgendered people of African Descent. It was inspired by discussions on GLBPOC(link is external) and Sistahnet(link is external)

Intersex Initiative 

Intersex Initiative (IPDX) is a Portland, Oregon based national activist and advocacy organization for people born with intersex conditions(link is external). It was founded by Emi Koyama, a multi-issue social justice activist and former intern at Intersex Society of North America (2001-02).

Suicide Risk and Prevention for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth

This publication from the Suicide Prevention Resource Center includes recommendations on how to reduce LGBT suicidal behavior, a resource appendix and bibliography.

Campus Sports Pride Index

The Campus Pride Sports Index provides a critical foundation of understanding as well as a vital tool for assisting colleges and universities in ongoing efforts to improve intercollegiate athletics and collegiate recreation for LGBTQ players, coaches, participants, staff and fans. The Campus Pride Sports Index sets a national standard of LGBTQ-inclusive policies, programs and practices in sports. The index also provides a ground-breaking benchmarking tool that will enable campus leaders and members of college sports to evaluate LGBTQ-friendly sports environments. 

Homophobia and Sport Policy Recommendations: The Foundation Position

Recommendations from the Women's Sports Foundation as a response to growing homophobia and transphobia within Women's Sports. 

Gender-Inclusive Restrooms

On this page you will find a list of existing gender-inclusive single stall and multi-stall restrooms at UC Berkeley. This resource also contains information about accessible restrooms as well as where to find changing tables on our campus.

Name/ Pronoun Change

A template(link is external) for emailing professors/GSIs about using your name and pronouns in class as well as a contact page(link is external) for the Gender Justice Leadership Program to request legal name change services. 

Change of preferred name

Resources for changing your preferred name within UC Berkeley Campus systems including on records and rosters. 

Maintaining Your Grade in a Mental Health Crisis

A peer-created guide for UC Berkeley students on how to manage your grades and academic responsibilities amidst a mental health crisis. 

UNITY Theme Program & Resource Center

The Unity Theme Program is a living-learning community that promotes identity exploration and community engagement through a lens of gender and sexual diversity and challenges students to engage issues affecting the most marginalized members of the LGBTQ+ community. With help from the academic seminar, residential experience, and resource center, the program specializes in strong community and leadership development, activism, and education while providing resources and support in a queer and trans community space. For a more in-depth look at the program, please visit us at unitythemeprogram.com or contact us at unitytp@berkeley.edu(link sends e-mail)

Center for the Study of Sexual Culture

The Center for the Study of Sexual Culture was founded in 2001 to support research and critical conversations concerning sexuality, sexual culture, and their mutually determining relationship to institutions, social practices and norms, and modes of representation. We understand sexuality to essentially inform diverse fields of social life, such as the state, the economy, civil society, family forms, social identity, and the cultural modes of representation. We draw from a broad field of scholarship in which sexuality is found to participate in discussions as far-reaching as: reproductive control and rights, heredity, marriage, nationalism, welfare systems, property, adoption, animal ethnographies, colonial imaginaries and administrations, performance, language norms, gendered ways and styles, disability politics and culture, visual cultures, materialities, and more.

LGBT Studies Minor

Gender and Women’s Studies has an innovative interdisciplinary undergraduate minor program in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Studies. Interested students in any major can earn a minor in LGBT Studies by completing four required core courses (one lower division and three upper division) and two upper division elective courses approved for the minor program.

For details on how to declare the LGBT Minor click here.

Archives of Sexuality and Gender