This hasn’t been a quiet summer for the LGBTQIA Resource Center, with Pride Month this June. The Resource Center organized the Pride Ice Cream Social, held on June 20, one of several events put on by the organization.
The event took place in the space dedicated to the LGBTQIA Resource Center. The organizers laid out various flavors and types of ice cream and toppings for attendees to indulge in. A table in the main area of the center had a selection of custom pins to celebrate and acknowledge identities within the LGBTQ spectrum and a collection of safe sex supplies for attendees who wanted them.
The Technique spoke to William Britto, Assistant Director of the LGBTQIA Resource Center, to learn more about the event and its place within the Resource Center’s plans.
“We all love ice cream, and it’s hot outside. It’s an opportunity to come to the center and cool down. Ice cream brings people together — it gives students an opportunity to stop by the center and allows us to connect with them. Pride Month helps build connections for students who would otherwise lose the community they built on campus when they go home. We want their energy to continue into the fall semester,” Britto said when asked about the choice of event.
At peak attendance, about fifteen people gathered around the table in the main area. Many attendees were familiar with the center and were frequent participants of its biweekly chat programs. A few students were visiting for the first time, but soon connected with the group that was present.
“I think this is a wonderful turnout, especially for the summertime. We organized this last summer too, and I’m quite sure this time’s turnout is even better, with more people coming in as we speak. The biggest challenge during the summer is getting the word out about our programs. One of our biggest platforms to share information is our newsletter sent out via email, which students may not check so much during the break,” Britto said.
While the main purpose of the event was for students to mingle, the organizers also used it as a platform to inform attendees about upcoming events and positions available on their organizing team. Britto placed the event in the context of the complete Pride Month plan for the Resource Center.
“We do movie nights where we show LGBTQIA-centered movies. We also do outdoor trips — we just took graduate students to Six Flags last Friday. This month we took students for Atlanta Dream’s Pride Night and organized the Pride Kickoff Breakfast. We also have our Pride Month book club. We try to have programs that are less rigid and allow students to mix and mingle,” Britto said.
The Resource Center was decorated with photos, posters and captions to create a warm and safe environment for LGBTQ students and allies. However, the total space available to host programs was quite small — enough for the attendance of the Pride Ice Cream Social, but potentially insufficient for larger events.
“I love this space, I think it creates great memories. I will still always advocate for a larger space because that allows us to reach a larger population on Tech’s campus. We get resources from the Parents’ Fund, Dean of Students and Buzz Funds — which were instrumental in our Center Day [10th anniversary of the LGBTQIA Resource Center] celebrations. However, we would love to be able to provide more resources to students on campus, such as financial support. Programmatically, more funding would allow us to build larger connections in the Greater Atlanta area,” Britto said.
Matthew So, graduate CS, shared his experience attending the Ice Cream Social.
“This is my first time here at the Resource Center. I’ve wanted to come here before but haven’t found the right opportunity. The ice cream probably brought me here. I already feel welcome here at the Center, it feels like a comfortable space for me,” So said.
The LGBTQIA Resource Center owes its ability to conduct its vast array of Pride Month events to a strong and reliable organizational structure. Membership has grown significantly in recent years.
“I joined GT about two and a quarter years ago. I’ve seen the attendance grow tremendously. I attribute that to us being active on social media and being intentional about recording attendance at our events. We have been reaching out to students who attend and inviting them to future events. There has been a growth and evolution in our programming, and I attribute that both to our professional staff and the students who attend our events,” Britto said.
While the Pride Ice Cream Social was a success for the organizers, Britto was conscious of the need for the Resource Center to expand its mandate and reach out to more intersectional groups.
“We have to look at students of color. The data is out there. I have met with student organizations that represent queer students of color, and they have different experiences that might not be the same as other student groups. I would also say queer students who are disabled. International students too require more support from us. It starts with understanding what their problems are and then us as professionals reaching out to help them,” Britto said.