With coloring and hot cocoa, Eastern Michigan University's LBGTQ+ community gathered in the Student Center on Wednesday Jan. 10, for the LBGT Resource Center Winter Mixer. The Mixer was provided for members of the community to meet the staff of the Resource center and to hang out with friends.
The event included a T-shirt raffle, voting for the theme of this year's Pride Prom, and music. Students also had the chance to get information on upcoming events held by the LBGT Resource Center and Queer Unity for Eastern Students (QUEST), this semester. The Next LBGT friendly event, Speed Friending, will be held by QUEST on January 25th in the Student Center ballroom at 7:00 pm.
“We do have a very large community, having a resource center says we are for you,” said a member of the center's staff.
The LBGT resource center is located on the third floor of the student center and runs several support groups including Queer and Trans People of Color collective (QTPOCC) and Trans and Gender Queer group (TGQ) as well as working with QUEST.
The Center offers numerous services including education and self-advocacy resources like LBGTQ+ books and films. The center holds several events including the Pride Prom, and educational events like TRANScending the Cistem, both held in March.
“To me it means support I can always find someone to talk to” said Nolan Chapin, another staff member of the center, at the event.
With a large LBGTQ+ community in Ypsilanti and EMU, the resource center is a safe place on campus for those it serves, staffed by compassionate people willing to help with various problems that may arise. From finding gender neutral housing on campus to finding a coming out/being out support group, the center is always there for students.
The Resource Center can be found in 353 of the student center and can be contacted through email at lbgtrcc@emich.edu.
