All You Need is Love: Pride Week

The reigning Drag King and Queen, Emma Cockson and Mick Swagger. 
                                                                              Photo by Ronni Wood.

One of Concord University’s student organizations spent the week of April 6 spreading LGBTQ pride. The Gay-Straight Alliance organized events during the week to help spread awareness and promote tolerance.

“GSA or the Gay-Straight Alliance has been on Concord's campus for a while and has fluctuated in activity. About five years ago it came back off of a 2 or 3 year hiatus,” said Jasmine Jimenez, a junior at Concord University and the secretary of the GSA.

But what exactly is the Gay-Straight Alliance? “GSA is a safe place essentially. It is an organization committed to promoting equality overall, not just in the matters of the LGBTQ culture. We also focus a lot on educating about equality and LGBTQ culture and promote tolerance,” Jimenez said.

One of the events that GSA does every year, usually in the spring, is host Pride Week. Pride week is a week in which the organization is very visible in order to show LGBTQ pride. “The GSA just hopes to get the message of equality and tolerance across campus through the fun activities involved in pride week,” Jimenez said about the week.

“Its main goal is education with some fun mixed in. A lot of the activities fluctuate but two staple events are the Drag Show and the Pride March,” said Jimenez. “At the Drag Show we collect donations for the Trevor Project, our philanthropy, and give facts about LBTQ culture and try to raise awareness and so on in a fun something you don't see everyday environment. The Pride March is just as it sounds, a mini parade dedicated to LGBTQ Pride!” she added.

This year’s Drag Queen was Brandon Edwards, who was known as Emma Cockson during the show. The Drag King was Sara Horning, who went by Mick Swagger during the show.

“Other events we've had this year include a showing of "The Kids Are Alright," which is a film that gives you an inside look on what a same-sex parent family situation is like, and mock weddings, which had more meaning, I think, before the Court's decision to legalize same-sex marriage, but is still always fun to do,” Jimenez said.

Jimenez went on to talk about why she thinks Concord should have a GSA, and why it is good for the students here. “I believe the GSA is important, especially in this area, because we are if not in, about as close to the Bible Belt as we can get.”

“Our main messages are again equality and tolerance, so for us to exist here knowing the lack of tolerance that doesn't exist is such a statement for the LGBTQ community,” Jimenez continued.

“Kind of like we know you would feel more comfortable if we weren't here but this is where we want to be and who we are, and we're going to stay and fight because we have the same rights as human beings whether your personal beliefs allow you to agree or not. I think that’s a common misconception by people in this area, acceptance is not synonymous with tolerance. You can disagree with my lifestyle, don't accept it as right, but afford me the right to tolerate it as my right--my life,” Jimenez said.

Even outside the Concord community, the club is working hard to improve conditions for LGBTQ people. “The GSA existing here specifically is just important for that reason. To let people know we aren't asking for you to attend our ‘gay weddings’ we're asking you to let us have them. And we work with organizations like Fairness WV to promote equality, like for example last year we worked with the Athens town Council to make it illegal to fire someone based on sexual orientation. But all around the state you can still be fired for being LGBTQ,” said Jimenez.

 She emphasizes that the GSA is open to everyone, whether they’re out, an ally, or conflicted. “We stress that the club is a safe place so although we are essentially an advocate group we also respect the privacy of people who are confused about their orientation and/or choose not to be on the front line of the advocacy,” Jimenez said.

For those who are interested in the support the club offers but are afraid of outside judgment, the club offers the highest level of discretion possible. “We keep a high level of anonymity. Almost all of our members are registered Safe Zones and if you don't want people to know you're a part of the club--then they won't. Because we know, some by experience, that coming out is hard and no matter how much tolerance we promote the closet still exists and it's a sad thought but possibly always will,” Jimenez said.

For those interested in being involved with the GSA, their meetings are held on Mondays at 6:30 p.m. in room 309 in Marsh Hall at Concord.