LGBTQ+ Equity Center hosts Quelcome 2021 to support UMD's LGBTQ+ community

The Terp HUB, an inclusive religious organization at the University of Maryland, was one of many LGBTQ+ friendly organizations found at Quelcome 2021 (@theterphub/Instagram)

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Equity Center (LGBTQ+ Equity Center) hosted Quelcome 2021 Thursday afternoon in the Grand Ballroom housed in the Adele H. Stamp Student Union. 

The event was aimed at welcoming new students and staff to campus, alerting them of the resources the Equity Center provides and providing opportunities to interact and foster community. 

Various on-campus and off-campus organizations were present at colorful table booths that lined the venue’s perimeter. Each booth gave away free candy, LGBTQ flag stickers and branded stationery.

One of the organizations, Asian and Pacific Islander Queers United for Action DC (AQUA), attended to represent and connect Asian and Pacific Islander LGBTQ students on campus.

“I hope that there are API queer and trans college students here who know that there is a broader network to help them navigate their identity as queer Asians,” said Daniel Chapman, a PhD student in engineering. 

Jennifer Enriquez, who ran the table for the Multicultural Involvement Community Advocacy (MICA), also echoed similar sentiments. MICA is a stand-alone office located in Stamp.

“[MICA] wants to advise, consult and work with students and campus partners to keep campus communities safe and inclusive,” said Enriquez. “I really hope that students understand there are many resources to turn to if they need support.”

The Equity Center’s program manager Shantala Thompson emphasized the purpose of the event was not only to link students to campus resources, but to also provide them with “a sense of home.”

However, creating a conducive “home” for students is a process with methods Thompson is still deciphering.

Having worked from home for most of last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Thompson relied on locating what students’ needs were to achieve their work. This is a skill they have taken into the new and in-person school year. 

“I like getting to know more LGBTQ+ students, faculty and staff, and also keying in on what needs to be met,” said Thompson. “Listening to LGBTQ+ communities on campus is part of creating that home.”

Thompson further mentions that to create a “home,” there needs to be physical space for students to congregate.

Currently, the center caters to this with their in-house library, which is equipped with a sitting area, and an open-door policy. 

As Thompson embarks on work in a new year propped against the backdrop of the Black Lives Matter movement from last summer, one thing is at the center of their work—  intersectionality. 

“As a person who is both queer and Black, I realize that the Equity Center doesn't always feel like home to Black queer students,” said Thompson.

Thus, Thompson plans on using the spring semester to do outreach work towards Black and POC organizations and “figure out what’s the temperature with Black queer students on campus.”

Even though the spring semester is three months away, Thompson’s work with the Equity Center has already resonated with Black students like Dominique Austin, a junior psychology and criminal justice major who also attended Quelcome.

Austin described the event as “cool” and especially admired the event’s vibrancy and interactive nature. 

“[I came] to see what's happening and if I could find new friends and people that I know have the same values as me,” said Austin. 

Earlier this month, the LGBTQ+ Equity Center recently changed its name from the LGBT Equity Center to the LGBTQ+ Equity Center in an attempt to create a move inclusive and safe space for all.