Last Friday at lunch, The Queer Straight Alliance (QSA) met in Chloe Root’s Room to discuss future club elections and fundraisers.

About 20 students attended the meeting. Everyone passed around the “Talking Tiger” to introduce one another and share their favorite queer icons; Eugene Yang and members from The Fabulous Five were popular favorites throughout the room.

Next on the “gay agenda” was elections. Some of the students running for President are Jayden, Dom-with Logan as his Vice President-and Johnny, who is also running for Mascot. QSA is also trying to fill positions for Facilitator and Treasurer/Secretary. They plan on having their election by this week.

If elected president, Johnny, a sophomore who joined QSA last year, would like to start a public forum to help spread knowledge and get rid of ignorance and stigma about the LGBTQ+ Community.

“I’m excited to actually do something besides sitting and watching Youtube, [even though] I was the one who proposed watching videos,” Johnny said.”

The rest of the meeting was focused on brainstorming ideas for fundraising. Students came up with a bake sale, garage sale, selling pins and stickers or even hosting a gay haunted house. The discussion was truly student-run and full of numerous creative ideas.

Root, who has been the QSA club adviser for nine years, thought the meeting had good energy to start off the year but was a little hectic because there was so many people who were excited and filling the room with laughter.

QSA is in the mists of figuring out what their focus will be during the school year.

“There have been years where we have been more of an activist group, there have been years where we have been an information provider, and there have been years where we have just been a friend support group, so it really depends on what the dynamic is,” Root said.
Root predicts that QSA will be more of a friend support group based on the club environment so far.

QSA provides a comfortable space to share and be open with fellow community students.
“When you come in you know there’s going to be an acknowledgement of queer culture,” Root said. “So, I think a lot of people are able to let their guard down, in terms of not worrying about correcting people of pronouns, or not worrying about not understanding issues that we’re discussing. Anyone who comes doesn’t need to be on guard about that stuff. It’s a really safe space.”