UofL named ‘Best of the Best’ among LGBTQ-friendly universities

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The University of Louisville has been named among America’s “Best of the Best” LGBTQ-friendly universities by a national nonprofit organization that rates colleges and universities according to their support of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues.

UofL is one of only 16 schools in the nation to earn five stars out of five in the Campus Pride Index, released this week by the organization Campus Pride. The index showcases 30 top-rated colleges and universities with LGBTQ-inclusive policies, programs and practices.

UofL is the only public university in the South ranked among the “Best of the Best.” Other universities being recognized range from Ivy League schools Cornell and Princeton in the East to UCLA and University of Washington in the West.

“Being recognized at this level is the collective work of so many people, including faculty who are teaching LGBT-focused courses, alumni who are creating new LGBT scholarships, admissions staff recruiting talented LGBT students, administrators, and that list goes on and on,” said Brian Buford, assistant provost for diversity and LGBT Center director. “We are really embracing the title of ‘Best of the Best’ all across the University of Louisville, and that’s what makes us stand out among our peer institutions.”

Buford said UofL’s ranking benefited from several new efforts in 2015-16. Those included establishing three new scholarships for LGBT students, including one targeted specifically to LGBT students of color. UofL also drew national attention for developing the eQuality Project, an effort to help its School of Medicine students understand and appreciate issues specific to LGBT patients. The university’s LGBT Center also assembled and provided more than 200 emergency survival kits for homeless LGBT youth in Louisville and Atlanta.

For comment or more information about UofL’s ranking, call Buford at 502-852-0227. For more information on Campus Pride and to see all the rankings, visit CampusPride.org/CampusPrideTopCampuses.

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