<p>I cannot believe that no one has said Mount Holyoke! It’s Smith’s neighbor and also all-women and within the 5 College Consortium. It’s in South Hadley, which is really pretty and quiet, but with free transportation to Northampton (and Amherst for that matter). Its history for queer women is fascinating – Mary Wooley, one of its first presidents, was a gay woman and there are really old records of “homophile” groups on campus. And students organized to develop the Jeanette Marks house, an LGBT center on campus, which is named for a professor and Mary Wooley’s longterm partner. There are, iirc, four queer groups on campus – one for gender awareness, a generic GSA group called True Colors, another group for people of color and a new, starting group for feminine queer women. It even has an established fund for aiding students whose parents withdraw financial support after they come out. SUCH an amazing place and I feel so welcome there as a gay woman. There’s also the Stonewall Center at UMass, which is in the consortium and serves the five college community, with a lot of its own opportunities. Definitely, definitely worth a look.</p>
<p>I’m going there this fall and also pursuing a Queer and Sexuality Studies certificate through the 5CC. let me know if there’s anything I can do to help you out!</p>