Queer student space set for grand opening on Wednesday

Cover image: Students at queer prom last year with drag queen Amòra, who performed at the prom. Credit: H Hausman

By Natalie Nemes

A new space for queer students will have its official opening on the third floor of the CdC in room 355 on Wednesday, Sept. 27 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.. The room, formerly a faculty work space, will be shared with Katie’s Closet. For those who have lobbied for this space extensively, the grand opening has been a long time coming.

Securing the Space

“If you look at like the colleges in the area, we are one of the only ones that does not have a QSA or queer space on campus for students,” said Morgan Walsh ‘24 (Respiratory Care), Queer Student Alliance board member.

Walsh has been working toward a queer student space since their first year here. However, serious conversation about identifying a space did not begin until last spring, when Walsh, QSA board member H Hausman ‘24 (Biology, Longevity and Aging minor) and other advocates — including QSA club advisor Jasper Ririe — met twice with Matt Goodwin, former vice president of Student Affairs. Goodwin promised the advocates a space by this fall — a promise that the University made good on.

Hausman said their biggest obstacle for securing a space was, “St. Kate’s and their fear that if they don’t give LGBTQ+ students a space that is ‘good enough’ or is in a good location, then they will receive backlash or negative publicity, so they push off actually giving us a space.” They called Goodwin’s promise a “big step” toward actually settling on a queer student space, given his upper-level position in the University’s administration.

Discussion took place over the summer with Lisa Babbs, director of facilities, environmental safety & compliance, to select a space that would make the most sense for its intended purpose. The group eventually settled on the queer student space’s current location in the CdC.

Adapting an Old Space for a New Purpose

“I think it’s so perfect,” Walsh said about the room. “It’s really nice that it’s in the CdC. That was a concern that we had right off the bat, was that there wasn’t going to be space in the CdC for it. And I think that this is such a center for like, student life that it would be unfortunate for it to not be in this space.” They were hopeful that sharing the space with Katie’s Closet would attract more students. Walsh also appreciated its secluded location in an alcove and behind a closed door that provides privacy.

While Hausman said that the room formerly being a faculty work space could work in their favor because of the useful furniture that already exists there, they had some other critiques of the space’s repurposing.

On splitting the space with Katie’s Closet, Hausman said, “Sharing a space with a different organization that doesn’t necessarily share our goals of being a safe space for LGBTQ+ students doesn’t guarantee full safety and acceptance whenever a queer student enters the room.” They also stated advocates, “were originally told we would have a room to ourselves.”

Hausman has also run into issues with accessing the space because the entrance to the side of the room for queer students has a storage lock, meaning it cannot be left unlocked. Hausman and their friends have had to enter the space by entering through the door on the Katie’s Closet side and then crawling past clothing racks to the other half of the room.

QSA’s poster board at this year’s Activities Fair. Credit: H Hausman

As the space is still in its soft launch phase, Walsh said the first step in preparing the room for widespread use is getting as many people in there decorating as possible. They hope the space will eventually be used for QSA and other queer club meetings and additionally host a queer library for student use. Walsh also sees students using the room for fun activities like movie and game nights or simply as a place for people to study or decompress.

The Importance of Queer Spaces

Considering the strong queer community on this campus, Walsh said, “It’s almost a disservice to not provide those individuals with a space where they can connect together with people who are in the same community as them” and find resources “readily available to them when they need help.”

They would have benefited greatly from a safe environment where they could meet other queer people during their earlier college years, Walsh said. “Queer support and resources I feel like is one of those things where, at least in my personal experience, it’s very hard to come by naturally.” Walsh added, “Providing a space that, like, helps open that door for people I think is super important.”

Hausman referenced the current political climate as a reason why a queer space is essential for students. “With all the current legislation surrounding trans rights in America, and the anti-LGBTQ+ legislation affecting students in schools, I believe it is necessary to have safe spaces for queer students on St. Kate’s campus,” they said. “This space has the capability of building a support network among the LGBTQ+ community on campus, which is something many queer students need.”

A Community Effort

Officially naming and decorating the space will be a process that heavily involves community members outside of QSA leadership. They are currently open to suggestions for what the space should be called, and queer artists are invited to bring their art to the grand opening to spruce up the room’s decor.

“We want this lounge to represent the LGBTQ+ student body, and we want their input on what they want it to look and feel like so that everyone feels welcome and included in this space,” Hausman said.

While several years of work have gone into securing a room for queer students, advocates still have a long way to go before the space morphs into the home for the University’s queer community that leaders like Walsh and Hausman foresee it becoming. Now marks a significant time in St. Kate’s queer history when students have the opportunity to shape what campus may look like for future Wildcats, starting with something as small as decorations and ending with what may be a haven for queerness.