Women and Gender Services

Women and Gender Services (WXGS) is under the department of student life. We support all women students as well as all non-binary students and their intersectional identities through student club support, programs, workshops, education, advocacy and providing resources so students can be their whole selves to thrive at MIT. This is also a space for allies as well. 

The Margaret Cheney Room is the women and non-binary student center that's open 24/7 via tap access.  There's a zoom room, a lactation/quiet room, a student conference room, lockers, piano, a lounge, a main space/activity room, a kitchen, the WXGS office and so much more. 2-3 times a month there will be intersectional programs and events. Take a look at our sidebar for programs/events page to see what WXGS is up to.

If you're interested in learning more about what we do, how we support our undergrad, grad, and postdoc students and more, then feel free to click our sidebar FAQ page. If you have any additional questions please reach out to us at: wxgs@mit.edu.

The Margaret Cheney Room

The Margaret Cheney Room, MIT's women's student community center, was founded in 1884 in recognition of the fact that women have traditionally been denied a safe space of their own, especially in the STEM fields. In light of its founding mission, the Cheney Room exists to promote community and empower all students at MIT who experience gender-based systems of oppression. This includes (but is not limited to) transgender women, cisgender women, non-binary individuals as well as marginalized gender identities.

Click the sidebar to learn more about the Margaret Cheney Room.

Resources in the center include a Zoom room, a quiet room/lactation room, student study space, smart TVs, and we have a library of books students can check-out to read. You can see our full catalogue of board games and books through our WXGS Library Catalogue. 

Programs and Events Highlight

Boston Dyke March by WXGS

Description: Join WXGS in the Rainbow Lounge for an exciting pre-event gathering as we prepare for the Boston Dyke March! Enjoy delicious food, make creative posters, and engage in lively conversations as we come together to celebrate and support the Dyke March. After our preparations, we'll head to Boston Common to join the march and show our solidarity. This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with the community, express your creativity, and stand up for LGBTQ+ rights. Don't miss out on this empowering event!

This event is open to faculty, staff, students, alum, and friends of MIT of all genders.

• Date: Friday, June 7th, 2024
• Time: 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm | 5:45pm leave for march | 6:00pm start of marching
• Location: Rainbow Lounge 50-250

Are you ok? Pop up Exhibit with MIT Open Space and WXGSExhibitExhibit

Description: Join MIT Open Space Programming and WXGS for the "Are You OK?" Digital Pop-Up Exhibit, featuring powerful portraits of trans and non-binary youth by queer-identifying photographer Jesse Freidin (He/His). This captivating exhibit highlights the resilience, strength, and diversity of the LGBTQ+ community through stunning visual storytelling.

This event is open to faculty, staff, students, alum, and friends of MIT of all genders.

• Date: Tuesday, June 11th
• Time: 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
• Location: MIT Open Space

Keep In Touch!

Follow us on Instagram and join our listserv so you don't miss announcements and programs and events.  In addition to sharing our programs, we spotlight women figures past and present, share educational resources and support, highlight women's conferences that students can attend, and much more.

• Instagram: @wxgs_mit
• Sign up for our emails: WXGS Mailing List Form