Women and LGBTQIA+ Advocacy
Stockton’s LGBTQIA+ and Women’s groups have played an active and supportive role on campus for many years. The Gay People’s Union started in the 1970s, as did the Women’s Liberation Union. In addition to advocating and protesting for the rights of LGBTQIA+ people and women, these organizations and others also raised awareness through writing. The Spirit of ‘48 (first issued in spring 1973) was one of the feminist papers produced at Stockton State College. Through educational and advocacy work by the Women’s Caucus at Stockton, the Free to Be Daycare was started to offer pre-school services to children of Stockton students, staff, and faculty until its closing in early 2020.
In 1974, Women’s Studies first became an official concentration and then a certificate-granting program the following year. It evolved into the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies minor in 2009 to encompass expanding areas of scholarship and education. Along with the programmatic change, there was a movement to create a safe haven and central location for women and those in the LGBTQIA+ communities. As a result of a student-led change.org petition and a campus-wide task force, the Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Center (WGSC) was established with an accompanying lounge in 2018, providing a safe, non-judgmental space for anyone on campus.
