The Ally Program: LGBTQA Resources on Campus

Photo Credit / Janice Tieperman The LGBTQA center is located in the Shawnee Residence Hall. Photo Credit / Janice Tieperman
The LGBTQA center is located in the Shawnee Residence Hall.

By Levi Jiorle
Staff Writer

The Ally Program was presented at the Beers Lecture Hall on Oct. 11.

This presentation represented many aspects of the LGBTQA community.

It also highlighted some of the clubs and centers that could be found on campus.”

Just some of the resources we have here on campus, of course there’s the LGBQTA center in Shawnee Residence Hall.

It is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. There is also PRIDE which is the LGBTQA organization on campus.

“We meet every Tuesday at three,” said Zakk Rome. The program covered ideas such as sex and gender, and the differences between the two.

“There is gender expression, which is how you outwardly express yourself through your dress, your attitude, your mannerisms. Then there’s gender identity. That’s how you internalize your own identity with your gender, with your sex, with your own personality,” Chloe Brown said.

Rome and Brown mentioned that sex is based on the chromosomes and genitalia that an individual is given at birth, while gender is a more psychological internalization of how one feels, whether they feel more like a man, a woman, or have an androgynous combination between the two.

The presentation also discussed the use of pronouns when referring to people within the LGBTQA community.

“Always use the person’s preferred name. If you do not know their preferred name, you could always ask. Always make sure you do it in a way that it doesn’t draw attention to them. They may not be out,” Zakk Rome said. “If it is not possible to ask a person which pronoun they prefer, always use gender inclusive ones like they, them, or if you know their name, just use their name.”

The presenters said that we should try to correct people that use derogatory and homophobic slurs, especially if they are family members that use this particular kind of language.

They also mentioned some of the upcoming events, one being a drag show, which will be at Abeloff on Oct. 19 at 7:00 p.m.

Email Levi at:
lmj7748@live.esu.edu