PRIDE
“How do we build up the queer community and promote queer joy? These questions are foundational to all of this work, and reflect what we’re always striving for here at Earlham.” — Earlham student ’24
Not all of our students identify as Quaker, but our Quaker roots inform our approach to education and community. For us, that means we lean into the activist spirit of working towards positive change for all people as we live out our Principles and Practices.
Pride strong
Earlham has 4.5/5 stars on the Campus Pride Index for our institutional commitment to LGBTQ-inclusive policy, program and practice. We’re striving to make it 5.
Earlham’s principles and practices embrace respect for all persons, peace and justice, and community. Earlham embraces and celebrates members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Student testimonials
I wanted to be somewhere where people really care about each other, a place where community is important. Earlham turned out to be what I wanted and more.”
— JB Jarvi-Beamer ’22
Learn more about Jarvi-Beamer’s senior art project, the giant “hugging urns,” which were a tribute to the trans community at Earlham.
Being able to grow and be myself here at Earlham has been amazing. I started using they/them pronouns halfway through freshman year. I don’t think I would’ve been comfortable doing that in an academic or professional setting without the community support that I have here.”
— Hazel Jordan ’24
Campus organizations
Student organizations work closely with faculty in student life to organize events such as Trans Visibility Week, National Coming Out Day and more. These events hold space for resiliency and grieving, but they’re also meant to cultivate presence, safety, joy and belonging.
- Black and Lavender
- Spectrum
- Sexual Health Peer Educators
Life after Earlham
The bar for seeking pleasure, joy, affirmation shouldn’t be that we would die without it, but that we, individually and collectively, will be better with it. Creating queer joy cannot be an individualistic pursuit. We must seek joy and pleasure not to bring individual fulfillment or to distract ourselves from the present, but to imagine and create a world full of abundant sweetness.”
Our faculty
Shannon Flaherty
Assistant professor of art, art history
Excerpt from Shannon’s College Meeting for Worship message titled “Queer Joy”
The bar for seeking pleasure, joy, affirmation shouldn’t be that we would die without it, but that we, individually and collectively, will be better with it. Creating queer joy cannot be an individualistic pursuit. We must seek joy and pleasure not to bring individual fulfillment or to distract ourselves from the present, but to imagine and create a world full of abundant sweetness.”
