LGBTQ+ Resources
Mentorship
LGBTQ+ Resource Center
Do you need someone to talk to who understands what it means to be an LGBTQIA+ student at UH? Our mentors are here to help you work through any of the following areas in your life:
- Setting and achieving personal goals.
- Exploring your multiple identities (e.g. gender, cultural, religious, sexual orientation, etc.).
- Finding a comfortable place in the community (e.g. UH, Houston, LGBTQIA+, etc.).
- Discovering your purpose in life (e.g. your career path).
- Developing mature relationships (e.g. friends, dating, accessing faculty, etc.)
- Creating a balanced life (e.g. work, rest, and playtime!)
Mentors help you to clarify what you value, and then assist you with taking the steps to accomplish your goals.
Rainbow Chats
Rainbow Chats are a fun way to connect with friends in the UH LGBTQ+ community, tell stories about shared experiences, and learn about identities.
The groups are led by trained peer facilitators and provide a safe space for students to build relationships and support each other. Questioning students are always welcome.
The types of groups vary each semester but have included:
- LGBTQ+ General
- Queer / Trans Students of Color
- Bi/Pansexual
- Transgender / Nonbinary
- Polyamorous
- Asexual
Cougar Ally Training
Cougar Ally Training assists faculty, staff, and students in increasing their awareness of issues that Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender people face. In a non-threatening setting, CAT teaches participants to create an accepting campus environment for UH’s LGBTQ population. Allies are given a placard to display as a visible statement of support for the LGBTQ community
Find Cougar Ally Training on the LGBTQ Resource Center Event Calendar
LGBTQ+ Scholarships
University of Houston LGBTQ+ Scholarships - The LGBTQ Resource Center manages five scholarships. All are paid out over two semesters and the minimum GPA must be met in the fall to receive the funds for the spring semester. The information for each scholarship is listed on the LGBTQ Resource Center Scholarships website.
Coding Bootcamp Scholarships for LGBTQ+ Students - In recent years, coding bootcamps have been increasing in popularity among individuals who want to pursue a new career in tech. Since these programs usually take only a few months to complete, they allow students to enter the workforce more quickly than if they had decided to pursue a college degree. However, coding bootcamps can be expensive: The average coding bootcamp costs around $13,580.
At many of the best coding bootcamps, scholarships provide a way to make it easier for LGBTQ+ people to afford these programs. This guide highlights a few of the coding bootcamp scholarships available to members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Edie Windsor Coding Scholarship - The Edie Windsor Coding Scholarship offers awards to LGBTQ+ women and non-binary indivuals interested in entering tech. The scholarship honors Edith Windsor, a LGBTQ+ rights advocate whose case led to the Supreme Court recognition of same-sex marriage as a constitutional right. Windsor was also an IBM computer programmer who got her start in 1958.
Emergency Aid
The UH LGBTQ Emergency Crisis Aid is operated by the UH LGBTQ Alumni Association and is available to UH Main Campus LGBTQIA+ students who have encountered a situation involving unusual financial hardship caused by emergency or circumstances beyond the students' control including housing or food insecurity, or other resource-based needs that threaten a student's ability to remain enrolled and to successfully complete their degree.
Internships
College to Congress - A bipartisan nonprofit organization that provides exceptionally bright students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, the opportunity to intern on Capitol Hill.
Victory Fund - This internship program gives the opportunity to gain experience in LGBTQ political activism and network with leaders in local, state and national politics. They accept interns throughout the year for the spring, summer, and fall semesters in External Affairs, Finance & Operations, Fundraising & Donor Development, Leadership Programs, and Political areas.
National LGBTQ Task Force - The Task Force offers graduate and undergraduate internships available during the fall/winter, winter/spring and summer terms for university students or recent graduates covering Communications, Creating Change, Development, Government Affairs Internship, Policy Institute Internship, Pride Internship, and Special Events.