UCLA Student Organizations
Below is a list of UCLA student organizations and projects relating to women, gender, and sexuality.
American Medical Women’s Association (Graduate Division)
The American Medical Women’s Association is an organization that functions at the local, national, and international level to advance women in medicine and improve women’s health. We achieve this by providing and developing leadership, advocacy, education, expertise, mentoring, and strategic alliances. AMWA at UCLA DGSOM aims to promote women’s health and help advance women in medicine in our medical school community. We strive for this through events and talks featuring prominent female physicians addressing various issues in women’s health, mentorship with the undergraduate AMWA members, mentorship with residents and attending physicians, and volunteering opportunities for members. We host Women’s Health Week every year in the early spring to enhance awareness and knowledge about women’s health.
American Medical Women’s Association Undergraduate Division
The group allows a safe, non-competitive forum for pre-health students to network and discuss issues such as medical school pre-requisites, education, and family challenges.We achieve this by promoting service projects that benefit the community, while instilling leadership and awareness, fostering valuable alliances with current medical students and practicing female physicians, offering opportunities to gain insight about women’s issues that help aid and commit them to improving women’s health, and offering forums that provide the knowledge, insight, and perspective that will further aid women through their progression in health professions.
Advancing Women in Science and Engineering
Advancing Women in Science and Engineering (AWiSE) was initiated in response to the dichotomy that within the professional sector women are less likely to enter science and engineering careers, are underrepresented in leadership roles and are far less likely than their male counterparts to become patent holders (women represent 5.5% of commercialized or licensed patent holders). AWiSE aims to provide a forum for candid conversations to address these concerns and offer training and education to mitigate similar circumstances once our graduates enter the professional sector. We are fortunate to have an impressive network of successful female mentors who are leaders in the science, engineering and business sectors and AWiSE program focuses on educational seminars, networking and mentorship opportunities.
Afrikan Womxn’s Collective
The purpose of the Afrikan Women’s Collective is to provide a safe space for women who identify with the Afrikan diaspora to join together and discuss topics and issues relevant to women of Afrikan descent. The Afrikan Women’s Collective also strengthens social ties, fosters individual excellence, and promotes achievement for black women in community on the campus of UCLA and beyond.
BlaQue
BlaQue is a student organization under the Queer Alliance and Afrikan Student Union that focuses on issues within Afrikan-Amerikan Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Same Gender Loving communities.
Bruin Belles Service Association
Bruin Consent Coalition
Bruin Consent Coalition was formerly known as 7000 in Solidarity: A Campaign Against Sexual Assault. Our most important goal is to support survivors of sexual violence. All members receive trauma-informed training, advocacy and resource education. We also prioritize educating our fellow students and community members on the necessity of consent in all sexual acts. Additionally, we encourage fellow Bruins to be effective bystanders and speak out against sexual violence.
The Clothesline Project, UCLA
The Clothesline Project at UCLA is an art activism project organized by the Bruin Consent Coalition aiming to stop gender-based violence and other hate crimes. We strive to spread awareness of sexual violence prevalent in local and foreign communities and educate the student population in ways of breaking the stigma surrounding issues of sexual violence.
Curls U at UCLA
An organization that promotes gender inclusivity, self love, body positivity, and community service in underrepresented spaces ReMANE Untamed
Dukeminier Awards Journal of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law
Each year, scholars, lawyers, judges, and law students throughout the United States publish hundreds of articles concerning various aspects of sexual orientation and gender identity law. The Williams Institute and the UCLA School of Law students who staff the journal have initiated The Dukeminier Awards to acknowledge and distribute the best of these articles. The goals of the prizes are to encourage scholars to begin or continue writing about sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policy; provide valuable recognition and support for scholars, law students, and lawyers who write in this area; and provide easy access to each year’s best scholarly materials for those outside of legal academia, including lawyers, judges, other legal actors, and policy makers.
Fem Newsmagazine
FEM, UCLA’s feminist newsmagazine since 1973, is dedicated to the empowerment of all women, the promotion of human rights, the recognition of gender diversity, and the application of intersectional feminism. FEM celebrates women’s right to equality in all aspects of life and appeals to an audience that believes feminist ideology is still necessary to defeat sexism. We will offer a wide range of timely feature, opinion, and news pieces that tackle gender issues in relation to sexuality, race, class, and popular culture. The purpose of FEM is to enlighten our audience with information and personal accounts that may be rejected or ignored within mainstream media.
Feminist Theory Collective
The Feminist Theory Collective promotes the study of feminist philosophy, and engages feminist theory to analyze the complicated intersection of gender, sex, race, and class with theory, practice, and policy. Topics vary widely, and our group is open to everyone across disciplines, fields, and identities. We also go beyond theory to engage in social activism in our communities.
Gamma Rho Lambda
Gamma Rho Lambda is an all inclusive queer sorority focused on developing unity through the lifelong bonds of sisterhood. The sorority supports and provides a safe space for people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and diverse backgrounds. It emphasizes emotional support, personal development, unconditional acceptance. Founded in Spring of 2009, Gamma Rho Lambda has expanded into the first LGBT sorority on campus.
Hermanas Unidas
In the fall of 2000 three young women joined together with one common goal: To establish a Chicana/Latina based group at UCLA. These three women, supported by a group of strong, motivated, young women like themselves, recognized the lack of adequate support & resources for Chicana/Latina women and wanted to help fill this void. These visionary women set the foundation for what evolved into a recognized and respected campus and community organization. Hermanas Unidas de UCLA combines academic, community service, and social activities to unite and support Chicana/Latinas along their pursuit of a degree in higher education while emphasizing HERMANDAD.
Law Women of UCLA
Law Women of UCLA provides a forum for female law students to discuss gender-related issues at the law school and in the legal profession. It provides opportunities for networking with prominent female attorneys, as well as academic support, and also advocates for curricular diversity and for the recruitment and retention of women at UCLA Law.
Library and Archive OUTreach
Library & Archive OUTreach is a student organization in the Department of Information Studies committed to serving the information needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) professional library and archival community at UCLA, and the LGBT information and access needs of UCLA students and individuals at large.
Luskin Pride
PRIDE at UCLA Luskin serves to encourage education, social justice, and activism around issues affecting the LGBTQI community. The student organization also exists to provide a welcoming and inclusive community for LGBTQI students and allies in the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.
OUTLaw
OUTLaw is established for the express purposes of: providing a social network for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA) law students at UCLA; organizing career, education, and academic oriented events for the benefit of LGBTQIA law students at UCLA; encouraging LGBTQIA prospective students to pursue a course of study at UCLA School of Law; ensuring the visibility of LGBTQIA law students at UCLA; and generally promoting the interests of LGBTQIA law students at UCLA.
Planners of Color for Social Equity
We understand that racism, homophobia, xenophobia, classism, sexism, ageism, and the dehumanization of marginalized communities are institutionalized and continue to impede social equity and justice in the 21st century. We believe that urban planners contribute to this reality. As UCLA planners we are in a uniquely privileged position to transform the field of planning and empower marginalized communities.
Pride Alliance at DGSOM/CDU
Pride Alliance is a support network for UCLA medical students, residents and faculty who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, asexual, two-spirit, questioning, and allies. Our mission is based on three pillars: Networking: As a student and faculty organization, we strive to provide networking and educational opportunities to connect with health professionals and students. We will facilitate mentoring and both personal and professional growth opportunities for students, faculty, and staff members. Advocacy: As a student organization, we strive to educate the School of Medicine and university communities about health issues facing LGBTQ+ patients and advocate on their behalf for competent and compassionate care. We believe that all physicians, future physicians, and medical personnel should know the health inequities faced by LGBTQ+ communities. Service: The LGBTQ+ community is predisposed to experience health disparities such as with mental health, cancer, and access. It is up to us as future health care professionals to address them. We will work closely with the LGBTQ+ community in Los Angeles and at UCLA to address these disparities.
Queer Alliance
Queer Alliance at UCLA was formed to provide a bridge between all progressive LGBTQ+ organizations dealing with issues that touch people who are traditionally disadvantaged on the basis of sexual orientation, romantic attraction, gender expression, and/or gender identity. Queer Alliance recognizes the existence of past conflicts and tension amongst groups of various cultures and seeks to address these issues by serving as a bastion of greater understanding to which all interested parties can look towards as an example of the true spirit of cooperation through facilitation. The alliance looks forwards to maintaining its commitment to respect, understanding, equity, and equality while underscoring the need for the complete eradication of heteronormativity, queerphobia, and cisheterosexism outside and within the community at UCLA
WEBSITE
Queer Graduate Students of UCLA
We are a graduate student organization affiliated with LGBT Studies, which strives to promote, engage, and shed light on LGBT and queer scholarship. We are responsible for organizing UCLA’s annual Queer Graduate Student Conference that brings together the innovative research of graduate students in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Studies.
QueerxGirl
Queer x Girl is UCLA¡s multi-issue political and social group for queer, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered women and allies of all genders. Queer x Girl shall exist to work toward meeting the educational, social, political and community awareness needs of queer women regardless of gender expression, race, class, sexual orientation, disability, or culture. The ultimate goal of Queer x Girl is to provide a diverse forum to increase visibility of queer women, and provide a positive space for open expression of gender and sexual orientation in everyday life. Queer x Girl shall work toward this goal by facilitating an open and supportive atmosphere for lesbian, bisexual and transgender women both on campus and in the community at large through political and social action. As a progressive organization, we realize that all oppressions are interconnected, and we are committed to supporting the causes of all social justice issues.
Reproductive Health Interest Group
The Reproductive Health Interest Group (RHIG) is a registered graduate student group at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. Founded in 2002, RHIG brings together students, faculty, and staff to learn about and discuss reproductive health issues, share information, and engage in service and advocacy projects.
She Can Do It
This is an organization that seeks to empower women from all walks of life, and act as a safe haven for people from historically marginalized communities to discuss our grievances. We celebrate all walks of life through and discuss the importance of intersectional feminism, positive reinforcement, the importance of feeling a sense of belonging to a community, and love. (You do not have to identify as a woman to join, you are more than welcome to the club with open arms regardless of the gender you identify with!)
Society of Women Engineers
The Society of Women Engineers is a national society that has been encouraging females to aspire, advance, and achieve their full potential in the fields of engineering and science. We are devoted to providing our members with industry networking, career development workshops, outreach activities, community service, diversity and inclusion events as well as social events. Our UCLA chapter is one of the strongest engineering organizations. Our section has been recognized both locally and nationally, winning the Student Group of the Year award at UCLA in 2005, 2011, 2012, and 2013 and bringing home awards from our annual National Conference in the past.
SWC Body Image Task Force
The aim of the Body Image Task Force is to help the entire UCLA student body combat issues of body image. We do so by hosting events, workshops, and speakers that tackle issues such as exercise, eating disorders, body dysmorphia, mental health, and self esteem. Living as college students in Los Angeles, we want to help students understand how influenced we all are by media images and we want to give students the tools to combat these influences. The media has given us a specific image of what is beautiful, and we want to encourage every student on campus to feel confident and beautiful no matter how their body looks.
SWC Sexperts
Sexperts’ goal is to talk about something people often don’t like to talk about: sex! From pleasure to STIs and from contraceptives to consent, Sexperts promotes inclusive and honest discussions across campus. We help to eradicate gender based violence, engage the campus and start important conversations through workshops, panels, activities and advocacy projects.
Urban Planning Womxn of Color Collective
Urban Planning Womxn of Color Collective (UP WOCC) provides a supportive community space for all womxn of color including but not limited to Asian & Pacific Islander, Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA), Multi-Ethnic, gender fluid, and/or trans people of color. UP WOCC is culturally responsive and relevant to the needs of its members in the following ways: (1) Support: Hold meetings and/or social events for group discussion of critical issues to promote interaction between womxn of color and allies in urban and regional planning; Organize wellness sessions that promote creativity, self-care, and community building; (2) Recruitment: Continue and advance the pipeline of womxn of color into the urban and regional planning field; Foster the growth of incoming womxn of color students; (3) Empowerment: Cultivate and support members to take on leadership positions; Provide our membership an opportunity to gain skills; Share knowledge relevant to career and personal development
Voice Mission Los Angeles
V.O.I.C.E. Mission is a non-profit organization that was established in 2017 by a group of young women at UCLA who came together to not only expose the truth of gender inequality, but also to educate our community on how we can change our reality into equality. Living in an age where gender violence is perpetuated by social and cultural institutions, these women wanted their own voices to be heard as well as give voices to the women and men tomorrow.
Our vision is to empower young females and advocate for gender visibility and equality. We strive to present new opportunities to young females in India and around the world in their pursuit of transcending gender boundaries. By establishing a holistic mentorship and education program, we aim to improve the lives of future generations and defy cultural barriers. V.O.I.C.E Mission provides children a platform to foster a strong community resilient to social disparities and build the brighter future we all wish to see.
Women and Youth Supporting Each Other (W.Y.S.E.)
Women and Youth Supporting Each Other (WYSE) is a curriculum-based mentorship program that pairs college women with middle school girls in under-served communities. WYSE was founded at UCLA in 1992, and has grown to include 12 branches across the country. Our mission is to empower young girls from all walks of life and aid in their development into strong and self confident women. At our weekly sites, mentors and mentees discuss issues like body image, healthy relationships, college planning and future options, and women’s’ health. WYSE at UCLA currently works at two sites: Mark Twain Middle School in Venice and Sepulveda Middle School in North Hills. Our program consists of weekly curriculum-based group sessions, one-on-one mentoring, and special events.
Women in the Physical Sciences
The Women in the Physical Sciences organization strives to create a supportive atmosphere for all women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields of study. Our goal is to provide encouragement and guidance to our members interested in pursuing a STEM degree while fostering a friendly and social environment.
Women’s Law Journal at UCLA
The UCLA Women’s Law Journal is an academic legal journal that uses the power of language to educate people and make women’s voices heard. We seek to do so by focusing not only on the common struggles of women, but also on diversity as a strength in feminist legal scholarship. Through diversity, we seek to represent the reality of all women’s lives and experiences, without separating voices into exclusionary categories. The WLJ was one of the first journals in the country to address issues of gender, race, and sexual orientation. The Journal remains one of the top journals in the field, with hundreds of subscribers around the world. The WLJ is an entirely student-run law journal. We publish works by professors, practitioners, and students from around the world, who represent all sides of the legal, political, religious, and cultural spectrum.
Women’s Pre-Law Association
The mission of the Women’s Pre-Law Association is to empower, educate, and support female pre-law students to advance within legal professions. This organization was formed to help overcome the specific challenges faced by women pursuing a career in law, although membership is open to any student. The group allows a non-competitive forum for students to network and discuss issues such as law school and law school preparation.
Womyn of Color Collective
The Womyn of Color Collective is dedicated to creating a safe space and a community within the UCLA School of Law where the unique experiences, opinions, challenges, and successes of womyn and womyn of color are shared, discussed, and developed. We are a collective of individuals who identify as womyn, womyn of color, or allies. We are open to all people ready to engage in an open and honest dialogue about race, gender and the law. Our mission is to promote the empowerment, inspiration, and personal and professional development of womyn and people of color in the legal field.
