Abby Everidge
Staff Writer
October was LGBTQ+ History Month and the organizations at The College of Wooster have had events all month celebrating. The Center for Diversity and Inclusion led the second open house for their new safe space to announce its official title of “The Q Space.” Queer People of Color (QPoC) held a presentation on Latinx Queers that coincided with the end of Hispanic Heritage Month.
The Queer People of Color also have a busy month in November, including a display on the art wall for Transgender Awareness Week that will be up from Nov. 11 to 18, leading up to the Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil on Nov. 20. The Transgender Day of Remembrance is an annual observance that is meant to honor the memory of those who have lost their lives in acts of transphobic violence.
This is a day that has been recognized by queer communities across the nation since 1999. According to Laura Montoya ’21, the public relations chair for QPoC, this art wall “gives information on trans and non-binary identities and their experiences, and the importance of raising awareness of the lack of community support and resources made available when they face adversity and discrimination.”
The Queer Student Union (QSU) and QPoC are also collaborating on “The Queer Barbecue” that will be held in mid-November. Montoya stated, “Both organizations hope that this event will help unify the entire queer community on campus and bridge differences between the groups.” Events held by organizations such as QPoC, QSU and the CDI are extremely important because our student body has a large number of queer students and these events help bring attention to the struggles that these students may face on a daily basis.
Montoya explained, “Attending or supporting events like Trans Awareness Week and the Trans Day of Remembrance Vigil shows queer students that there is a support system on campus.”
These organizations all have positive missions that should be recognized. The CDI, and specifically their Sexuality and Gender Inclusion branch, encourages students to get involved in QPoC or QSU or even just go to a Safe Zone Training in order to “help create a climate free of transphobia, cissexism, homophobia, heterosexism, misogyny, sexism and be a part of an affirming and inclusive community.”
According to the Associate Dean of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion Shadra Smith, the “CDI celebrates diversity of all kinds, helps the community learn how to respect others and remains focused on the legacy of supporting historically marginalized groups.” All of these groups are inclusive regardless of identity and would love to see you at one of their upcoming events!
