During the last two months, the chaos surrounding the elections has greatly impacted the LGBTQ+ community.
At Oregon State University, many students are coming together to discuss, offer spaces of support and maintain hope for a brighter future for their community.
The day after the election, the Rainbow Continuum, a social and educational LGBTQ+ club at OSU was hosting its usual weekly meeting. Daiz Sondag, president of the club, said that they and the officers were considering postponing the meeting for safety reasons. Upon seeing that there was no agitation on campus, they decided to maintain the meeting.
“We did end up locking the doors and having a staff member or officer let people in, just as a precautionary measure to make sure that everyone felt that they were in a secure place,” Sondag said.
During the meeting, tensions were pretty high, but as the meeting went on, people started to relax and took part in activities like arts and crafts or fun discussions.
“Everyone was kind of just in this uneasy state of not really sure of what’s going to happen next,” Sondag said.
Sondag shared they were scared that people would feel like there was no use in continuing to fight against changes that will negatively impact them if its from a position of power so high above them that they can’t control.
“That’s a very hard thing to combat when people lose hope. So you really do just have to try and stick together,” Sondag said.
Jessica Blunn is a first-year master’s student in forest ecosystem and society, and she is the president of the newly founded club, the Pauline’s. Jessica said that the goal of the club is to provide “a space for representation of the true diversity […] when it comes to gender diversity, and also in support of other marginalized groups within the College of Forestry.”
On Nov. 25, the Paulines hosted a coffee chat called “post-election roundtable.” They provided a welcoming space and shared resources with club members on contraceptive care, OSU freedom of speech policy and how to support and be in solidarity with international students.
The purpose of the Paulines is to not only provide space and support for marginalized communities but also to materially support people. Blunn said that she hopes the club can become a liaison between the different sources of support, notably concerning access to contraceptive care and abortion.
“I truly believe we have no other choice than to stand up for each other and to work through what this administration is gonna throw at us in order to survive and to thrive,” said Blunn.
Christoph Anderson, who has a leadership position at the Paulines and is a third-year natural resources student said that one of the prevalent fears for LGBTQ+ individuals, especially today, is the fear of discrimination when it comes to things like medical care, marriage and equal rights.
Christoph said that he is personally worried about active discrimination in the workforce.
While the future remains uncertain, there are many accessible resources on campus available to LGBTQ+ students. These include the Pride Center, SOL, the Hattie Redmond Women and Gender Center (and any other cultural center intersecting with an LGBTQ+ student’s identity), the Student Health Services (Reproductive Care / C care), the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, the Social Justice Education Initiative and clubs like the Rainbow Continuum, the Paulines or Out in Stem.
Blunn also noted that Equal Opportunity and Access at OSU is also a helpful resource in cases of harassment and/or discrimination.
“I do believe that strong communities are built through struggle,” said Blunn.