The University of Kansas

The Center for Sexuality & Gender Diversity

The Center for Sexuality & Gender Diversity (SGD) is located on the 4th floor of the Kansas Union in the 400 Suite and features a dynamic lounge space where students, faculty, and staff can make connections and seek support.  SGD works to build a community and coalition of queer and trans students, faculty, and staff that challenges, supports, and celebrates each other. We do this through programs and events, educational trainings and presentations, and advocating for policies and practices which promote success for queer and trans students at the University of Kansas. The Center has identified four pillars which lead our Mission while working towards our Vision: Advocacy, Wellness, Education, and Connection. Every facet of the Center's work connects to at least one of these pillars:

Advocacy

We strive to create a world where our communities can live freely and fully and in doing so, The Center often advocates across campus and in the community to advance our vision. Our advocacy efforts can take many forms but are often in reaction to university, local, state, and national policies as a means of best serving our students.

Wellness

We strive to provide for the communities we serve by also helping to take care of their mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Our wellness programming may touch one or more of these areas while remaining mindful of the ways that queer and trans populations have long, complicated histories with medical, psychological, counseling, and religious communities.

Education

We strive to provide opportunities to learn across a variety of contexts and connect those ideas with both academic and non-academic experiences. Our educational programming is framed through a critical social justice lens centering queer and trans experience, history, and culture.

Connection

We strive to make spaces where queer and trans communities can gather, even in spaces that aren’t historically associated with these communities. Our connection programming focuses on the ways that interpersonal communication and lasting relationships can help to foster a sense of inclusion and belonging within and beyond our campus community.