BSU Improves Representation of Black Love, Embraces LGBTQ+ Community
Contestants pose in front of the stage after a successful bid at the Love Auction (Drew Pettis/Black Student Union)
This year the Black Student Union at the University of Maryland is taking strides in sexuality representation by including members of the LGBTQ+ community in their programs and activities.
Black love has been in the air throughout Black History Month, and BSU has been hosting events to showcase the romantic experiences of Black people. This year’s BSU put on a week's worth of events, known as Black Love Week, to highlight topics like safe sex, dating, and healthy relationships.
In the past, BSU struggled to represent the relationship experiences of Black LGBTQ+ people. Members of this year’s executive board expressed the importance of ensuring that Black LGBTQ+ people felt included in Black Love Week.
“We try to make the events as inclusive and stay as neutral as possible and welcome everyone into the space,” said vice president of BSU Janae Young. “I try to make sure when we’re going through the slides we don’t stay heteronormative.”
Young particularly acknowledged the ongoing, but necessary, progress the Black community needs to make to ensure all feel welcome.
“Just to be blatant, there is homophobia in the [Black] community. That’s something that needs to be tackled and addressed to move forward in a positive light to make sure that everyone is comfortable,” Young said.
The executive board acknowledged the challenges of Black members of the LGBTQ+ community and the struggles they face concerning representation in Black spaces.
“We understand how sometimes things can get misrepresented for us, and sometimes people don’t include us. For most of the events we try to have someone who’s part of the LGBTQ+ community hosting or on the council because we understand what people of the LGBTQ+ community need and need to see,” said Devin Harris, vice president of student affairs.
BSU capped off its Black love events with its Love Auction on Feb. 26. The application for contestants asked them for their preferred pronouns and their gender preference. The event featured some same-sex pairings between contestants and their bidders. These matches received welcome reactions from the crowds as they went to pose for photos after leaving the stage.
The hosts, seniors Wayne Hudley and Destiny Bell, interacted with the crowd and ensured to refrain from gendered and heteronormative questions to bidders.
Attendees saw many successful bids and performances from members of this university’s community. The Love Auction was a lively and creative platform for students to give back to their community and proceeds were donated to the University of Maryland Student Crisis Fund.