As faculty members, we often talk about creating inclusive learning environments. Yet in today's educational and political climate, supporting LGBTQ+ students requires more than broad statements about inclusion. It requires intentional action.
Across the United States, LGBTQ+ students continue to face unique challenges that can affect their academic success, mental health, sense of belonging, and overall college experience. Recent data suggest these concerns are not merely theoretical. A Washington Post analysis of FBI data found a substantial increase in anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes on educational campuses, particularly in states that have enacted policies restricting LGBTQ+ rights and education (Meckler et al., 2024). At the same time, LGBTQ+ youth crisis organizations have reported dramatic increases in calls from students experiencing distress, isolation, and fear (Meckler et al., 2024).
For those of us working in CSD, these issues deserve particular attention. Our profession is fundamentally rooted in supporting communication, participation, self-advocacy, and access. If we are committed to helping individuals find and use their voices, we must also ensure that LGBTQ+ students feel safe, respected, and empowered to use theirs.
Research consistently demonstrates that a sense of belonging is strongly linked to student success. LGBTQ+ students thrive when they experience affirmation of their identities, meaningful relationships, supportive communities, and opportunities to engage with curriculum that reflects their lived experiences (Hill et al., 2020). Importantly, thriving is not simply the absence of discrimination. It is the presence of support, affirmation, opportunity, and belonging. Faculty play a critical role in creating those conditions.
What Faculty Can Do
Fortunately, meaningful support often comes from relatively simple actions. One of the easiest and most impactful practices is using inclusive language. Respecting a student's name and pronouns communicates dignity and belonging. Including pronouns in email signatures, introducing yourself with pronouns when appropriate, and normalizing the practice without requiring disclosure can help create a more welcoming environment. In CSD programs, where we frequently discuss identity-first and person-first language, cultural responsiveness, and client-centered practice, these conversations fit naturally within our professional values.
Students often assess whether a classroom feels safe long before they ever disclose anything about themselves. Visible signs of support can include diversity statements in syllabi, participation in Safe Zone or ally training, displaying inclusive symbols, or simply communicating that discrimination and harassment will not be tolerated. These signals may seem small to faculty, but they can have a substantial impact on students deciding whether it is safe to participate fully in classroom discussions, clinical experiences, and campus life.
Faculty should also be prepared to connect students with resources. While we do not need to be experts in every area, we can become knowledgeable referral sources. In addition to campus counseling services, LGBTQ+ centers, and student organizations, faculty should be aware of the LGBTQ+ Communication Sciences and Disorders Student Association (LGBTQ+ CSDSA). The organization provides advocacy, networking, mentorship, and profession-specific resources for LGBTQ+ students and allies. https://lgbtqcsdsa.org/
Given our profession's close relationship with ASHA, faculty and students may also find value in ASHA's Multicultural Constituency Group, L'GASP-LGBTQUIA+ Caucus, which provides additional networking, advocacy, and professional resources: https://lgbtqcsdsa.org/professionals/lgasp/
LGBTQ+ CSDSA also offers mentorship opportunities that connect students and early-career professionals with clinicians, researchers, and faculty members across the field. Faculty who are a part of the LGBTQ+ community or an active ally and are interested in supporting LGBTQ+ students can volunteer as mentors, helping students build professional networks, navigate career pathways, and find community within the profession (Lewis & Long, 2025). Referring students to organizations like LGBTQ+ CSDSA can help them see themselves reflected in the future of CSD.
Representation matters. When students see LGBTQ+ individuals included in coursework, case studies, research discussions, and clinical examples, they receive an important message that their experiences are valued and relevant. In CSD programs, this might include discussing gender-affirming voice and communication services, addressing healthcare disparities affecting LGBTQ+ populations, incorporating diverse family structures into pediatric examples, or critically examining research that includes LGBTQ+ participants. Inclusive curriculum benefits all students by preparing future clinicians to serve increasingly diverse populations (Lewis & Long, 2025).
Perhaps most importantly, faculty should remain open to learning. Language evolves, best practices change, and student experiences vary widely. No faculty member will get everything right all the time. Students are not looking for perfection. They are looking for effort, respect, and a willingness to learn when mistakes occur.
Looking Forward
Supporting LGBTQ+ students is not a political position. It is an educational responsibility. As educators, our goal is to help students learn, grow, and succeed. We cannot separate academic success from students' sense of safety, belonging, and well-being. When LGBTQ+ students feel supported, they are better positioned to engage in learning, develop professional identities, participate in clinical education, and contribute to our field.
In a time when many LGBTQ+ students are experiencing increased uncertainty and hostility in educational and social spaces, higher education institutions have an opportunity to serve as places of belonging, support, and growth. As faculty members, we may not be able to change every challenge our students face, but we can ensure that our classrooms, clinics, and programs are places where every student is treated with dignity and respect.
Sometimes the most meaningful message we can send is a simple one: You belong here.
References
Hill, R. L., Nguyen, D. J., Kilgo, C. A., Lange, A. C., Shea, H. D., Renn, K. A., & Woodford, M. R. (2020). How LGBTQ+ students thrive in college. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 58(3), 267-281. https://doi.org/10.1080/19496591.2020.1738241
Lewis, C. E., & Long, T. D. (2025). Challenges faced by LGBTQ+ students in higher education: Strategies for support. International Journal of Business & Management Studies , 6(05), 11-14. https://doi.org/10.56734/ijbms.v6n5a2
Meckler, L., Natanson, H., & Harden, J. D. (2024). In states with laws targeting LGBTQ issues, school hate crimes quadrupled. The Washington Post.
LGBTQ+ Communication Sciences & Disorders Student Association (LGBTQ+ CSDSA). Mission and resources. https://lgbtqcsdsa.org/
Danielle Reed, EdD, CCC-SLP
CAPCSD DEIB Committee Member