National organization dubs campus as among most LGBTQIA+ friendly

ɫ����Ƶ 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.

“I am really happy to see this,” said Nate Carey, ’27, a theater major from Burlington. “A lot of people, including me, choose this school because of the LGBTQIA+ friendliness. .... It’s a very safe school and a very supportive school.”

BestColleges.com, which based its analysis partly on federal data, called ɫ����Ƶ a “best value” institution and praised the many opportunities for “students to understand and explore LGBTQ+ identity and culture.” It also highlighted Pride Center activities such as Big Queer Welcome, the Pride365 mentorship program and Queer Prom.

“It brings a lot of positive feelings,” Carolyn Taggart, director of the Pride Center, said of the ranking. “It really highlights the good work that’s being done campuswide.”

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

“It’s not lost on me or our students that we’re 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 – very loud and proud,” Taggart said.

At ɫ����Ƶ, 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.

“Bridgewater wasn’t initially on my radar when I was in high school,” said Nate, who first came across ɫ����Ƶ while researching LGBTQIA+-friendly colleges. “I 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.”

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, ɫ����Ƶ’s strong ranking underscores the caring, welcoming environment that she helps cultivate.

“It’s a definite privilege of mine that I get to do this work,” they said. “I wish when I was a college student that there were these opportunities for me.”

Do you have a ɫ����Ƶ 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’s a very safe school and a very supportive school.

As a first-generation student and an immigrant from Trinidad, Cindy Mack, ’23, ’24, has seen firsthand the power of public higher education to transform lives. Now, he’s doing his part, representing his peers as a member of the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education.  

“I can’t repay Bridgewater for what it’s done for not just my academic but personal wellbeing,” said Cindy, who earned a degree in criminal justice and is pursuing a second bachelor’s in political science. “This is how I can say ‘thank you’ and give back.”  

Cindy has long been involved in representing his peers. As a Massasoit Community College student, he successfully advocated for a change in state law to allow part-time students to serve in student positions on their institutions’ boards of trustees.   

And, as a member and now chairperson of the statewide Student Advisory Council, Cindy pushed for expanded use of Open Educational Resources (OER) instead of expensive textbooks. Students attending public universities and colleges in the state saved $7.6 million in one recent year because of OER.  

“I know Bridgewater is heavily invested in OER,” said Cindy, who was recently sworn in as a voting member of the Board of Higher Education. “I’m very proud of that because it’s what is giving me opportunities to learn and not have to be burdened by the cost of textbooks.”

Cindy, who moved to the U.S. 22 years ago, didn’t think American higher education was in his future. But his brother urged him to enroll in classes at Massasoit, which led him to ɫ����Ƶ.  

“It’s a personal journey,” Cindy said. “It’s a humbling opportunity to achieve the things I have been able to achieve with the support of Massasoit and Bridgewater. … Going back to school saved me from having a mental breakdown. It gave me a purpose.”  

Soon after starting at Bridgewater, Cindy learned three family members were murdered in Trinidad. Thinking he would need to take a leave of absence, Cindy instead discovered flexible faculty willing to help him in the face of tragedy.   

For his honors thesis, Cindy produced a documentary exploring the LGBTQIA+ community in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, where same-sex intimacy was historically a criminal act and transphobia and homophobia remain pervasive. He received funding from ɫ����Ƶ to travel to his home country and conduct interviews.

“As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, it’s hard to be here and see that where you’re from it’s a criminal offense,” Cindy said. “It’s a human rights issue.”  

Cindy appreciated the encouragement of many faculty including thesis advisor Emily Brissette and part-time faculty member James Moore, who helped with the technical aspects of making the documentary. The Honors Program embraced an unconventional thesis format.  

This unwavering support, Cindy said, is emblematic of his Bridgewater experience and motivates him to serve at the state level.  

“Bridgewater has been there for me since the first semester,” he said.  

Do you have a ɫ����Ƶ story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

I can’t repay Bridgewater for what it’s done for not just my academic but personal wellbeing. This is how I can say ‘thank you’ and give back.

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 ɫ����Ƶ Pride Center recently created a new logo. Meet rainbow bear, a fashionable way to support the university’s LGBTQIA+ community. 

Twelve percent of ɫ����Ƶ 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. 

“Visuals matter,” said Pride Center Director Carolyn Taggart. “It’s important for our alumni and students – those that currently go here as well as prospective students –  to have visual representation, to show everyone that ɫ����Ƶ is a place where you can be your authentic self.” 

Currently shirts with what Taggart calls “Rainbow Bristaco” are available in the ɫ����Ƶ 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 ɫ����Ƶ Pride Games Taggart was looking through old files when she discovered the brightly colored bear. 

“I’m not sure of the lineage of it, but I liked it when I came across it,” she said. 

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

“We 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 ɫ����Ƶ showing its pride,” 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’t stress enough why symbols like the rainbow bear and the pride crosswalk, located near the Turchon Tunnel, matter. 

“We 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,” Taggart said. 

These visuals of inclusivity represent how ɫ����Ƶ actively lives its values, she said. 

“ɫ����Ƶ sees you for you, Taggart said. “We 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.” 

Do you have a ɫ����Ƶ story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu 

Visuals matter. It’s important for our alumni and students – those that currently go here as well as prospective students –  to have visual representation, to show everyone that ɫ����Ƶ is a place where you can be your authentic self.