The Queer Students Alliance: Parlin hall
Started in 1970, founded by 2 students. One student named Wendell Jones founded this organization after being failed by a professor after being failed on an essay he wrote about being gay. At the time this was extremely controversial because it was not as common/ accepted as it is today. Today the QSA exists to foster leadership within lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer communities at the University. In addition to advocating for LGBTQ students and hosting community-wide events, the Alliance acts as an umbrella group for all LGBTQ organizations at the University. Some of the events that are hosted by the alliance include The Welcome Carnival, Queer Leadership Institute, Pride Week, Transgender Day of Remembrance, Queer Texas Conference, World AIDS Day, And Coming Out Week.The alliance serves as an umbrella network for other LGBTQ movements and groups including StandOut, QPOCA, Queer Cinema Revolt, Gaymers, And Shesays.http://www.dailytexanonline.com/2014/04/07/gay-liberation-front-from-1970s-paved-way-for-ut-gay-rights-groups
Gender and Sexuality Center: Serving Women and LGBTQA Communities
The mission of the Gender and Sexuality Center is to provide opportunities for all members of the UT Austin community to explore, organize, and promote learning around issues of gender and sexuality. The center also facilitates a greater responsiveness to the needs of women and the LGBTQIA+ communities through education, outreach, and advocacy. The women’s resource center opened in 1997 and the GBLTA center was established in 2001. The two organizations joined together in 2003 to help create a more unified and accessible group for the students of UT. The organization called itself the Interim Gender and Sexuality Center until 2005.Originally the center was located in a small computer room in the library. It wasn’t fancy, but it was a big deal that UT had it. The center moved three times over the next six years until it moved to its current location in the Student Activity Center in 2011.This organization also hosts the Feminist Action Project, Peers for Pride, GSC library, and the lavender graduation, which is held at the end of every semester and celebrates the accomplishments of LGBTQ studentshttps://diversity.utexas.edu/genderandsexuality/
Gamma Rho Lambda house & LGBT fraternity
This is the first LGBTQ fraternity/sorority. Gamma Rho Lambda has chapters all across the US. The first chapter to open was the Alpha chapter at the University of Arizona in 2003. UT hosts the TAU chapter, which was founded in 2016. This house is available to all queer and trans students. They are closely tied with the Gender and Sexuality Center on campus which provides them as well as many other organizations with support and great resources. Currently, Tau is a member of the Affiliate Council with Sorority and Fraternity life with the university, but they are petitioning to become a part of the Multicultural Greek Council. Tau supports a number of nonprofits through philanthropy including The Trevor Project, Bastrop Fire Relief, Safe Place, etc. Gamma Rho Lambda is quickly growing into one of the largest chapters on campus.
Pride and equity association created for faculty and staff
This is a University Resource Group established in the Fall of 2006 to promote the interests of LGBTQ+ and allied faculty and staff at UT Austin.The association offers Kindcare for UT staff, which includes PrEP and PEP access, STI testing and treatment, HIV testing, and gender-affirming care to Central Texans in need. The Kind Clinic strives to provide sexual health services to all members of the LGBTQ community and allies, regardless of race, creed, gender expression, or sexual orientation.
Late Night Rally targets LGBT hate crime after an attack on gays couple
Saturday, February 2nd, 200 people rallied and marched to the Texas Capitol to protest LGBT hate crimes. To especially protest against a recent LGBT hate crime that occurred on January 19th of this year. Spencer Deehring and Tristan Perry were leaving a Fourth Street bar and holding hands when a group of men began beating them up leaving them unconscious. The march on February 2nd, began at Fourth Street, near the location where the attack took place and continued onto to the south steps of the Capitol. Hyden who organized the event said that “the number of people who marched and spoke at the event was unexpected.” Protesters began their march at 8 pm that night and stopped traffic on south congress avenue. Jerry Garza who participated in the march acclaims, “I just hope that it resonates with everyone else who wasn’t here...If no one’s listening, it goes to deaf ears.” This last stop really sets the tone for society’s future expectations and realities to acceptance the LGBTQIA+ community. It shows that we must continue to fight for the freedom and justice that the LGBTQIA+ community deserves.
