Tufts Blogs

The LGBT Center is located on the 2nd and 3rd floors of Bolles House on the Medford/Somerville campus. The Center has a peer leadership group that provides mentors for first-year students and eight identity-based affinity groups, as well as Tufts Pride, an LGBT staff and faculty affinity group. The Center also provides various resources both on and off campus for undergraduate students, graduate students, staff, faculty, and alums.

The Tufts LGBT Center was founded in 1992 and originated from student protest. Students felt there was not enough access to LGBTQ-specific resources and demanded that the institution provide a space for them. In trying to further understand the needs of LGBTQ students, particularly those on college campuses, the LGBT Center has been used to foster a sense of belonging, safety, and inclusion for LGBTQ students, as well as faculty and staff.

The LGBT Center has a computer lab, printing, and an LGBTQ-specific library on our third floor. The LGBT Center also has a conference room and living room on the second floor with plenty of space to meet for groups or to study. I remember the center being one of my favorite spots to hang out in freshman year. I felt welcomed and there would always be someone there studying, hanging out with their friends, or eating the Center’s free food. I saw people who looked like me and I felt represented.  

Additionally, the LGBT Center has eight affinity groups that are peer led and attended by students with lived experiences of being trans and non-binary. The LGBT Center has also identified and worked with Health and Wellness providers that are well versed on trans and non-binary health issues. The LGBT Center Director works closely with trans and non-binary students to find resources that best support them, from advocacy with faculty and staff to finding social resources off campus in the Medford/Somerville and Boston area.