Pennsylvania State University is gearing up to launch a new housing option specifically designed for LGBTs and allies.
The college’s main campus, located in Central Pennsylvania, will premier its ALLY House next fall. The special-living option housing will be located in the newly renovated Watts Hall.
The concept was developed with the help of the Commission on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Equity, the LGBTA Student Resource Center, Residence Life and the Association of Residence Hall Students.
Students who are interested can complete an application through the university’s eLiving portal.
Like other SLOs, the dorm will have an academic focus, specifically for students majoring in gender and sexuality studies.
Students who want to remain multi-year residents of ALLY House will be expected to fulfill a number of requirements laid out by university faculty and staff.
Shane Windemeyer, executive director of LGBT college group CampusPride, said that although this isn’t the first time LGBT-inclusive housing has been introduced on a college campus, the university took a large step forward for its LGBT students.
“What Campus Pride has determined is that having housing options like this is to be of best practice,” Windemeyer said. “What Penn State is doing is obviously in line with being an LGBT-friendly campus by providing this type of housing. I think it is a good move and right in line with Penn State being one of the college campuses nationally that has continued that practice.”
Windemeyer said this housing option will be beneficial in continuing to make the campus as safe as possible for LGBT and ally community members.
“Any time you provide an opportunity for students for housing that identifies the students with a specific community, it provides a safe space and family of sort,” he said.
Penn State was included this year among Campus Pride’s list of the top-25 most LGBT-friendly universities in the nation.