[KaesoPublius]

The Queer Students Community Centre (QSCC)

BY ANDREW RICHARDSON, SRA HUMANITIES

Learning to live in a new city or being away from home isn’t necessarily easy at first and the stress of wanting to meet people similar to you can almost feel unbearable at times when we begin university. That’s certainly

how I felt as a first year way back when, especially as a queer student just beginning to establish my own social identity and social needs. I’m certainly not the only queer student to experience these feelings, and I’ve noticed through my years that university tends to be the preferred time to open up about sexuality and open up about questions of gender and the emotions linked thereto.

Enter the Queer Students Community Centre (QSCC), a service funded by the McMaster Students Union (MSU). The QSCC operates from September to April as a community space and resource centre for the queer community, allies and anyone who is open minded and accepting of diversity. The space is located in the McMaster University Students Centre (MUSC) on the second floor at the very back near MUSC Administration. However, before I delve into more detail about “the Centre” (as the people who use it call it) I wanted to explain a few terms to make this article perhaps easier to understand. First off, Queer is normally a word associated with negative connotations. It has been, however, adopted by the LGBTTIQQ2AP etc community to essentially mean two positive things.

(1) The term Queer can be used as an umbrella term for LGBTQQ2ITAP (I’m sure I’m missing some letters). This is the general context taken to the QSCC; it used to be named the GLBT Centre, however it wasn’t inclusive enough and LGBTTIQQ2AP was far too long to be practical.

(2) Queer can mean an identity unto itself, usually used by those who dislike the stigma and preconceptions associated with identifying as LGB. Usually this identity can be very political in nature as well.

Nor for the last term I feel I need to clear up. Allies! Who are allies? Anyone who supports the right to exist, the right to diversity and the right to love whoever you want.

Allies can be Gay, Bisexual, straight and many other identities. As such the QSCC does not discriminate its services based on your identity and over the years I’ve been an active volunteer or staff member of the QSCC, plenty of straight people have used the QSCC for research, social adventures and making friends.

So what does the QSCC do exactly? The most prominent use of the QSCC is as a safe space and hangout spot. You can drop in at any time during the day to hang out, meet new people and socialize within the rules of Safe Space. Safe Space is essentially the premise that everyone has the right to feel safe, secure and free from discrimination while in the QSCC. The QSCC also runs the Ally Program which is a program is a way for Queer people and their allies alike to show support for campus diversity by wearing a nice button. On a more social note the QSCC offers events like bowling, movie nights, board games, pride week (featuring a Drag Show, in which I have most definitely participated) and many, many other events.

On a more serious note the QSCC offers peer support which is a form of one on one counselling for anyone who needs an ear and a shoulder to lean on. Peer support is completely confidential and professional and it’s for everyone, queer or straight, who might have concerns or questions about themselves or friends and people you care for. Peer support can be requested by emailing the Coordinator, whose name and information will be included at the bottom of this article. On the same serious note, the QSCC offers Newcomers Nights,

which are essentially a group version of Peer Support, but for those who are more comfortable with themselves and their identity and for those who simply want an easy way to introduce themselves to the queer community at Mac.

The last big program the QSCC offers that I’ll cover is the resource library. Last year the QSCC endeavoured to create a massive resource library for the curious or academics, or even the bored, compiled of books, academic articles, feature movies, we even have some children’s books on hand! All you need to sign out a book or movie is your student card. The QSCC also features a massive quantity of queer magazines; these however cannot be signed out under most circumstances.

The QSCC will have a table at Clubsfest and I highly encourage anyone with questions to come down and have a look, the QSCC Coordinator will be there to answer any questions that I haven’t covered. Also feel free to send me a private message on MacInsiders if you have any questions about anything relating to this article, as last year’s QSCC Coordinator I’m quite able and willing to be of assistance.

In conclusion I’ll leave off with a favourite Dr. Seuss quote of mine: “Those who matter don’t mind and those who mind don’t matter”

Remember, you are who you are, stay strong and proud McMaster!

QSCC Contact info:
Ryan Francey – Coordinator
[email protected]
905-525 9140 ext. 27397

[ferreinm]

I apologize in advance if I sound really ignorant right now.. but what does LGBTQQ2ITAP (everything after the first T) stand for?

[lorend]

I know the first four of the acronym for sure, but may have the next two right as well:

Lesbian
Gay
Bisexual
Transgender
Queer
Questioning

[ferreinm]

I know the first four but what comes after that? I didn't know there were so many. And I know this is horrible to ask but what's a queer? I always thought it was a person who's gay? Is it more politically correct or is it totally different?

[davey]

im going to take a lucky guess...

2 = two spirited?
A = aesexual?
P = pansexual?

oh and great article! ill be sure to visit in september!!

[ferreinm]

two spirited? pansexual?

I've never heard of this before. Wow, I'm stunned. I'm glad Mac's on the ball with this though. I just wish I didn't figure it all out today.

[a-max]

and in 'LGBTTIQQ2AP', I'd guess the second T stands for 'Transvestite' and the I for 'Intersex', but that is just speculation on my part...

The term 'Non-Exclusively Heterosexual' would seem to apply to all the above but human sexuality is so complex that I'm just not sure...

[KaesoPublius]

L - Lesbian
G - Gay
B- Bisexual
T - Transgender
T-Transsexual
Q - Queer
Q- Questioning
I - Intersex
2 - Two Spirit
A - Asexual
P - Pansexual

It is hard to remember, which is why I generally use queer in the umbrella term sense, and have continued to encourage the positive use of the word on campus.

Pansexuals (or Omnisexuals), for those who might be confused, is a term that moves beyond the gender binary. The term bisexual is rather limited in that it only acknowledges two genders (when in fact there are many, many many ways gender manifests itself in individuals) and thusly a pansexual is attracted to many genders, not just two.

As for queer, yes, it is a reclaimed word that can mean two things, aside from the popular insult of course.

Definition One - Someone who identifies as queer may do so because they do not feel as though they fit in properly with the other sexual identity terms. Or they might wish to avoid any of those terms for any of the biases or stereotypes that go along with them. It's also pretty political.

Definition Two - It's an umbrella term for the LGBTQQI2AP community, and is much easier to use as it also covers trans- and other gender identities.

So yes, it's okay to use so long as the context is understood by all

[lorend]

Thanks for the clarification! And thanks also for the article!