In Chicago over the weekend there was a meeting of gay minds — nine gay college and university presidents met to form a group focused on "leadership development for those who are gay presidents or who aspire to be, professional development for gay people at all levels of academe, and on education and advocacy to promote equity and diversity."

Inside Higher Ed reports on the meet-up:

"The meeting was the first attempt to gather the growing number of out college presidents (25 were invited) — and participants said in interviews after the event that they wanted to encourage more gay academics to aspire to leadership positions and wanted to push higher education to include issues of sexual orientation when talking about diversity. The partners of some of the presidents also attended and held their own discussions, and the new group plans to be a place to talk about issues related to the partners and other family members of gay presidents…The new organization has been named the LGBTQ Presidents in Higher Education, said Charles Middleton, president of Roosevelt University and co-host of the meeting. The group plans to reconvene first in a few months, and then perhaps at next year's meeting of the American Council on Education."

In attendance were Charlita Shelton of University of the Rockies, Theodora Kalikow of the University of Maine at Farmington, Karen Whitney of Clarion University, Neal King of Antioch University Los Angeles, Katherine Ragsdale of the Episcopal Divinity School, Raymond Crossman of the Adler School of Professional Psychology, Charles Middleton of Roosevelt University, Les McCabel of Semester at Sea, and Ralph Hexter of Hampshire College.