1970 Precursor of today’s GLBTA is founded, originally called GLBA by Language Lab employee Del Whan in a class called “Gay Liberation Forum.”
1989 Vice President for Student Affairs appoints Advisory Committee on Gay and Lesbian Issues, which later becomes the Student Affairs GLBT Advisory Group.
1992 Lambda Alumni is recognized as an official alumni group of USC, but remains a part of Student Affairs.
1993
- GLBA enters its first Songfest competition.
- Student Counseling Services begins GLBT mentoring program.
1994 Fifty-foot rainbow flag is hoisted from Bovard Auditorium for National Coming Out Week.
1995
- Gay Lesbian Bi Transgender Student Support founded, located at Center for Women and Men. This creates a new presence in SCampus, at Orientation, and in residential programming, as well as offering visible support to GLBT students.
- LAS creates a Task Force for GLBT Studies (which meets for eighteen months, with inconclusive results).
- GLBA begins a new group, Shades of Troy, for GLBT members of differing ethnic identities.
- Questions regarding gender and sexual orientation are added to USC’s New Graduate Employment Survey (in an attempt to raise consciousness and to indicate the university’s concern about how discrimination in the workplace may affect its graduates).
- Two-thirds of the annual prizes awarded by the Gender Studies program go to faculty and students presenting papers in gay and lesbian studies.
- An openly gay student (Tim Brodt) is selected as Mr. USC!
1996
- Annenberg Center awards $100,000 for the development of a Queer Cyber Center for youth at the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center.
- The “Queer Frontiers” national graduate student conference for gay and lesbian studies is held at USC.
- USC General Alumni Association recognizes Don Gabard, founder of Lambda Alumni, with an award at its annual banquet.
- Lambda Alumni offers its first scholarships to gay and lesbian students, and to students engaged in research in gay and lesbian issues.
- USC offers domestic partner benefits to faculty and staff (officially known as ‘mutual financial dependent’ benefits).
1997
- First (Generation Q) leadership training for GLBT students and their allies retreat.
- Gay Lesbian Bi Transgender Support Services coordinates the first Lavender Commencement Ceremony on campus.
- The Greek Diversity Council addresses relations between the Row and gay and lesbian students after it is widely rumored that the theft of the flag from Bovard is the work of a fraternity.
- Rainbow Floor established
- USC becomes a founder member of the National Consortium of GLBT Resource Centers in Higher Education.
1998
- First appearance of GLBA with Tammy Trojan at West Hollywood Pride Parade, along with the Bruin Bear and UCLA’s GALA group.
- Orientation includes a gay character in SCits (just months after Ellen came out on national television).
- Lamppost rainbow flags make their debut all along Trousdale Parkway for National Coming Out Week.
- The death of gay student Matthew Shepard at the University of Wyoming is marked with a memorial vigil attended by 300 people at Tommy Trojan.
- Mark DeAngelis is elected the first openly gay president of the student body at the Marshall School of Business.
1999
- Student Health and Counseling Services devotes a month’s clinical training programs to the health issues of GLBT students.
- Orientation includes a gay couple in SCits!
- The Department of Public Safety creates an official liaison to the GLBT student community.
- The Career Planning and Placement Center begins an initiative to identify gay-friendly employers to recruit on campus.
- Student health insurance is expanded to include domestic partner benefits.
2002 GLBT Center hires a Graduate Assistant and two work-study students for the GLBT Center
2003
- Lambda Alumni Association leaves Student Affairs and becomes an official Alumni Association with Alumni Relations.
- In October, GLBTA stages a “mock” gay marriage at Tommy Trojan with about 200 people in attendance.
- Graduate and Professional Student Senates adds a GLBT Concerns Committee to their Constitution, making it a standing committee.
- Elizabeth Davenport leaves her position as Director of the Center for Women and Men
- Lambda Alumni Association, GLBTA and the LGBT Resource Center works together for Lavender Commencement and Lambda Scholarship Award Ceremony
2004
- Student Ally Alliance Begins
- Faculty and Staff Ally Training Sessions begin. This is the start of a “safe zone” initiative on campus
2005
- David Bishop an “out” graduate student is elected Marshall AGBS President
- The USC Annenberg School for Communication will establish the Leroy F. Aarons Summer Institute on Sexual Orientation Issues in the News
Today
- A LGBT Coordinator position is created
- Another Graduate Assistantship position is created
- An Allies Program starts in the fall semester
- An Resource Council begins in the fall with faculty, students and staff
- Networking with the different cultural centers and cultural student organizations
Future
- Commitment for a full time staff person in Fall 2006
- Collaboration between the different LGBT entities on campus
- Outreach to neighboring GSA’s
- Documentation of our LGBT students
- Increasing student and ally participation at LGBT events