Members of Citrus College’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance said the club along with other resources help LGBTQ students feel welcome on campus.
GSA provides a yearly forum for LGBTQ students to ask questions and learn information students may be afraid to ask about.
Kinesiology major Justina Du’Brey is the GSA club president at Citrus.
After being in the club for a couple years, Du’Brey said she wanted a change from the regular social gatherings so she ran for club president in order to inform fellow members about important issues concerning the LGBT community in a safe and comfortable way.
“We are a much better club now because we’re actually learning things and becoming more active on campus,” Du’Brey said.
Du’Brey said she focuses her leadership on members’ concerns.
She said she tries to save the last 10 minutes to throw ideas on the table about what members want to know. She spends the next week gathering information together and getting speakers to let members know she cares.
“We hear you, we see you, and we want to help,” Du’Brey said.
Gia da Vinci, who identifies as queer, navigates campus by wearing a sticker with their pronouns on their clothing.
“I was really scared at first because I had never done something like regularly wearing my pronouns outside of queer communities,” da Vinci said. “I’m happy to say that so far everything has gone well in the sense that no one has acted in any way harmful to me.”
Da Vinci started their first semester at Citrus this semester after transferring from PCC where they were the president of Queer Alliance. They met Du’Brey while volunteering at the San Gabriel Valley LGBTQ center and joined GSA to find safe space and find their people at Citrus.
Jenna Miles, GSA secretary and treasurer, said she joined GSA as soon as she stepped on campus to find people who are accepting and to find safe and comfortable places around campus.
Four- year universities have more resources than Citrus when it comes to LGBTQ programs but Du’Brey hopes as time goes on Citrus’ GSA will be able to do bigger things and hear and learn from more speakers.
“Citrus is trying their best,”Du’Brey said. “They do have non-gender specific restrooms so that’s helpful to some people who might not be comfortable deciding which restroom to enter…but I wish it was more accessible”
Da Vinci expressed their concerns for accessibility in accordance with how much time students are given between classes.
Citrus has Safe Zone which is a campus-wide program committed to making Citrus College a safer, more welcoming, and inclusive environment for the LGBTQ community.
“It’s good having teachers who are welcoming and understanding of what’s going on to talk to,” Miles said.
Despite this, Du’Brey said she wishes they enforced having more faculty allies on campus.
Da Vinci has experienced a range of behaviors and obstacles during their college experience such as people on to campus with hateful signs. But they said teachers who are open to talk help in those situations.
Members of GSA say Citrus is putting on inclusivity training on Oct. 10 in the Campus Center.
“The fact that they’re doing the inclusivity training shows that they care,”Du’Brey said. “I hope people show up to hear people out.”
The club also acknowledges the many resources and scholarships available for LGBTQ students.
One website that helps LGBTQ students looking to transfer is the Campus Pride Index, which compares and rates universities based on their friendliness to LGBTQ and what each university has to offer students to feel welcome.
Students can search through the best four-year campuses for LGBTQ students. Campuses are ranked for inclusion and safety on the Campus Pride website along with allies who welcome them, LGBTQ centers, classes and programs.
The Point Foundation is the largest LGBTQ scholarship fund and offers scholarships based on academic performance, financial need and the applicant’s involvement in the LGBTQ community.
One of the Point Foundation’s scholarships is dedicated to community college students and offers between $2,000-$4,800 in scholarship support, admissions counseling, coaching and financial education.
Du’Brey plans to talk to the club about their transfer options.
“There will always be bumps in the road when transferring for LGBTQ people,” Du’Brey said. “But nothing that talking to someone or explaining on paper won’t fix.”
Filling out college applications can create anxiety for LGBTQ students when it comes to checking female or male boxes.
“It helps to know yourself and a lot of the anxiety comes from younger people who are still trying to figure themselves out,” Du’Brey said. “Take your time and figure out what makes you comfortable.”
Although many colleges accept and welcome LGBTQ students, there are some that don’t.
Du’Brey advises LGBTQ students not to let orientation deter them from going where they want to get educated because they’re just like any other human being who wants to step-up in life.
To learn more about GSA or to be involved in the club, they meet every Wednesday from 2:30 – 4 p.m. in campus center 104.
