OUR TRAINER EXERTISE

Shane Mendez Windmeyer is a best-selling author, LGBTQ+ campus pioneer, and civil rights champion with over two decades of experience leading and advocating for LGBTQ+ inclusion in higher education. 

As the founder and longtime Executive Director of Campus Pride, Windmeyer has been instrumental in building a national movement to create safer, more inclusive campus environments. Through his trailblazing leadership, Campus Pride empowered future leaders to drive positive change, serving over 1,400 colleges and universities and thousands of LGBTQ+ and ally students, faculty and staff.

Windmeyer is the creator of the Campus Pride Index, the premier benchmarking tool for LGBTQ+ campus inclusion, and author of The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students, which profiled the top LGBTQ-friendly campuses. Their work also includes editing groundbreaking books, such as Brotherhood: Gay Life in College Fraternities and Out on Fraternity Row.

Raised on a farm in Hiawatha, Kansas, Windmeyer is of mixed Native American and Mexican heritage, bringing a distinctive perspective to their advocacy. As a member of the Iowa Tribe, they hold a bachelor’s degree from Emporia State University and a master’s degree from Indiana University. Windmeyer lives in Charlotte, NC, with their husband, Thomas Feldman; the two married in 2015 after 20 years together.

Qualifications for Safe Space on Campus Inclusion and Diversity Work:

• Extensive Experience in Higher Education Advocacy: 30+ years of advocating for LGBTQ+ campus populations, with expertise in intersectional diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

• Program and Curriculum Development: Created nationally recognized curriculum and programs addressing LGBTQ+ inclusion, Safe Space training, bias and hate crime prevention, and improving campus safety.

• Training: Conducted hands-on Safe Space inclusion training for over 6,000 community members across 650 college campuses, fostering awareness and allyship.

• Nationally Published Resources: Published a widely referenced listing for nearly two decades on the best and worst colleges for LGBTQ+ students, shaping informed choices for LGBTQ+ applicants and their families.

• LGBTQ+ Campus Climate Work: Developed LGBTQ+ inclusion metrics for improving campus climate; supported 800+ campuses in expanding LGBTQ+ policies, programs, and best practices for institutional change.