COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

Shenandoah Valley Equality: Founded in 1995, SVE strives to build inclusive community for LGBTQ people in the Shenandoah Valley. Especially valuable in building community through regular pot lucks and restaurant dining events.

Friendly City Safe Space is a community for LGBTQ+ people and aspiring allies of all ages, racial, and ethnic identities in Harrisonburg and surrounding counties that will empower them with the resources, education, and community necessary to thrive as equal, healthy, supported, and essential members of our society. Check the website for drop-in hours and events.

Hope House: Housing solutions for LGBTQ+ youth ages 18-24 who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in Harrisonburg, Staunton, and the surrounding counties. This project is just getting off the ground. See the website for more information.

Shenandoah LGBTQ Center: The Shenandoah LGBTQ Center is a supportive network where LGBTQ people of all ages in the Shenandoah Valley and Greater Appalachia can thrive as equal, healthy, supported members of our society. From support groups for individuals and families to outreach, education, and advocacy, Shenandoah LGBTQ Center is committed to addressing the unique challenges faced by the rural LGBTQ community. The Shenandoah LGBTQ Center is the parent organization of Friendly City Safe Space & Hope House (both linked above).

Free Mom Hugs of the Shenandoah Valley: Another great ally group. They go to pride events spreading love, joy, and acceptance. If you haven't seen them in action, you can read the founder's story here. 

PFLAG, Greater Charlottesville: Parents, families, friends, and allies uniting with our LGBTQIA+ loved ones to promote support, education, and advocacy. PFLAG hosts Support Groups, a Trans Families Group, and a Trans Peer Group. Their meetings are both in-person and virtual.

Brown Shuga (Charlottesville): A social network for lesbian, bisexual, queer, trans women, and sapphics of color. Also home to the Brown Shuga podcast.

Equality Virginia is a political action and lobbying group that advocates and organizes across Virginia to build a future where all Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and broader spectrum of people (LGBTQIA+) thrive.

 

LGBTQ SUICIDE & CRISIS SUPPORTS

JMU ORGS AND OFFICES

JMU LGBTQ Employee Group offers opportunities for JMU queer and ally employees to network and connect socially with potential opportunities for organized advocacy, activism, and collaborative leadership in the pursuit of a safer, more equitable employment experience for all LGBTQ and allied colleagues. Here's the Facebook page.

Safe Zone is JMU's largest faculty and staff affinity group with hundreds of alumni and student members as well. We are an entirely voluntary and independent network of allies, advocates, and supporters. We stand with the JMU LGBTQ+ community, their friends, family, and significant others. We stand together. We are not alone. You are not alone.

The Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression (SOGIE) office is in JMU Student Affairs and strives to strengthen, maintain, and promote a campus community that welcomes all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, through education, support, advocacy, and fostering equity. It is located on the 1st floor of SSC.

Shades of Pride is JMU's LGBTQ+ student organization with a focus on Black and brown queer communities and allies open to everyone. Also see their linktree.

Madison Equality is JMU's LGBT*QIQAP+ student organization. The primary mission of the club is the promotion of acceptance through education and awareness. Anyone supporting equality for all is welcome. Here's their linktree.

QUEST: Queers United for Educating STEM Together is a student org that is sometimes more active than their socials.

JMU's Gender Neutral Housing Program: Returning students who would like to live in Gender Neutral Housing self-select this option through the Online Room Selection process. New students should contact Housing at res-life@jmu.edu, for more information. The program requires a mutual roommate request.

 

JMU POLICIES, LISTS, AND GUIDES

JMU EEO Policy #1302: Includes gender identity, sexual orientation, and genetic information (among others).

JMU Discrimination and Harassment Policy #1324: Includes gender identity, sexual orientation, and genetic information (among others).

The University Career Center's LGBTQ+ Career Considerations page was taken down in July of 2025.

The list and map of All-Gender Restrooms on Campus were removed in the spring of 2025, but an orphan copy still resides here (for now). The JMU Map also includes accessible restrooms on the information page for some buildings.

Legal Name and Gender Changes: If you have legally changed your name or gender marker, congratulations! Students contact the Registrar for help getting everything changed: registrar@jmu.edu • 540-568-5615 • SSC 5300. Faculty and staff contact Human Resources: 540-568-6165  • humanresources@jmu.edu.

Self-Determination: JMU offers a "chosen name" setting that allows students and faculty/staff to enter a first name to be displayed in certain computing platforms. See Chosen Names for instructions and JMU Policy 1345 for more details, including where chosen names can and cannot be displayed, as well as potential policy changes. For students, Chosen Name requests are reviewed by the Office of the Registrar before they take effect. Contact the registrar or other appropriate office at important junctures such as graduation (diploma appearance), JACard pickup, or transcript generation to make sure these documents will be correct. Access to these resources is rapidly changing, and increasingly centralized through MyMadison, but try these options:

  • Name and Pronouns in Email Signature: All students and employees can include names and pronouns in an email signature. The instructions vary by platform. 
    • Outlook-Mac: OutlookMenu/Preferences/Email/Signatures
    • Outlook-Windows: New Message/SignatureButton/Signatures
    • Exchange-Online: GearIcon/Settings/Options/EmailSignature (Do this one in a computer browser.)
  • Email Name: SOGIE is reporting that student name changes in MyMadison now carry over to Outlook email, Canvas, and the University Health Center system. Faculty and staff can change their email display names by accessing the web version of Outlook, clicking the setting (gear) icon, then "options," then "general," then "My account." Name changes in MyMadison also carry over to Outlook and Microsoft Teams for faculty and staff. 
  • Canvas Pronouns: Although name changes must go through MyMadison, pronoun settings are available to everyone. In the purple navigation column, choose “Account," then “Settings.” On the resulting page, click the grey “Edit Settings” button on the right. Choose your pronouns and click the “Update Settings” button. Pronouns are not displayed on some pages, such as the gradebook (often used for participation grades and calling roll).
  • JACards: JACards with preferred name on the front and legal name on the back are available. First, enter your name in MyMadison, and wait for approval from the Registrar. Then, contact JACard Services (cardsrvc@jmu.edu or 540-568-6446) to make sure all the appropriate databases have been updated before you visit to collect your card. Replacement JACards cost $20, but SOGIE is reporting that Student Affairs is picking up that cost for name changes. If that doesn't work for you, please contact Professor Bryson at Safe Zone or the SOGIE office for assistance.
  • Class Roster Workaround: Safe Zone has also developed a questionnaire that instructors can use in Canvas to generate accurate spreadsheet rosters with names, pronouns, pronunciation, etc., for use in class. Class participants can also be asked to sign posts on the platform with names and pronouns, although pushback is likely post-2025. That information then appears at the end of each post, closer to the reply button when others respond.
  • New Stuff? If you have encountered something new or useful, let us know so we can update this page. Just contact Professor Bryson. Many thanks to all the people who have already reported changes that help us keep this page up-to-date!

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Safe Zone
Wilson Hall
951 Madison Drive
Harrisonburg, Virginia 22807