LGBTQIA+ Student Services

The office of LGBTQIA+ Student Services was established in 2022 as a part of Whitman College’s long history of students, faculty and staff advocating for the support of the college’s LGBTQIA2S+ population, who currently make up approximately 40% of the student body. 

LGBTQIA+ Student Services is committed to fostering a campus community where students of all genders and sexualities can thrive. We cultivate queer community connections, deliver transformative educational programs, advocate for inclusive policies and practices, and empower students in pursuing success in both their personal development and academic goals. 

What We Do

Advocacy and Support

• Shelby Hearn, Director of LGBTQIA+ Student Services, is available by appointment and drop-in meetings to provide students 1:1 support for any needs related to their experience at Whitman College.
  Schedule a meeting with Shelby

• We offer a variety of resources and materials, as well as referrals to other Whitman College offices or local community partners who can support students with any needs they may have.
• We encourage and support student advocacy and are always working to advance inclusive excellence at Whitman. If you have ideas for how we can better support our students, or have questions about campus policies, we will help you navigate the institution and figure out the best way to make your voice heard. 

Queer Joy and Community 

• We seek to cultivate queer joy on Whitman’s campus every day through initiatives small and large, from free pride flags available in the Queer Resource Center to annual celebratory events like Trans Day of Visibility and Lavender Graduation. 
• Connect to community and find your people at any number of community and affinity events throughout the year, or join one of the student clubs we support. 

Education and Outreach

• Our office provides workshops, facilitates dialogues, runs social media campaigns and spreads awareness to our campus community about topics of gender and sexuality and how they intersect with other issues of identity, power and oppression. 
• Students, faculty and staff can contact our director, Shelby Hearn, for consultations on inclusive practices, programming and policy development. 

Our Space

The Queer Resource Center (QRC) is a community hub where all visitors can find connection, resources and the freedom to be their authentic selves. Come meet our staff, attend an event, or just relax in a beanbag between classes. We keep various resources stocked including safer sex supplies, Naloxone, masks and menstrual products in addition to books, zines, boardgames, art supplies and an assortment of tea that students are invited to use in the space. 

• Queer Resource Center
  Reid Campus Center, Room 216
  Monday–Friday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday–Sunday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Other Ways To Get in Touch

• Phone: 509-527-5596
• Email: lgbtqia@whitman.edu
• Instagram: @lgbtqiawhitman

Get Involved

LGBTQIA+ Student Services supports a number of student clubs and affinity groups through advising, collaboration and some financial sponsorship including Queer and Trans Students of Color, Cosmic Drag Collective, Gender Minorities in STEM and Rocky Horror Picture Show. Students interested in joining existing clubs can find them on the Involve platform. 

Interested in starting a club focused on topics of gender, sexuality and/or LGBTQIA2S+ identities? Contact Shelby Hearn, Director of LGBTQIA+ Student Services, at hearns@whitman.edu.