by Elisabeth Bass, Class of 2025
In 1972, students came together to form the Gay Student Union, creating a support group to cope with the hardships homosexual students faced. This group was not intersectional, in that it was only a place for gay men, and mostly white gay men at that. In the 1980’s, QSU shifted to include lesbians as well, becoming the Gay and Lesbian Student Union. Finally, in the early 2000’s, the Queer Student Union was born to include all members of the LGBTQ+ community.
While its inclusivity expanded, so did QSU’s mission. Initially, the Queer Student Union was a place for queer students to go and feel supported. Students still use QSU as a support network, but it now also serves as a place to educate others and participate in activism. Pronoun workshops are held in order to educate members of the UVA community about respecting other people’s pronouns. Activism includes things like pushing for gender-inclusive housing on Grounds.
Within my first few days on Grounds, I was working to find my community and my place at UVA. I heard about an event being held with the Multicultural Student Services at Newcomb. They have four centers in Newcomb Hall: the Multicultural Student Center, the LatinX Student Center, the Interfaith Student Center, and the LGBTQ+ Center. I attended the event, finding myself in the Queer Center surrounded with so much love and support. I talked to a lot of upperclassmen students who were encouraging me to seek out the Queer Student Union, so I attended a meeting the next week.
As a part of the Queer Student Union, I have not only been able to meet other queer students and find a true community on Grounds, but also worked to advance LGBTQ+ interests on Grounds. Demanding more respect while also working on tangible action items, like gender-inclusive housing, has allowed me to feel powerful, like I am making a true difference at the University.
There are specialty groups within QSU, like a trans group and a sapphic group, among others. This allows for students to have even more specific people to talk to about the struggles they have. It also allows for a stronger community. For example, individuals in the sapphic group got together this past June to attend a pride event together in DC.
The Queer Student Union serves as a place for LGBTQ+ students to find community and feel welcomed at the University.
Elisabeth Bass
College of Arts and Sciences, Class of 2025
Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies