LGBTQIA+ Students
Celebrating and supporting every member of our community is central to who we are — and it’s why we were the first of the Seven Sisters to adopt a trans-inclusive admissions policy. We’re committed to advancing resources for students who identify as LGBTQIA+ along with allies so that everyone can be their authentic selves. Because when each of us thrives, our community does too.
Campus Voices
Stories from our diverse community
Discovering a love for producing theater through hands-on experience both on campus and through internships
Carissa Barry-Moilanen ’23
she/they
Discovering stellar academics in an environment where everyone can feel comfortable speaking up
Carrie Lewis ’23
they/them
On-campus communities
Across our campus, many communities offer space and support for LGBTQIA+ students to engage with individual experiences and explore shared identities.
Living-Learning Communities
The Gloria Anzaldúa, Lyon’s Legacy and the Mary Woolley Living-Learning Communities are safe, supportive and celebratory environments with a heightened focus on the historical and contemporary experiences of LGBTQIA+ students and allies.
Jeannette Marks Cultural Center
The Marks center serves the College’s LGBTQIA+ community with weekly open hours, monthly programs and meetings sponsored by affiliated student organizations and staff.
Familia
Familia is a student organization that offers community and support to queer-identified people of color on campus.
Gender +
Gender + is a student organization that fosters a positive and purposefully intersectional community for transgender, nonbinary, gender non-conforming, questioning individuals and allies.
The Coalition for Asexual/Aromantic Awareness (CFAA)
CFAA provides a safe space for students who identify on the asexual and aromantic spectrum and their allies to convene, share stories and build community.
Student Government Association Lavender Committee
The Lavender Committee seeks to celebrate the ways in which the LGBTQIA+ community has navigated their unique experiences on campus and beyond.
On-campus resources
The Division of Student Life seeks to build and support a strong and thriving community at Mount Holyoke College. Student life includes departments whose staff provides resource services for all students, parents, faculty and administrators from diverse gender and sexual identities.
The Office of Community and Belonging focuses on understanding our multiple identities through the lenses of social justice education, ally development and identity development, recognizing that no member of the Mount Holyoke community brings just one aspect of their identity to the classroom, cocurricular activities or personal relationships.
Programs and services sponsored through the Office of Community and Belonging include:
- MoZone Social Justice Peer Education workshops.
- Cultural centers such as the Jeannette Marks Center.
- Leadership development and support for student organizations affiliated with the Jeannette Marks Center.
- Supporting LGBTQIA+ awareness events.
- Lavender Ceremony.
- New student orientation workshop: caring communication for a gender-diverse community
- Religious and spiritual inclusion.
We acknowledge the complexity and difficulties often associated with LGBTQIA+ issues and one’s faith journey. We welcome LGBTQIA+ students and all students to religious, spiritual and faith-based programs and services, regardless of faith. Chaplains and advisors are available by appointment to provide support to students with questions and concerns or who simply need a listening ear as it relates to gender identity, sexuality and all other topics.
We are committed to providing support, resources and referrals for our LGBTQIA+ and allied students at Mount Holyoke College. Counseling service clinicians are trained to understand the added stressors LGBTQIA+ students encounter. The majority of their clinicians are transgender-experienced, and students are welcome to request an experienced therapist at the time of their appointment.
In addition, if you prefer to work with a lesbian clinician, please make this request upon scheduling. For students seeking specialists, we can assist with off-campus referrals.
The health center at Mount Holyoke College serves students of all genders and sexual identities with quality primary and preventive health care, including transgender or gender nonconforming students.
We know students seeking trans- and gender-affirming health care can face significant barriers when trying to receive the care they need. At Mount Holyoke Health Services, we break through those barriers to offer quality, confidential care for our community. Please contact Health Services with specific questions or for more information by calling 413-538-2121. All services and conversations with health center staff are considered personal health information and thus require a specific release of information to be shared with anyone outside of College health services.
Gender-affirming hormones
The informed consent model is used to evaluate and initiate gender-affirming hormones. This will typically require multiple visits to provide for the time to review key information and establish goals of this therapy.
Laboratory testing
If a provider outside of MHC Health Services is managing your hormones, lab work can be done at the health center.
Assistance with injections
The nursing staff is available to assist students with learning how to self-inject hormones as prescribed.
Letter writing for hormone therapy, gender marker changes, or gender-affirming surgeries
Health Services clinicians can write letters of reference or support to specialists to support both hormone therapy and surgical procedures.
The Office of Residential Life’s main focus is to provide housing in which all Mount Holyoke students are safe, secure and supported. Community advisors and senior community advisors receive training in supporting the LGBTQIA+ community and about campus resources. Students can also contact the office’s professional staff directly. We recognize that LGBTQIA+ students may have specific housing needs or concerns, and we welcome questions or conversations about how we can best support you.
There are several Living-Learning Communities that you may choose to apply to that center LGBTQIA+ students:
- Gloria Anzaldúa,.
- Lyon’s Legacy.
- Mary Woolley.