Queer Campus Coalition

The mission of the Queer Campus Coalition is to support LGBTQ students pursuing post-secondary education. By communicating, growing, and advocating together, we can make institutional changes that lead to better and safer worlds for all students.

The Queer Campus Coalition is the only program of its kind in the state. It was started in 2017 after Iowa Safe Schools identified a gap in services for LGBTQ students and their student-run organizations in post-secondary institutions.

Please contact us to make suggestions, express concerns, offer resources, or meet with us to talk about how our work can be more collaborative with your group!

The QCC

The Queer College Coalition (QCC) is a program made up of and led by students in collaboration with Iowa Safe Schools! The QCC is continuously building a dynamic program to empower students to make change in all aspects of the queer college experience. Whether students are experiencing large scale administrative problems or having interpersonal issues in their organizations, the QCC brings together their collective experiences to problem-solve and create real solutions.

Leadership

The goal of this coalition is to further identify gaps in resources that are available to college students and work to obtain those resources as a united front. Members advocate for the needs their college has identified so that these student leaders can understand more broadly the state of queer student organizations and gain perspective on problems on other campuses. The QCC sets annual objectives for its members, which allows for more focused goals to bolster their organizations as well as their won advocacy skills. The QCC has a primary commitment to following the guidance and demands of students, and is centered on the belief that students are the experts of their own experience and know best what they need to thrive.

This intercollegiate organization also provides the important opportunity of allowing students to build another network made up of fellow student leaders. Fostering these relationships broadens the opportunities that are available to students after college through publicly identifying coalition members as leaders in the community. Intercollegiate college organizations are rare, but are especially important in strengthening the positions of multicultural organizations. Being in tune to what other colleges are doing strengthens the positions of student organizations and the asks they make of their respective colleges.

Getting Involved

Students, advisors, and administrators are invited to connect with us through email, phone, or social media. Be sure to follow @iowasafeschools for announcements on upcoming events and opportunities!

The QCC Resource Toolkit is developed by the Queer Campus Coalition to meet the identified needs of our communities and groups. We invite students and educators to download and share whatever they find useful. This toolkit is a living collection of resources that we frequently review for content. If there is a topic you’d like to know more about, or would find it helpful to have a step-by-step guide to navigating any difficult process, please send us an email and we will work to make it happen!

The Campus Coalition Board is led by LGBTQ college students in Iowa who are driven to coordinate statewide projects advocating for better resources, learning environments, and campuses.

The Board meets one Saturday each month through the academic year, October through April. Meeting attendance is required.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Apply here!

Applicants must be students under the age of 24 years old and currently enrolled at a post-secondary educational institution in Iowa.

Application Form

Please get in touch with the Queer Campus Coordinator, with any questions! His email is luke@iowasafeschools.org

Events

Queer College Conference

Started in 2018, the Queer College Conference is an opportunity for entire student organizations to attend a conference dedicated to helping them navigate how to succeed. With workshops ranging from “How to Negotiate Budget Increases” to “Navigating the Healthcare System as an LGBTQ Individual”, this conference was created to help students address issues that they don’t have the resources to resolve. The conference lasts two days and features workshops, a keynote speaker, student drag show, a resource fair, and more. QCC members assist in the creation of the conference as well as helping to moderate some of the sessions.

Queer Coffee Hangout

This event is an opportunity for students from colleges all over Iowa to get together and enjoy each other’s company. As the QCC was getting started, one need that was brought up a lot was the need to connect with other colleges. The best way to get people to connect is over food and drinks, so this event was created to start to build relationships between colleges beyond meetings.

LGBTQ Career Expo

This annual event is designed to give college students the opportunity to begin looking at potential careers and brings in all sorts of companies and professions. Held annually in multiple locations throughout Iowa, the LGBTQ Career Expo helps students get in contact with people who are actively hiring and looking for potential employees to get in contact with them. The QCC identified the need to help college students what to do after the end of their academic career and created this event to solve that need.