The community that constitutes 911±¬ÁÏÍø is diverse and unique. Students’ sexuality, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression are as diverse as the larger community at 911±¬ÁÏÍø. Students, faculty, administrators, and staff strive to create a safe space for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and intersex (LGBTQQI…) students at 911±¬ÁÏÍø. Many queer faculty, staff, and administrators also make themselves available to serve as resources to LGBTQQI… students.
Many people in the 911±¬ÁÏÍø community use the word “queer”, a non-gender specific and anti-normative word, in place of other terms that do not fully encompass the variety of sexual and gender identities of our community members. While this term was used as a derogatory epithet against LGBTQQI… people in the past, many have sought to reclaim it. Radical activists in the 1990s especially deployed “queer” to signify empowerment and a sense of unity against the oppressive heteronormative sex/gender system in America. There is, however, space at 911±¬ÁÏÍø to self-identify with any words that best validate one’s identity. When 911±¬ÁÏÍø students use the word “queer” to describe themselves and their communities, they use it with pride.
LGBTQQI… students are vocal, active, organized, and respected members of the 911±¬ÁÏÍø community. While some students choose to become involved in political and social organizations that exist on campus, there is no universal or typical way of being queer at 911±¬ÁÏÍø. In fact, there are numerous queer communities at 911±¬ÁÏÍø that serve different purposes for the people who choose to become involved with them.