Senate Workshop Targets LGBTQ+ Residence Hall Inclusion

Notre Dame's Gender Relations Center trained student senators on allyship as survey data shows gaps in campus belonging.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in LGBTQ+

Gouache-painted editorial illustration of an open wooden doorway in a warm brick hall, with two cushioned armchairs arranged to welcome visitors inside. — Notre Dame's Gender Relations Center trained student senators this week on allyship tools to make residence halls more welcoming for LGBTQ+ students. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The Gender Relations Center at the University of Notre Dame held an allyship workshop for student senate on LGBTQ+ inclusion in residence halls. Senators brainstormed ways to support LGBTQ+ students in their individual halls.

Why it matters

The workshop aimed to give senators practical tools for building more inclusive residence hall environments for LGBTQ+ students. It comes as a 2025 Inclusive Campus Survey found that some LGBTQ+ students report weaker feelings of belonging on campus.

A 2025 Inclusive Campus Survey found 25% of transgender and nonbinary students disagreed they feel a sense of belonging at Notre Dame, versus 15% of male and 10% of female lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer students. The survey's follow-up actions beyond the workshop were not described in the source.

The players

University of Notre Dame

A private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, whose Gender Relations Center runs campus programming on gender and sexuality.

The details

Gender Relations Center assistant director Stanley Asango and program assistant Daimian Desiderio led the session during Wednesday's student senate meeting. The workshop introduced basic LGBTQ+ terminology and allyship principles, and senators were asked to consider how social dynamics within residence halls affect inclusion.

2025: Inclusive Campus Survey on LGBTQ+ students' sense of belonging conducted.
Wednesday, November 4, 2026: Allyship workshop held during student senate meeting.

Culture Shift

The workshop follows the 2025 Inclusive Campus Survey, which measured LGBTQ+ students' sense of belonging at Notre Dame and found the widest gap among transgender and nonbinary students. Campus programming is now moving from measuring that gap to training student leaders to address it within residence halls.

South Bend residents and university students in campus housing may see residence hall programming on LGBTQ+ inclusion expand as senators act on the workshop. The extraction does not specify any concrete changes to housing rules or services.

The takeaway

Belonging gaps in campus surveys often differ within the LGBTQ+ community, with transgender and nonbinary students reporting the weakest sense of inclusion. Residence hall peers can help narrow those gaps by learning basic allyship practices and applying them in everyday housing life.