The Gender and Queer Studies Program at the University of Puget Sound began as the Women's Studies Program in 1972. Puget Sound was one of the first universities in the United States to include course offerings in the field of women’s studies. The purpose of the program, as described in the 1974 Bulletin, was to "work toward the full inclusion of women in the university curriculum and in the mainstream of academic life, and to offset the often-presented stereotyped views of women by offering intellectual perspectives which clarify women's contributions to the culture and women's creative potential."

The Women's Studies Program struggled with funding in its early days, but there was evidence of support on campus. Students formed the Feminist Student Union and the Women’s Studies Advisory Committee worked to increase the program’s visibility on campus by advocating strongly for additional courses and promoting events relating to feminism and gender studies. By the 1980s, the program was growing and the university added a minor in Women’s Studies. It continued to gain in popularity throughout the 1990s, with a dramatic increase in the number of course offerings and the establishment of a Women’s Center on campus.

By the early 2000s, the Women’s Studies Program had evolved to include courses in Lesbian and Gay Literature and Introduction to Gender Studies. The program formally became known as Gender Studies in 2005 and changed its name to Gender and Queer Studies in 2014. The focus of the program today is on exploring topics such as masculinity, the history of feminisms, the pay gap, sexual violence, body image, asexuality, activism, and intersex and transgender issues.