How Campus Pride Gave Me My Life Back

As a student-athlete from a very young age, I was constantly bullied for being different. I was picked on for not looking feminine enough, having a deep voice, and not acting the same way as other girls, among other things. Until I was 21 years old, I was a closeted lesbian, and had extreme difficulty coming to terms with that part of my identity. I got used to brushing it off when I was bullied, and denied that it even bothered me. It wasn’t until I had qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials and accepted a scholarship to my dream school for swimming that I really began to feel the weight of that on me. I had reached my highest goals and accomplished things that no one ever expected me to do, but I was unable to excel and make the most of those accomplishments.

Being gay clashed with what I wanted. It posed a threat to my goals, dreams, and relationships. I saw the way that gay athletes and students were treated by some of the people I cared about most in the world, knowing that would be the way they treated me if they knew I was struggling with my identity. Because of this, I battled depression and struggled with school and swimming until I had reached an all-time low. I left my dream school, unable to finish swimming with the team I had wanted to be on since I was just 8 years old. I thought my swimming career and my life as I knew it were over. But I was wrong.

At 21, I came out as an openly gay swimmer after transferring to the University of Arizona. At first I was unsure about how my life was going to change and the negative consequences I might have to face. Soon after, Campus Pride was one of a few organizations that reached out to me. The love, acceptance, and sense of family they shared with me were game changers. After years of feeling hopeless, angry, and frustrated with myself for being different, I began to see that my differences were important.

What I find unique about Campus Pride was the influence they have in so many different areas. Every summer, they have Camp Pride, where LGBTQ students and straight allies from around the U.S. travel to talk about social justice issues and plan to take action on campus. They have tools for assessing campus sports teams and identifying safe places for LGBTQ athletes. They also work to identify LGBTQ friendly colleges and university campuses across the U.S., giving high school students a way to find a campus with safe spaces.

Campus Pride has inspired me in a million and one ways, but mostly they’ve inspired me to do everything in my power to make sure other LGBT athletes don’t feel ashamed of themselves and live with the bad experiences that I had. Campus Pride made me realize that I didn’t deserve the way that I was treated because of my differences, and that I can do good things for others by drawing on my experience.

I can’t stress enough how big of a role Campus Pride has played in my journey. I’m grateful to them for changing the lives of young LGBTQ students who suffer from depression and struggle with bullying the way I did. I give to Campus Pride because I want to give back to an organization that helped give me my life and my self-confidence back. By giving to Campus Pride, we can make sure they’re able to change the lives of LGBTQ youth who might otherwise feel lost.

Campus Pride url: https://www.campuspride.org/

Campus Pride is an amazing organization that strives to promote and help create safe learning environments for students and faculty alike. I attended Camp Pride, a summer camp for LGBTQ students, faculty and their allies, in Nashville, TN. The camp gave me a whole new perspective on life, teaching me what it means to be a leader inside and outside of the classroom. Camp Pride also taught me the importance of inclusion, respect, and willingness to learn from others. I enjoyed my experience with Campus Pride so much that I decided to give back and become a summer camp Pride Leader. The organization has done an amazing time at showing myself and others that we can make the change we want to see on our college campuses and beyond.

Campus Pride's commitment to informing and serving LGBTQ students and allies has been an inspiration to me since my first involvement with the organization more than a year ago. I have been able to see the true impact that this non profit has through its Campus Climate Index, LGBT-Friendly College Fair program, and its summer leadership camp. By reaching out to students and campuses across the US, Campus Pride is building a strong network of individuals who will be the next leaders of the community, bringing us into a new era of acceptance, recognition, and equality.

My work with Campus Pride, Inc. has truly changed my life. I started volunteering with the Campus Pride Summer Leadership Camp in 2010 and had an amazing experience. An experience that opened my eyes to the challenges and opportunities that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and ally (LGBTQIA) students can face while attending a college. The Summer Leadership Camp provides undergraduate (and now administrators and advisors) with the skills, tools, and know-how to create change on their college campuses and within their local communities. This will be my third year volunteering at the Campus Pride Summer Leadership Camp and I am still amazed at the great work that is done by this organization and its staff and volunteers. Campus Pride, Inc. has also been an invaluable resource. My college won the bid to host a regional conference for LGBTQIA youth and Campus Pride, Inc. not only sponsored the event but the organization also sent resource and people-power to help us coordinate and create a phenomenal conference for over 500 participants and over 1,000 community members. I will never forget the faces of the students at Camp who felt accepted and validated by this organization. Campus Pride, Inc. allows students to celebrate who they are. Campus Pride, Inc. works for those who have felt invisible all their lives and empowers young people to embrace their differences and to be change-agents who work tirelessly to protect others and create campuses and communities that are safe, inclusive, and have the capacity to care for and serve all students regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation. The work that Campus Pride, Inc. does is incredible. This organization is truly an inspiration and I am so proud to be included as a volunteer and to be affiliated with a not-for-profit that gives back to others and works to make higher education and the world at large a better place for LGBTQIA youth.

This year will be the third in which I have been a keynoter at Campus Pride Summer Leadership Camp, and the second year in which I've served on its faculty. Normally, I am well paid for my work, but I am so convinced of the value of this experience for college students from across the United States that I donate a week of my life every year, and I have even made financial contributions to keep camp going! The gift of being able to witness the life-changing experiences of each year's Campers -- especially those who come from from schools or communities that do not give them much support -- makes it well worth my time.

I first got involved with Campus Pride when I went to Camp Pride, a summer leadership camp for LGBTQ college students, in July 2010. Camp was a completely transformative experience that made me more confident as a leader and equipped me with the skills and knowledge to make change on my campus. I went back to camp as a Pride Leader in 2011 and will be back again in 2012. I've also helped out with Campus Pride's college fairs and as a summer fellow for the last month. Campus Pride is really a one-of-a-kind organization doing invaluable work with/for LGBTQ students. My experience at camp inspired me to make real change on my campus (culminating in a new LGBTQ Office), and I know of many similar stories from other campers. The work that Campus Pride does with students today is benefiting campuses all across the country and the wider LGBTQ movement as a whole.

Campus Pride is an amazing organization! They do so much for LGBT college students. They have so many resources for LGBT students including a college search guide, how to stand up against bullying, and an LGBT camp called Camp Pride, among many other things. I am a Nonprofit Administration minor and hope to work for an LGBT nonprofit one day, and I can safely say that Campus Pride is one of the best LGBT nonprofits around. When I was looking for a university to do my undergraduate work at, I used Campus Pride's school search to find an LGBT friendly school near me. I could see the amenities the school provided to LGBT students to know if it was the right school for me. I was able to pick a school where LGBT students felt safe, where there was an LGBT Resource Center, and much more thanks to Campus Pride's information. I'm getting ready to search for schools for my graduate work, and I know that I will be using Campus Pride's resource once again. I also was a participant in Camp Pride (2011). Camp Pride is a fantastic week-long camp for LGBT college students. I was able to meet so many great people, share resources, and be motivated to make a positive change on my campus. During Camp Pride, the students make an Action Plan to bring back to their campuses on an issue they'd like to see taken up at their school. For some, that was getting an LGBT Resource Center, having an LGBT non-discrimination policy, or getting transgender inclusive housing. For me, my action plan was to implement an LGBT peer mentorship program on my campus. I'm happy to say that with the courage, resources, and knowledge I gained from Camp Pride, the mentorship program at my school will be starting in the fall (2012). At the beginning of Camp Pride, a faculty member told us all that the experience would be life-changing. I was skeptical, but by the end, I knew it was true. I was amazed at how much Camp Pride really has changed my life and will continue to change my life. I am going back to be a Pride Leader at Camp Pride this year so that I can give back, but also continue to grow as an LGBT leader. Camp Pride was one of the best experiences I've ever had, and I've met lifelong friends through it. I would encourage every LGBT student leader to go to camp. Campus Pride is a fantastic organization. I cannot say enough good about the work they do.