Introduction: A call to action for affirming all LGBTQ+ students in higher education.

Abstract

W e want to begin by acknowledging our intention for this book in centering the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC), and other marginalized student communities, in the narrative about supporting LGBTQ+ students in higher education. As queer and ally Latinx psychologists and academics, we (the editors) saw a need to broaden discussions in institutional settings about how we attend to LGBTQ+ students while considering the interlocking systems of oppression that operate to silence and exclude LGBTQ+ BIPOC students from higher education scholarship and college campus discussions. In 2021, LGBTQ+ college students are struggling in the midst of two pandemics, the COVID-19 pandemic and the systemic racism, violence, and murders of Black people at the hands of police officers in the United States. Colleges and universities are also grappling with precisely how to challenge systemic racism on their campuses while managing the stress of navigating a public health pandemic in residential university and college settings. Taken together, these pandemics suggest that, now more than ever, colleges and universities need more direction, guidance, and support as they navigate questions of how best to support all college students, but particularly those who are marginalized including LGBTQ+ BIPOC students.The aim of this book is to provide university faculty, staff, administrators, and students with more information on LGBTQ+ college students, who have been typically neglected or ignored in discussions about the wellness and needs of LGBTQ+ college students. We first provide a brief overview of the theories