The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Friendly Campus Project will hold the first ever LGBT district-wide conference at Sacramento City College on March 16.
The meeting will be held in the Student and Cultural Awareness Center from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. According to the event’s flier, the conference will bring together all four Los Rios colleges to discuss LGBT issues.
“We want people to feel comfortable on our campuses and not hide who they really are,” event coordinator Sherri Goldberg said.
According to the LGBT Campus Project website, the goal of the group is “to create a more emotionally safe and friendly campus for LGBT students and staff.”
The conference will consist of speakers, lectures, workshops and panels that hope to educate individuals on how to maintain a safe environment for LGBT individuals, Sacramento City College Queer Straight Alliance President Michael Griffin said.
“The goal is to motivate the attendees to adopt some of the procedures and activities to take to their own campuses and apply them,” Griffin said.
The conference is trying to open the dialogue between LGBT and straight individuals by simply bringing them together, Goldberg said.
“It’s nice to get people together and finally talk about the issues,” Goldberg said. “Hopefully, it helps reduce the stereotypes and increase education.”
Griffin reiterated the potential impact of the event by stressing the importance of consideration by others for the LGBT community.
“This event is very significant because it focuses on creating a safe, peaceful and harmonious climate on college campuses that is inviting and considerate of LGBT students and staff,” Griffin said in an email.
Following the conference, SCC’s Queer Straight Alliance will hold Fabulosity in Red, a talent showcase, in the SCC Student Center from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., according to the event’s flier. Singers, dancers, actors and other performers will hit the stage and show off their talents, Griffin said.
Tickets can be purchased from your campus QSA for $2, or at the door for $3. A proceed of the money will be donated to local HIV awareness and testing clinic, Golden Rules Services.
According to the event’s website, the goal of the event is to “identify and respond to the needs of the college community that is growing increasingly diverse in terms of demographics and culture.”
“College is hard enough as it is,” Goldberg said. “We just want to make it a more comfortable place for these students.”