LGBTQ+
With rising violence against LGBTQ+ people, over 520 anti-LGBTQ+ bills (220 targeting trans people) being introduced in state legislatures, and even the notably not radical Human Rights Campaign declaring a national state of emergency for LGBTQ+ people, it’s a scary time to be queer in America. Illinois, however, is one of the safest states for queer people and has a strong history of trans protections. UChicago stubbornly continues to uphold systems of power and privilege that marginalize queer and trans students, but we have and will continue to find ways to proudly exist and thrive on campus.
Queer history at UChicago
UChicago queers first officially organized in 1969 with the UChicago Gay Liberation Front (GLF). Founded by two undergraduate students, the GLF was able to, among other things, organize a 600 person dance party in Pierce Hall, after which queer people were legally allowed to dance together in Chicago.
In 2004, the first single-occupancy gender-neutral bathrooms were introduced on campus, and by 2017 it was determined that all forms had to have at least one gender-neutral bathroom. In 2019, all single-user bathrooms were designated as gender-neutral.
In 2018, the Center for Identity and Inclusion (CI+I) opened with specific resources for queer students, among other groups as well.
Today, queer groups across campus are focused on continuing the legacy of activism and fostering community in an antagonistic environment.
Institutional resources for queer students
Name/pronoun changes: Students can change their names and pronouns in my.uchicago.edu. However, official documentation still requires and bears your legal name and sex. You also cannot choose multiple pronouns on my.uchicago.edu. The Center for Gender and Sexuality has a helpful guide on name changes
There are gender-neutral bathrooms in every house in every dorm. Here is a list of gender-neutral bathrooms on campus.
The Center for Identity and Inclusion(CI+I) hosts affinity spaces, speakers, and mentorship programs, and is the first-line contact for queer students that have experienced housing discrimination on the basis of gender or sexuality. They also have information about LGBTQ+ resources, including resources specifically for trans students.
The Center for Gender and Sexuality Studies offers academic and vocational support, with resources for lecturers, fellowships, internships, etc.
Student Wellness has some specific resources for queer students, including HRT, STI testing and PrEP, and OB/GYN care.
Student-led queer spaces
There are two new queer RSOs on campus, the Organization for LGBTQ+ Students (OLS) and UChicago+ (primarily a Discord server). While these can be great and meaningful spaces for queer students to build community, these organizations do not necessarily align with radical values and do not always feel welcoming to all queer students, particularly queer students of color.
Student organizing spaces on campus tend to be very queer-identifying and queer-affirming. Come hang out with us!
OFF-CAMPUS RESOURCES
Healthcare and information about transitioning
Howard Brown on 55th and Lake Park provides LGBTQ+ centered healthcare, including gender-affirming care and HRT, STI testing and PrEP, and OB/GYN care.
Map of informed consent clinics in Chicago
Peer-reviewed guide to transfemme healthcare
Hormone therapy strategies for nonbinary people
Recommendations for top surgery: Dr. Matthew Ranzer (UIC), Dr. Alison Shore (Lakeview Plastic Surgery)
Queer spaces and organizations
Pushing Envelopes builds community with LGBTQ+ incarcerated folks through penpal relationships, legal aid, and re-entry support
Masjid al-Raba is an Islamic community center that centers marginalized (Black and brown, LGBTQ+, disabled, and incarcerated) Muslims
Brave Space Allianceis a Black-led, trans-led LGBTQ+ center on the South Side, located in Hyde Park. While Brave Space Alliance is a great resource for trans and queer folks of color, their employees unionized last year and are continuing to fight for better working conditions and pay equity, which you can support here.
Transformative Justice Law Project of IL provides legal services and support for poor and street-based transgender people in Illinois, as well as does advocacy and education for prison abolition, gender self-determination, and transformative justice
Queering the Map is a grassroots digital archive of queer experiences in relation to physical space
Directory of safe restrooms for trans and non-binary people
TransLifeline is a 24/7 crisis and peer support hotline run by and for trans people that does NOT work with the police and has a great resource library
Queery is a Chicagoland LGBTQ+ services directory
