Southeast Missouri State University is proud of our diverse student population and provides various services and resources for all, including LGBTQ+ students, faculty and staff, and allies with confidential and comfortable environments on campus.

University Resources

These resources help faculty, staff, and students who are members of and allies to the LGBTQ+ community connect and collaborate on campus.

  • Equity Initiatives
    The Office of Equity Initiatives supports and advocates for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in and outside of the classroom, and staff is available to meet with faculty, staff, and students seeking information and support.
  • Employee Assistance Program

University employees have access to confidential counseling services designed to help employees and families with personal or work/life balance issues.

  • Safe Zone
  • Sexual Health and Safety Education
  • SEMO Pride
    PRIDE is Southeast Missouri State University's LGBTQ+ advocacy organization for students; they host social meetings and informational events throughout the academic year while providing access to community and social support for LGBTQ+ students and their allies.

Academic Support

These resources are intended to support LGBTQ+ students in their coursework, and may be helpful to students seeking specific on-campus services related to studying, advising, and graduate school and workforce-placement

The Career Services Diversity Resource Page provides links to various job websites created to connect LGBTQ+ students to internship and employment opportunities.

Southeast respects all students on campus and has created a number of fully inclusive bathrooms.

Endowed scholarships are long-term, perpetual funds that generate annual income, a portion of which is awarded each year by the Foundation to deserving students. Information on scholarships designated for LGBTQ+ students can be found here.

The Student Government Association (SGA) is the representative body of students at Southeast. They strive to enhance the Redhawk experience by listening to the students and amplifying their voices for all to hear. SGA assists with financial needs for student conferences, projects, and on-campus events.

Information Technology has helpful instructions on how to change your preferred name at Southeast.

Services for Students in Crisis

These resources are intended to support LGBTQ+ students who may be facing personal, mental and familial challenges that fall outside the typical responsibilities of a university system. While access to mental and physical healthcare is provided at on-campus clinics, students are advised that most university personnel are mandated reporters, which means that they are required, by law, to report any illegal activity disclosed in their presence. Exceptions to this mandate include peer-educators (who are participating in experiential learning and are not acting as agents of the institution) and certain clinical practitioners. Students who have been harassed, discriminated against or assaulted should see these instructions [link here] to report these incidents.

The Center for Behavioral Health and Accessibility Services is designed for students to seek counseling services from a licensed professional to respond to a variety of personal and social issues. The Center also assists with crisis intervention and provides educational resources to foster and develop an academic environment that is equitable and accessible.

At the Counseling Clinic, graduate interns work with clients with issues of homesickness, anxiety, depression, relationship concerns, grief and loss, academic concerns, family problems, roommate conflicts, low self-esteem, drug or alcohol use, oppression, LGBTQ+ identity, sleep difficulties, and more.

Q: I'd like to be called a different name than the one I used in a previous semester or on my college application or FAFSA. Can I change that myself or do I need a legal name change to make the adjustment? 
A: Yes, you can change that yourself, and here's how!

Q: Why are people adding their pronouns to their introductions, nametags, Canvas profiles, or e-mail signatures at SEMO? What does that mean (and do I have to do it too)? 
A: Some instructors, staff members, and students prefer to clarify (or ask others to clarify) which personal pronouns (e.g. he/she/they) they'd like others to use in reference to them in any place where they would announce their names. Some people may even request the use of neopronouns (e.g. fae/faer) or a singular they/them to better represent their identities than the traditional masculine/feminine binary pronouns. While all faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to respect one another's preferences with regard to names and pronouns, no one is required to disclose their pronoun preferences, so it's not a problem to just go by your name here on our campus if that's what you prefer!

(800) 668-HELP

The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Helpline, along with the youth-only Peer Listening Line is a program of Fenway Community Health in Boston MA. Its mission is to provide anonymous information, referrals, and support to gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (GLBTQ) callers via our toll-free, anonymous, nationwide phone number. Volunteers who are 25 years old or younger staff the Peer Line but the Helpline has volunteers of all ages. 

  • GLBT Helpline: (888) 340-GLBT
  • Peer Listening Line: (800) 399-PEER

24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week crisis intervention, suicide prevention, and referral service hotline.

(314) 647-HELP (4357)

The Trevor Project is determined to end suicide among LGBTQ+Q youth by providing life-saving and life-affirming resources including our nationwide, 24/7 crisis intervention lifeline, digital community, and advocacy/educational programs that create a safe, supportive, and positive environment for everyone. The Trevor Project operates three core program areas in order to provide life-saving and life-affirming resources for LGBTQ+Q youth and to create safe, accepting, and inclusive environments for all young people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. 
(866) 4-U-TREVOR

Community and Other Resources

Lambda Legal
Lambda Legal is a national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, the transgendered, and people with HIV or AIDS through impact litigation, education, and public policy work.
(212) 809-8585 

Log Cabin Republicans
Log Cabin Republicans are committed to promoting an inclusive Republican Party at all levels, and to promoting Republican principles and candidates within the gay and lesbian community. 

P-FLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays)
Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG) is a national non-profit organization with over 200,000 members and supporters and almost 500 affiliates in the United States. PFLAG promotes the health and well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered persons, their families, and friends through: support, to cope with an adverse society; education, to enlighten an ill-informed public; and advocacy, to end discrimination and secure equal civil rights. Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays provide opportunities for dialogue about sexual orientation and gender identity and act to create a society that is healthy and respectful of human diversity.
(314) 821-FLAG (3524)

PROMO
PROMO was founded in 1986 as the Privacy Rights Education Project, a grassroots membership organization that fights for the privacy rights of all Missourians. We focus most of our efforts on the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.  
(314) 862-4900
(877) 511-7737 (toll free)

Human Rights Campaign
HRC is a bipartisan organization that works to advance equality based on sexual orientation and gender expression and identity, to ensure that gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Americans can be open, honest, and safe at home, at work, and in the community. As America's largest gay and lesbian organization, the Human Rights Campaign provides a national voice on gay and lesbian issues. The Human Rights Campaign effectively lobbies Congress; mobilizes grassroots action in diverse communities; invests strategically to elect a fair-minded Congress; and increases public understanding through innovative education and communication strategies. 
(800) 777-4723 
Human Rights Campaign - St. Louis

Pride St. Louis
Pride St. Louis, Inc. is dedicated to increasing the awareness of the general public of the presence of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered individuals in the community to eliminate prejudice and achieve harmony. Pride St. Louis brings PrideFest every year to St. Louis in June. They also organize various events throughout the year, ranging from drag shows to charity functions. 
(314) 772-8888 

St. Louis Black Pride
To serve as a resource for the St. Louis Metropolitan Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community and be a catalyst for unity, empowerment, and pride through the delivery of education and outreach activities. 
(314) 776-4966

Stonewall Democrats
Stonewall is America's only grassroots Democratic LGBTQ+ organization. We focus on creating change in three ways: educating the LGBTQ+ community about the differences between the political parties; mobilizing the LGBTQ+ community to get out to vote on Election Day for fair-minded Democrats; and standing up when Republicans attack our families and our civil rights while we lead the Democratic party to continue improving its record on issues important to our community. 
(314) 772-4179

Anti-Violence Advocacy Project (AVAP)
The AVAP has an information line where you can find LGBTQ+/Queer-friendly safe support and services. Whether you're a victim of partner abuse, have experienced hate-related violence, or just have a question about services for LGBTQ+ persons, give us a call! 
(314) 503-2050

Bisexual Alliance of St. Louis (BASL)
The Bisexual Alliance of St. Louis, or BASL, is a social/support group that discusses bisexuality as a normal part of everyday life. Their goal is to develop a sense of support and community within the St. Louis region. Speakers are available. 
(314) 995-4629 

PFLAG Cape Girardeau
PFLAG ​is the nation's largest organization dedicated to supporting, educating, and advocating for LGBTQ+ people and those who love them.

LGBTQ+Q Colleges and Resources
Attending college can be difficult, but lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning students may have an even harder time than others. The following guide was created to help LGBTQ+ students understand how many campuses are helping to make the college experience more welcoming and supportive.

Deaf Queer Resource Center
The Deaf Queer Resource Center (DQRC) is a national nonprofit resource and information center for, by and about the Deaf Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Transsexual, Intersex, and Questioning communities.

Families Like Mine
Families Like Mine is a website dedicated to decreasing isolation for people who have parents who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBTQ+), and bringing voice to the experiences of these families. 

Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network
The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) strives to ensure that each member of every school community is valued and respected, regardless of sexual orientation. We welcome as members all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, or occupation, who are committed to seeing this philosophy realized in K-12 schools. 

AVEN
AVEN, or asexuality visibility and education network hosts the world's largest online asexual community as well as a large archive of resources on asexuality. AVEN strives to create open, honest discussion about asexuality among sexual and asexual people alike. 

Trans Student Educational Resources
Trans Student Educational Resources is a youth-led organization dedicated to transforming the educational environment for trans and gender-nonconforming students through advocacy and empowerment. In addition to our focus on creating a more trans-friendly education system, our mission is to educate the public and teach trans activists how to be effective organizers. We believe that justice for trans and gender nonconforming youth is contingent on an intersectional framework of activism. Ending oppression is a long-term process that can only be achieved through collaborative action.

LGBTQ Workplace Resource Guide
From finding inclusive companies, and getting comfortable with the interview process, to coming out at work, here is a resource guide to help you navigate the corporate landscape as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. 

Soulforce
The purpose of Soulforce is freedom for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people from religious and political oppression through the practice of relentless nonviolent resistance. 

LGBTQ+ Community and Tobacco
With the added pressure and stress of fighting for human rights, Big Tobacco has concentrated its efforts on targeting the LGBTQ+ community.

The LGBTQ+ Community and Drug Use
Members of the queer community often face homophobia, discrimination, and rejection in their daily lives. These prejudices create negative feelings that lead to physical and mental health issues, which are likely at least partially responsible for the higher rates of drug use. 

Abbey Road Christian Church
Contact: Rev. Elaine Schoepf
Phone: 573-335-3422
Address: 2411 Abbey Rd, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701
Meetings: Sunday: Worship:  9:30 a.m., Abbey Road Adventures for Kids: 9:30 a.m., Fellowship: 10:30 a.m., and Sunday School: 10:45 a.m.

Christ Episcopal
Regional Missioner: Rev. Annette Joseph 

Email: admin@christchurchcape.org 

Phone: (573) 335-2997 

Church Address: 101 N. Fountain Street, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701 

Business Address: 38 N. Fountain Street. Cape Girardeau, MO 63701 

Office Hours: Tuesday at 3:30 - 6:30 p.m.; and Sundays at 1 - 5:30 p.m. 
Services: Sunday at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.; Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.

United Unitarian
Email: draper@ldd.net
Address: 101 North Fountain Street.
Meetings: Services Sunday at 10 a.m. at the Christ Episcopal Church

Report Bias or Discrimination Incident

You can report incidents of bias or discrimination to our office with an easy-to-fill-out form.

Location
Office
University Center 204E
Mailing Address
One University Plaza, MS3375
Cape Girardeau, Missouri 63701