Hello to all, my name is Jorge Vargas, current president of the GLBTQA club. What is GLBTQA and what does it represent, one might ask. Well, to start off, GLBTQA stands for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning. The mission statement of our club is simple “Working to ensure all voices in the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered and Questioning/Queer Community are heard and represented with dignity and respect.” What we try to do is provide a safe haven to students that identify as a member of the GLBTQA community. We want to make sure that, as one of the many communities at NEIU, we are represented, which is something that hasn’t been done until very recently. As a club we have grown tremendously during the past few years. We are working together to improve our numbers and define the club as a support network and resource for the GLBTQA community.
When I came into the presidency, I made it my goal to create events with the rest of the executive board that would benefit our members and educate the NEIU community on issues that affect the GLBTQA community. I have always believed and said that if we can’t effect changes for current NEIU students, we can try and create a more accepting and socially conscious environment for future NEIU students that identify as GLTBQA. Another goal I have is to inspire as many people as possible to be open about who they are. I encourage members and non-members alike to use their voices positively and not let any fear or any person keep them quiet. If GLTBQA students feel their choices and lifestyles are supported and accepted, they will not be afraid to live life honestly and freely.
So far, we have had two very successful events this past month. First, we conducted an “It gets better” video here on campus. We did this because we felt that we needed to show others that, while being GLBTQA is difficult at times, everyone is more than capable of finding enough joy and meaning in their lives to outshine the negative parts. The members of the GLBTQA club were inspired to hold this event by the legacy of Jamey Rodemeyer, a teen that took his life recently because he couldn’t cope with the bullying he faced for being gay. For our second event, we teamed up with the Student Union to launch a series that will run every month called L.O.L., which stands for LGBTQA Outreach Lounge. Since we lack an actual resource center, what this program aims to do is provide a space where we can hold discussions and both empower and engage our audiences through speakers, activities and ice breakers. For this first L.O.L our main topic was the concept of coming out publically and what it means to people in the GLBTQA community. We had an amazing speaker, Antony Adams, who is a professor of Communications here at NEIU. He read the audience an excerpt of his book, which deals with coming out. Then we held an open mic where anyone that felt comfortable could share their coming out stories. Overall, this event was very meaningful and emotional. We look forward to the next one on Nov. 17, which will feature a film with a panel discussion on what it’s like to be transgender.
Everyone is welcome to join the club or come to any event. We respect everyone’s decisions and opinions. If interested, come to one of our meetings held every Thursday at 3:05-4:05 p.m. in the Fine Arts building, room 203.