The University of Nebraska—Lincoln is one of four campuses of the University of Nebraska. The university is a public land-grant university with R1 research status, a designation maintained by the Carnegie Foundation for universities with large amounts of research funding and activity. ¹

The University of Nebraska—Lincoln operates a Gender and Sexuality Center. The center broadly supports left-of-center LGBT issues, including stating “while only you can decide your identities and what labels feel most comfortable, you should not question identities and labels used by others.” The center defines terms such as genderqueer, polyamory, two spirit, pansexual, nonbinary, and transgender as potential terms of identity. ²

Background

The University of Nebraska—Lincoln is one of four campuses of the University of Nebraska. The university is a public land-grant university with R1 research status, a designation maintained by the Carnegie Foundation for universities with large amounts of research funding and activity. ¹

The University of Nebraska—Lincoln claims to have established the first undergraduate psychology laboratory in the world. ³

Notable attendees of the university have included Loren Eiseley, George Beadle, Jay Forrester, Aaron Douglas, Weldon Kees, Alvin Johnson, Warren Buffett, Evan Williams, Roscoe Pound, Johnny Carson, Barbara Hendricks, Harold Edgerton, John Pershing, Willa Cather, and Mari Sandoz. ³

Gender and Sexuality Center

The University of Nebraska—Lincoln operates a Gender and Sexuality Center. The center broadly supports a left-of-center LGBT issues, including stating “while only you can decide your identities and what labels feel most comfortable, you should not question identities and labels used by others.” The center defines terms such as genderqueer, polyamory, two spirit, pansexual, nonbinary, and transgender as potential terms of identity. ²

The center also references LGBT resources based in Lincoln, Nebraska including Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, Pride for the Youth, the Lincoln Bi Community, Lincoln AA – Rainbow Group, the Nebraska AIDS Project, and info for the University of Nebraska—Lincoln’s Police Department LGBT liaison. ⁴

The university also recognizes various LGBT oriented groups, including Spectrum UNL, oSTEM @ Nebraska, Pride in Business, Nebraska OUTlaw, TRANScend, and Athlete Ally. ⁵

The university’s health insurance and pharmacy provide coverage and prescriptions for hormones for transitional operations, as well as coverage for gender-transition surgeries. ⁶

The university also offers the option of dynamic housing, wherein students are “assigned a roommate and room regardless of sex.” ⁷

Beginning 2023, the Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska was awarded $439,999 from the Department of Health and Human Services to develop “an online mentoring program,” wherein teenaged “transgender and other gender minority” individuals would be paired in online mentoring sessions with adult mentors who have “shared social identities and interests.” ⁸

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

In 2024 the University of Nebraska—Lincoln announced the closure of its central Office for Diversity and Inclusion, as well as cutting the position of vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion. However, the statement promised to “reimagine how we approach this work at UNL.” This move was criticized by the ACLU Nebraska. ^{9 10}

People

Jeffrey Gold is the president of the University of Nebraska System. Prior to being the president, he was the executive vice president of provost of the University of Nebraska System from 2021 to 2024. Previously, he was chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center from 2014 to 2024, chancellor of the University of Nebraska at Omaha from 2017 t0 2021, chancellor and executive vice president of Biosciences and Health Affairs at the University of Toledo from 2005 to 2014, and a department chair and professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine from 1996 to 2005. ¹¹

Marco Barker was the vice chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Nebraska—Lincoln from 2019 until November 2024. From November 2024 through January 2025, he was a senior advisor to the Office of the Chancellor where he advised on topics including “on access, leadership, higher education management, and organizational change.” In February 2026, he ended his role as associate professor of Practice, Educational Administration, which he had begun in April 2019. Beginning in 2016, he freelanced as an organizational specialist, where his work includes advising “Fortune 500s, healthcare systems, and nonprofits on workforce equity, inclusion, and leadership pipelines.” In March 2026, he began his role as chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer for the San Franisco Public Utilities Commission. ¹²

1. “What Does It Mean to Be an R1 Research Institution”.” Boundless Possibility, September 13, 2023. https://boundless.rochester.edu/faq-items/what-does-it-mean-to-be-an-r1-research-institution-a-member-of-the-association-of-american-universities-and-a-member-of-the-consortium-on-financing-higher-education/.
2. “Gender and Sexuality Terms.” Gender and Sexuality Terms | Gender and Sexuality Center | Nebraska. Accessed March 20, 2026. https://gsc.unl.edu/gender-and-sexuality-terms/.
3.  “About UNL.” About UNL | University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Accessed March 20, 2026. https://www.unl.edu/about/.
4.  “LGBTQA+ Resources in Nebraska.” LGBTQA+ Resources in Nebraska | Gender and Sexuality Center | Nebraska. Accessed March 20, 2026. https://gsc.unl.edu/lgbtqa-resources-nebraska/
5. “LGBTQA+ Student Organizations.” LGBTQA+ Student Organizations | Gender and Sexuality Center | Nebraska. Accessed March 20, 2026. https://gsc.unl.edu/lgbtqa-student-organizations/.
6. “Trans Guide.” Trans Guide | Gender and Sexuality Center | Nebraska. Accessed March 20, 2026. https://gsc.unl.edu/trans-guide/.
7. “Housing & Dining Accommodations.” Housing & Dining Accommodations | University Housing | Nebraska. Accessed March 20, 2026. https://housing.unl.edu/housing-accommodations/.
8.  “Award Profile Grant Summary.” USAspending.gov. Accessed March 20, 2026. https://www.usaspending.gov/award/ASST_NON_R21MD018509_7529.
9. ^[1] “UNL Proposes Restructuring, Slashing Budget of Diversity and Inclusion Office.” Nebraska Public Media. Accessed March 20, 2026. https://nebraskapublicmedia.org/es/news/news-articles/unl-proposes-restructuring-slashing-budget-of-diversity-and-inclusion-office/.
10. “Media Statement on UNL Closing Diversity Office.” ACLU of Nebraska. Accessed March 20, 2026. https://www.aclunebraska.org/press-releases/media-statement-unl-closing-diversity-office/.
11. Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D. – University of Nebraska system | linkedin. Accessed March 20, 2026. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-p-gold.
12. ^[1] “Dr. Marco Barker – San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 20, 2026. https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmarcobarker/