Beginning in the early 1970’s it was student activism that brought queer voices to the fore at Northwestern. As Northwestern’s Gay Liberation Front established presence on campus faculty and staff began to gather in what eventually was called the Gay and Lesbian University Union (GLUU). GLUU served primarily as a social group for faculty and staff but played a large role in the 1995 decision by the board of trustee to extend benefits to the same-sex domestic partners of faculty, staff, and students. The decision culminates over five years of advocacy by various university organizations, including the Gay and Lesbian University Union (GLUU) and the Bisexual, Gay and Lesbian Alliance (BGALA). Over time the Gay Liberation Front evolved into what is now Rainbow Alliance and GLUU retired most operation in the early 2010’s. In the mid-2010’s staff began reorganizing on the Evanston campus as the LGBTQ Staff Affinity Group. Faculty and staff on the Chicago campus created Out Network Chicago and in 2020 the ongoing efforts of Evanston’s LGBTQ staff group, former GLUU leadership and current members of the Northwestern community created Out Network Evanston. Learn more about the history of the Gay Liberation Front through the following student pieces:
Help Build-Out our History
Have pictures or testimonials to add to the history of LGBTQIA+ faculty and staff life at Northwestern? Contact us at outnetwork@northwestern.edu to have items and oral histories added to our organization’s and the University’s archives.