The Gender and Sexuality Equity Coalition hosted an open house Thursday in the new building for the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences.
The GSEC is a student-run activist organization aimed at empowering students. Within the coalition, there are three programs: the women’s program, the LGBTQIA+ program and the outreach program.
Rainbow balloons and pride flags were hung all around the new office. Students and faculty were welcomed into the space with snacks, free stickers, pins and invited to partake in a scavenger hunt with a prize.
The women’s program advocates for the equality of all “women-identifying people in a male-dominated society,” as stated on their website. The program offers educational opportunities centered around diverse women’s experiences and seeks to create a safe university environment for all women.
The LGBTQIA+ program works to provide queer and gender diverse education to sustain a safe campus community as well as empowering spaces and educational awareness, as stated on their website.
Kassandra Ramondo is the outreach coordinator for the organization. She manages the outreach program focusing on the marketing for the women’s and LGBTQIA+ programs. The outreach program provides educational opportunities supporting student innovation in the public relations and social media space.
GSEC’s previous office was located in the Meriam Library, sharing the space with Multicultural and Gender Studies. Their previous room is now going to host the new Asian and Pacific Islander Council center.
“There were no windows, we were very much closed in and not seen,” Ramondo said. “Students didn’t really know what GSEC was.”
Their new location is in room 102 of the Behavioral and Social Sciences Building. There are two offices with sliding doors and windows facing the creek. There is also a lounge space with couches and outdoor surrounding seating.
“We’ll be more open and more visible now,” Ramondo said. “We’re advocating for everybody to come in, say hi and get to know us.”
GSEC has many products in their office that are often only provided by one other building on campus, the WellCat Health Center. They have items such as:
- Pads
- Tampons
- Condoms
- Fentanyl testing strips
- Dental dams
- Pregnancy tests
The organization is considered a non-profit and does not receive funding as a club on campus. They receive most of their funding from Associated Students and fundraising events. It’s only on Giving Day that they may receive funding from donors.
Ramondo said to raise more funding for their organization they hope to create and sell merchandise and host more fundraising events throughout the academic year.
“I want to strengthen our program, coming up with different events that will interest a lot of minorities,” Lizette Pilar, the women’s program coordinator, said.
“I’m Mexican American. I want to cater to the Latin-X community to be able to find their space, especially women of color,” Pilar said. “The women’s program has been in the shadow of the LGBTQIA+ program. We kinda wanted to create an equal standing for both of us,” she said.
Some services the GSEC provides include:
- 3 unit semester internships through the Multicultural and Gender Studies department
- Training in activist skills and leadership development
- Legacy events
- Responsive community activism and aid
- Free or low cost menstrual and sexual health products
- Free referral services to campus and community resources
“Anyone can come in,” Pilar said. “Not everyone is taught the same education. It’s a space for everyone to come in and learn.”
Beatrice Williams can be reached at [email protected].
