Q Center, winter 2021
This fall, the Q Center welcomed Nick Martin (he/him) and Nic Francisco (they/them), the new assistant director and coordinator for the center, respectively.
Martin received his BS in hospitality management from the Ohio State University and his MAEd in higher education and student affairs from Virginia Tech. He come to us from Syracuse University where he worked in housing and residence life. Prior to that, he worked at universities in California, Colorado and Kuwait.
Francisco, known as Dr. Nic, received their BA in political science from the University of Utah, their MS and PhD in political science from the University of Oregon, and a Graduate Certificate in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies from the University of Oregon. They come to us having just completed their dissertation and PhD candidacy at the University of Oregon. Previously, they worked for the community Q Center in Portland, Ore., and served as an adjunct instructor for distance learning courses.
OUTober Pride Month
The month of October is nationally recognized as LGBTQ+ history month. The Q Center highlighted the month by coining “OUTober,” a time to celebrate and affirm the LGBTQ+ campus population while also educating community members on past and current issues relating to queer people. Throughout the month we held an OUTober Pride March on National Coming Out Day, facilitated a Gender Affirming Pop-Up Thrift Shop, hosted a Ga(y)me Night and a Halloween party, and partnered with Late Nite for our annual screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. OUTober Pride March saw 51 students join Q Center professional staff for brief speeches from student leaders and campus community partners leading into a march around the Brain and concluding with a dance circle of celebration in front of The Union. The Gender Affirming Pop-Up Thrift Shop was attended by 30 transgender and gender non-conforming students who were able to spice up their wardrobe by finding new clothing items that affirmed their gender identity and/or expression. The excellent turnout to this event prompted an expansion of the existing clothing closet in our space. The other social events were well attended, seeing over 70 students in attendance in total.
Transgender Awareness Week
Transgender Awareness Week, nationally observed Nov. 13-19 this year and culminating with Trans Day of Remembrance (TDoR) on November 20, was commemorated by the Q Center with a week full of events that promoted education on trans identities and social opportunities for trans and gender non-conforming campus community members. We chalked and flagged the spine with trans-affirming messages, opened our brand new Gender Bender Walk-in Clothing Closet, facilitated a Trans 101 Active Ally workshop and a teach-in discussing trans experiences in prisons, screened the film Call Her Ganda, and collaborated with student organizations SHADES and Transcend on a Trans Art Gallery and the TDoR Vigil. In total, there were 54 participants from the campus community throughout the week of events. We look forward to turning the conversation into action in the spring with our inaugural Transgender Liberation series!
Launch of the new Gender Bender Walk-in Clothing Closet
After a successful thrift shop event in OUTober, a room within the Q Center was converted into an expanded clothing closet, affectionately known as the Gender Bender Walk-In Clothing Closet; a space created to empower and affirm all identities on the gender spectrum and a tool to disrupt and resist the gender binary. Previously in an actual closet, this resource is now an essential component of our space and represents an important resource for the LGBTQ+ community on campus. In the future, we look forward to partnering with other entities on campus to expand the reach and scope of our clothing collection.
Graduate student engagement
Beginning in October, Q Center graduate assistant Julia Saltzman started a weekly Grad Talk series with the goal of providing graduate students within the LGBTQ+ community a welcoming space to connect, support and learn from each other. In total we have seen nine graduate students engage with this weekly event series.
Interactive workshop offerings
Throughout the fall, Nic Francisco collaborated with faculty from Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies (WGSS), the education minor, and the Department of Health and Wellness to provide interactive workshops that educate around different components of LGBTQ+ identities and share critical research related to the larger queer community. The workshop for a health and wellness class was part lecture and part interactive games where students learned about issues facing the LGBTQ community, such as health disparities, criminalization, houselessness and other forms of systemic oppression. The workshop for an education minor class engaged in vibrant scenario-based discussion in which students developed practical skills for supporting students who may be experiencing harassment or violence because of their gender and/or sexual identities. In total, 50 students participated in these workshops and, due to their success and positive reception, the workshops will be repeated for more students in the spring.