Juana Garcia/The Cougar
In the year since Senate Bill 17 went into effect, the University closed its doors on the Center for Diversity and Inclusion among other departments and programs.
To comply with SB17, UH also closed its LGBTQ Resource Center, leaving the LGBTQ+ community without the resources they had access to.
Here is a list of resources available to the Queer community, in Houston and beyond:
Rice PRIDE
When SB17 went into effect, Rice University’s pride center opened its doors to all public university students who were affected by the closure of the LGBTQ Resource Center at their university. The Queer Resource Center offers honorary memberships.
The center extends its invitation to all events, activities and resources available at Rice’s resource center.
In addition to that, Rice University is approximately 7 miles away from UH’s campus, allowing UH students to take advantage of an in-person safe space as well.
LGBT Switchboard 24-Hour Helpline
The LGBT Switchboard organization has been available to the Queer community in Houston since 1982. With support from the United Way of Greater Houston and the Texas Office of the Attorney General, the organization is a resource for the LGBTQ+ community who experience domestic violence and sexual assault.
While the Switchboard is specifically in place for the LGBTQ+ community, anyone regardless of their sexual orientation can contact the organization if they experience hate crime.
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is an organization focused on litigation against entities that discriminate against marginalized groups, such as the LGBTQ+ community.
The ACLU LGBTQ project specifically works towards protecting the individual rights of LGBTQ+ youth. The organization works in courts, legislatures and communities to fight for the rights of Queer individuals.
On its website, ACLU allows people to report if they have been discriminated against based on their gender identity, sexual orientation or HIV status.
Point Foundation
Point Foundation is a nonprofit organization focused on supporting the LGBTQ+ community financially, by providing scholarships, leadership training and support.
The organization is specifically focused on college students, from around the world, attending U.S.-accredited educational institutions.
In the U.S., Point is the largest scholarship-granting organization for LGBTQ+ students. The foundation supports students pursuing their education at community college, undergraduate, graduate and doctoral schools.
The organization also provides additional scholarship opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds.
The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project is a nonprofit organization focused on crisis intervention and suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ youth. They provide information and support online 24/7, 365 days a year.
The organization also has an initiative for 13-to-24-year-old young people to connect with the international Queer community through their “Meet new LGBTQ+ friends in TrevorSpace,” program.
On-campus support
To replace the LGBTQ Resource Center and the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, the University opened the Center for Student Advocacy and Community in September 2023.
The primary goal of the new center is to foster a sense of community for students and reduce barriers, preventing students from reaching their full academic and personal potential.
Resources such as the lending library and pronoun pins, available at the LGBTQ Resource Center are continued to be offered at CSAC.
In addition to that, on-campus student organizations, such as UH Deeds Not Words and Global, continue to foster a sense of community.
