At Wright State University, cultural clubs like Rainbow Alliance and the LGBTQA Center continue to foster community, education, and inclusivity. From weekly meetings to major events like the annual Drag Show, these organizations are creating safe spaces and meaningful experiences for LGBTQ+ students.
Here’s a look at what they have planned for the semester!
Weekly meetings and repeating events
Rainbow Alliance hosts events every single week, with the most common one being its weekly meetings.
“Rainbow Alliance Hosts weekly meetings for members and all Wright State students. Join us in building a community for LGBTQA+ students at Wright State! Meetings may have a themed education section or guest speaker,” the Engage page for each weekly event reads.
In previous semesters, events would usually focus on topics such as sexual health, safe sex, nearby gender clinics and exploring queer identities. Oftentimes, a guest speaker will visit to talk about these topics, though most meetings are hosted by the e-team or cabinet.
These meetings are weekly, on Wednesdays from 6-7:30 p.m. in the Culture and Identity Centers.
An event that started last semester in conjunction with Campus Recreation, LGBTQA Center, Women’s Center and Club Climbing is coming back for the spring! “Girls, Gays & Theys Climbing Night” is the perfect chance for athletic students to hang out in a safe space while practicing climbing.
Rae Carson, secretary for Rainbow Alliance, talked about the repeating Rainbow Alliance events.
“Weekly meetings are still Wednesdays, [and the] Drag Show is March 22,” Carson said.
Yearly Drag Show
The Drag Show is one of Rainbow Alliance’s major annual events, along with Queer Prom, which happens in the fall semester.
The Drag Show invites drag queens and kings, as well as other performers, to visit Wright State University’s campus to perform in the Apollo Room. With the combined efforts of Rainbow Alliance’s e-team and cabinet, as well as willing volunteers and WSU staff, the venue, participants and visitors are able to have an excellent time in a fun environment.
The performers are the best part of the show. While Rainbow Alliance recruits professional performers, WSU students are also able to sign up to be a part of the show!
Unique events
While there is not much currently going on beyond the usual events, the LGBTQA Center is collaborating with a few organizations on campus to host special one-off events.
The first one, happening Feb. 10, is “Creating Space: Inclusive Leadership for a Stronger Pack,” which is in collaboration with the Student Involvement and Leadership Center.
“Students [will] consider the factors that make something a “community” and then analyze a definition of community that raises interesting questions for discussion about the concept. Students will consider how to create space for different perspectives and value their members to build their student organizations into brave and reflective communities,” the Engage page for the event reads.
The goal for this event is to gather student leaders and go through a workshop that will teach them how to involve the wider community in their organization’s events.
On top of this, the Women’s Center, Office of Title IXand Counseling and Wellness Services is collaborating with the LGBTQA Center to host “Sex Ed & Sundaes.”
This event, which will take place Feb. 19, will feature a series of educational tables about sexual health resources available on- and off-campus. If you visit enough tables, you will get free ice cream!
Other LGBTQ+ resources
Of course, being aware of the greater Dayton area’s resources for the LGBTQA+ community is important too. The resources nearby range from gender-affirming care to activities for queer students to visit to get more involved with the community.
For gender-affirming care, offices like Planned Parenthood and Equitas Health offer hormone therapy, as well as advice and references to pursue gender-affirming surgeries.
Clinics that specialize and gender-affirming care often do not need prior consulting with a doctor or psychiatrist; just be sure to check if any current medications or conditions may interact negatively with the care you are looking for.
Another excellent resource is GayDayton, a website that works to keep the Dayton community informed on happenings within the LGBTQA+ community.
“GayDayton™ has served the greater Dayton, Ohio, gay community for over 25 years. Our goal is to provide a central clearing house for news, events, activities, information, and resources to and for our community,” the website reads.
GayDayton offers a calendar of events for each month, as well as information on themed events (like Valentine’s Parties), national events and more.
Overall, it is safe to say that the LGBTQA+ community on- and off-campus continues to thrive.
