National organization dubs campus as among most LGBTQIA+ friendly

色香视频 has placed third in the United States in a ranking of the most LGBTQIA+-friendly colleges and universities in the nation.

It is the highest ranking among New England schools in the new analysis from BestColleges.com. The report identifies institutions that excel in providing academic, financial and social resources for LGBTQIA+ students.

鈥淚 am really happy to see this,鈥� said Nate Carey, 鈥�27, a theater major from Burlington. 鈥淎 lot of people, including me, choose this school because of the LGBTQIA+ friendliness. .... It鈥檚 a very safe school and a very supportive school.鈥�

BestColleges.com, which based its analysis partly on federal data, called 色香视频 a 鈥渂est value鈥� institution and praised the many opportunities for 鈥渟tudents to understand and explore LGBTQ+ identity and culture.鈥� It also highlighted Pride Center activities such as Big Queer Welcome, the Pride365 mentorship program and Queer Prom.

鈥淚t brings a lot of positive feelings,鈥� Carolyn Taggart, director of the Pride Center, said of the ranking. 鈥淚t really highlights the good work that鈥檚 being done campuswide.鈥�

New this school year, Pride365 connects first-year students with upperclass peer mentors who help ease the transition to 色香视频. Participants also take a one-credit class.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not lost on me or our students that we鈥檙e very fortunate as we see the political climate in other parts of the country where (similar) centers are not allowed to operate or not allowed to operate in the way that we do 鈥� very loud and proud,鈥� Taggart said.

At 色香视频, 14 percent of students openly identify as LGBTQIA+.  And approximately 94 percent of LGBTQIA+ full-time students who started in fall 2023 returned for the spring semester, a retention rate that is up by 11 percentage points in five years.

The university offers support in all areas of campus life. Those initiatives include gender-inclusive bathrooms and housing, trans-inclusive student health insurance, and easy processes to update names and share pronouns.

Even seemingly small things like using accurate pronouns make a huge difference, Nate said.

鈥淏ridgewater wasn鈥檛 initially on my radar when I was in high school,鈥� said Nate, who first came across 色香视频 while researching LGBTQIA+-friendly colleges. 鈥淚 came here and instantly fell in love with the campus. Especially when I saw all the housing supports and gender-neutral bathrooms and the Pride Center, all of it definitely played a part in my decision.鈥�

Now Nate is fully immersed in campus life. He performed in the theatrical production Spamalot and is taking the stage this fall in a production of Marie Antoinette.

Nate also works as a peer liaison at the Pride Center, where he plans community-building events for students. He appreciates opportunities to explore LGBTQIA+ issues from a social justice lens.

For Taggart, 色香视频鈥檚 strong ranking underscores the caring, welcoming environment that she helps cultivate.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a definite privilege of mine that I get to do this work,鈥� they said. 鈥淚 wish when I was a college student that there were these opportunities for me.鈥�

Do you have a 色香视频 story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

I am really happy to see this. A lot of people, including me, choose this school because of the LGBTQIA+ friendliness. .... It鈥檚 a very safe school and a very supportive school.

When a rainbow appears in the sky after the storm, it is often viewed as a sign of hope. For others it carries a more personal meaning, a representation of diversity and inclusion. 

Using the colorful symbol, the 色香视频 Pride Center recently created a new logo. Meet rainbow bear, a fashionable way to support the university鈥檚 LGBTQIA+ community. 

Twelve percent of 色香视频 students openly identify as LBGTQIA+ and the Pride Center strives to offer resources to promote their success and foster a campus climate of inclusion and equity. 

鈥淰isuals matter,鈥� said Pride Center Director Carolyn Taggart. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important for our alumni and students 鈥� those that currently go here as well as prospective students 鈥�  to have visual representation, to show everyone that 色香视频 is a place where you can be your authentic self.鈥� 

Currently shirts with what Taggart calls 鈥淩ainbow Bristaco鈥� are available in the 色香视频 bookstore, located in the atrium of East Campus Commons, as well as online. 

Taggart, who took over at the Pride Center director in 2021, would like to take credit for the inclusive logo, but said she came across it by accident. 

Last year, when organizing the 色香视频 Pride Games Taggart was looking through old files when she discovered the brightly colored bear. 

鈥淚鈥檓 not sure of the lineage of it, but I liked it when I came across it,鈥� she said. 

From there Taggart went through the proper channels to get it approved and created stickers that were handed out during various events. 

鈥淲e did eight local pride events last May and June and many alumni were excited to see and receive a Rainbow Bristaco sticker. It was fun to be able to hand them out and alums appreciated seeing 色香视频 showing its pride,鈥� she said. 

This year Taggart took it one step further to create the rainbow bear shirts and hopes to add more items, including hats and tumblers in the near future. 

She can鈥檛 stress enough why symbols like the rainbow bear and the pride crosswalk, located near the Turchon Tunnel, matter. 

鈥淲e really want people to know, that when they come here, that we welcome you, we care about you and to see that visibility, to see that symbol means a lot,鈥� Taggart said. 

These visuals of inclusivity represent how 色香视频 actively lives its values, she said. 

鈥溕闶悠� sees you for you, Taggart said. 鈥淲e work hard to put resources in place for not just the LGBTQIA+ population to succeed but for all students to succeed. We want folks to know when they come here, they can be themselves authentically.鈥� 

Do you have a 色香视频 story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu 

Visuals matter. It鈥檚 important for our alumni and students 鈥� those that currently go here as well as prospective students 鈥�  to have visual representation, to show everyone that 色香视频 is a place where you can be your authentic self.

As students return to campus this semester and the world continues to navigate the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, many may be experiencing anxiety.

For those struggling, it鈥檚 important to know supports are in place at 色香视频 to help manage these feelings.

A great starting point is the 色香视频 Wellness Center.

鈥淲e all need supportive and caring people to help us navigate the stresses and worries of life, people who can help us get through the ups and downs that we all experience,鈥� said Donna Schiavo, clinical director of the Wellness Center.

Confidential counseling services are offered free, in both individual and group settings. For those not comfortable talking with a counselor, there are online tools and services.

is a virtual, peer-to-peer, anonymous support community where students can share their concerns. The online community is moderated by mental health professionals and offers students a safe place to draw strength and gain insights from peers.

Also available is , another free online resource that helps students better understand feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression, and suggests ways to manage these feelings. To register for an account, students can download the WellTrack app on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and register using their @student.bridgew.edu email address.

Beyond the Wellness Center, it鈥檚 important for students to know that community members across campus are invested in their mental health.

鈥淏eing a support system is our biggest draw for students to come in and vent, and ask for resources,鈥� said Diana Mendes, interim assistant director of the Lewis and Gaines Center for Inclusion and Equity (LGCIE), located in the Rondileau Student Union.

For some students, there isn鈥檛 a safe space at home where they can express themselves, therefore they tend to suppress their emotions.

鈥淲hen a student is experiencing so many different types of feelings and not being validated at home, that student often suffers in silence,鈥� said LGCIE Interim Director Michael Walsh, adding that many students of color, particularly males, tend to suppress uncomfortable feelings.

Walsh said part of his job is to let students know they do have a place to turn to and that help is always available.

鈥淭he LGCIE is a safe place, where students can keep an eye on each other, have conversations and connect with others,鈥� he said. 鈥淏y having thoughtful, real, careful conversations, we鈥檙e able to understand what some of our students are dealing with in terms of their mental health.鈥�

A Quiet Lounge is set up at the 色香视频 Pride Center where students can sit, relax, read, or work on homework. Coloring books, crayons, markers, puzzles, and paper are also offered in the lounge to help students unwind.

鈥淵ou can always drop into the Pride Center between classes if you鈥檙e looking for a place to hang out, meet and be around other LGBTQIA+ people, find out more about different programs, events and social opportunities,鈥� said Pride Center Director Carolyn Taggart. 鈥淚鈥檓 happy to meet with students one-on-one to assist them in finding resources.鈥�

The Military and Veteran Student Center hosts ongoing events that focus on peer support, including one scheduled for May 4 where students can come together and de-stress during finals week.

This spring the center is also launching a Green to Grad program intended to bolster support for students transitioning from servicemember to student.

鈥淥ur goal as educators is to prepare students for life after college, and one of the things we should be fostering is the belief that it鈥檚 okay to be vulnerable,鈥� said Brian Duchaney, director of military and veteran student services. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important for us to be building opportunities for students to come together and share their experiences.鈥�

Do you have a 色香视频 story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu 

Our goal as educators is to prepare students for life after college, and one of the things we should be fostering is the belief that it鈥檚 okay to be vulnerable.