OUR HISTORY

The Gender Issues Education Services (GIES) office was first opened as Women's  Programs in the Department of Student Life in 1994. In 1996, the first Graduate Assistant for GLBT services was hired and Women's Programs was renamed Gender Issues Education Services in 1997 when GLBT services were permanently added to the GIES mission statement.  GIES worked with students, the Faculty Senate, Graduate Student Council, Student Senate and former Texas A&M University President Ray Bowen on a harassment and discrimination statement which included recognition of sexual orientation.  This policy was adopted by the University in 2000, the same year as the founding of a new recognized network through the Offices of the Dean of Faculties known today as the GLBT Professional Network.

During the 2004/2005 academic year, GIES was combined with the Women’s Center to form the Women’s and Gender Equity Resource Center (WGERC).  The WGERC continued to offer resource and referral services to the LGBTQ+ student population and carried on established GIES programs such as Coming Out Week and Gay Awareness Week in the fall and spring semesters.  In September 2007, the WGERC was divided into a stand-alone Women’s Resource Center and the Gender Issues Education Center (GIEC) in the Division of Student Affairs.  For the first time in Texas A&M University history, an office (GIEC) was formed with a sole mission focus on LGBTQ+ programming and serving as a resource and referral center for LGBTQ+ Aggies and their ally peers.  The GIEC doors opened on September 1, 2007 in Cain Hall.

In July 2008, former Texas A&M University President Elsa Murano approved a name change from Gender Issues Education Center (GIEC) to Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) Resource Center based upon a yearlong study including focus groups as well as input from faculty, staff and students.

The center changed names once more in the Spring of 2020 with the relocation to the new Student Services Building located in the heart of campus and is now more accessible to students than ever. The new center was renamed to the now current “LGBTQ+ Pride Center” in order to reflect the community more collectively and to stay current with the most inclusive terminology. The center remains administratively aligned with Student Life in the Division of Student Affairs.

The LGBTQ+ Pride Center is a resource and referral center dedicated to providing a safe and affirming location on campus for all students regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.  The Center maintains an extensive library of books, periodicals, and media utilized by Aggies conducting research in the fields of sexuality and gender studies.  The Center is responsible for multiple annual campus-wide educational programs/events including Coming Out Week, LGBT Awareness Week, LGBT Health Week, and Transgender Day of Remembrance.  The Center also advises and partners with Texas A&M University Administrators on issues impacting the LGBTQ+ community.

Programs facilitated by the LGBTQ+ Pride Center have been a part of Texas A&M University’s commitment to diversity, education, and safety for well over a decade.  The staff of the LGBTQ+ Pride Center fosters collaborative partnerships with departments across campus and in the community in order to make Aggieland a safe and welcoming space for every Aggie every day.  As resources for marginalized populations increase, we continue to support the overall Mission and Purpose of Texas A&M University.

You can help write LGBTQ+ people into the history of Texas A&M University!

If you have photos, flyers, documents, or any artifacts pertaining to the history of LGBTQ+ people at Texas A&M that you are willing to donate or make copies of, please let us know.  We're also interested in documenting the oral history of LGBTQ+ people at Texas A&M...if you have a story to tell or a donation of materials, please email lgbtq@tamu.edu and let us know!