WASHINGTON, DC — The Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, and its Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) program are proud to celebrate “HBCU Out Loud Day” – an initiative created to foster safe spaces for Black queer students on HBCU campuses across the country. Seeking to engage the voting power of Black queer youth, the theme for this year’s Out Loud Day is #VOTEOUTLOUD — integrating HRC Foundation’s Pride to the Polls voter registration initiative into on-campus activations to embolden HBCU students to use their voice in the upcoming election.

Celebrated annually on the third Wednesday of October, HBCU Out Loud Day was intentionally established during LGBTQ+ History Month to inspire the next generation of queer leaders by commemorating the progress made by trailblazers in our community. However, despite the strides made in the Black LGBTQ+ community, in a survey conducted by The Berkeley Institute for Young Americans, many young people are “feeling hopeless about the challenges in front of them, and are disillusioned with a political system that is unresponsive to their needs.” Voter suppression is another challenge many Black queer youth face due to inaccessible polling booths, harassment at the polls and negative impacts of changes to voter identification laws. To dismantle the barriers created by stigma, misinformation, and voter suppression, and to further engage young Black voters, the HRC Foundation and HBCU program created a campus toolkit which provides student leaders with the resources needed to encourage young Black queer and allied students to check on their voter registration status and to register, if necessary.

“We must acknowledge the strength of our community and amplify the voices of the next generation of Black queer leaders by taking our power to the polls this November,” said HRC Vice President of Leadership Development and Research Jordyn White. “Combining HBCU Out Loud Day with our voter engagement efforts is essential this year given the high stakes of the upcoming election. Providing organizing resources to these dynamic young Black queer students helps foster inclusivity on HBCU campuses across the country and is necessary to enact progress and ensure their right to live out loud is protected.”

The 19 universities participating in HBCU Out Loud Day include Alabama A&M, Huntsville, AL; Bowie State University, Bowie, MD; Coppin State University, Baltimore, MD; Dillard University, New Orleans, LA; Howard University, Washington, DC; Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD; Kentucky State University, Frankfort, KY; North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC; Savannah State University, Savannah, GA; Southern University and A & M College, Baton Rouge, LA; Spelman College, Atlanta, GA; Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN; Talladega College, Talladega, AL; Tougaloo College, Tougaloo, MS; University of the District of Columbia, Washington, DC; University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, Pine Bluff, AR; Voorhees University, Denmark, SC; Wiley University, Marshall, TX; Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA.

To access the Pride to the Polls #VOTEOUTLOUD campus toolkit click here.

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people. Through its programs, the HRC Foundation seeks to make transformational change in the everyday lives of LGBTQ+ people, shedding light on inequity and deepening the public’s understanding of LGBTQ+ issues, with a clear focus on advancing transgender and racial justice. Its work has transformed the landscape for more than 15 million workers, 11 million students, 1 million clients in the adoption and foster care system and so much more. The HRC Foundation provides direct consultation and technical assistance to institutions and communities, driving the advancement of inclusive policies and practices; it builds the capacity of future leaders and allies through fellowship and training programs; and, with the firm belief that we are stronger working together, it forges partnerships with advocates in the U.S. and around the globe to increase our impact and shape the future of our work.

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