“This is our annual LGBTQ+ Teach-In event that takes place every October,” said Briona Grant, assistant director of belonging and community development. “I wanted to do this event because I wanted to continue amplifying LGBTQ+ voices. I especially felt compelled to do this event because we’re celebrating 50 years of the Gender Sexuality Alliance.”

According to Grant’s opening remarks, the goals of the event were to educate attendees, amplify and celebrate the voices of the queer community, engage in meaningful dialogues and foster belonging within the Quinnipiac community.  

Grant serves as an adviser for all multicultural student organizations, including the Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA).

“The biggest takeaway is that we just need to continue to acknowledge the history of the LGBTQ+ community, the barriers, the obstacles and the hurdles that they have faced, but also the celebrations,” said Grant. “I think that we can celebrate how far we’ve come while still acknowledging how much further we have to go. Events and conversations like these really help propel that mission.”

The event began with a presentation by Scarlett Fulton ’28, a student in the accelerated dual-degree 3+3 law program and identity senator for Quinnipiac’s Student Government Association.

Fulton discussed the history of the HIV and AIDS epidemic and the federal government’s lack of urgency in responding to the issue, especially when it was rampant in the early 1980s.

“In 1981, a few physicians discovered a pattern between sexually active homosexual men and rare diseases. The New York Times covers this discovery and popularized the term Gay Related Immune Deficiency (GRID) and “gay cancer,” Fulton said, highlighting the stigma associated with the disease and the lack of response from the federal government.

Fulton shared the history of the HIV and AIDS epidemic and the brave acts of those who started support groups and shared resources for those affected by the condition, including the Gay Men’s Health Crisis and the San Diego Blood Sisters. Fulton also shared local resources, include A Place to Nourish Your Health (APNH) in New Haven, Connecticut.

Following Fulton’s presentation, GSA Co-President Alyssa Wood ’28 shared the history of Quinnipiac’s GSA — told through excerpts from the student-run newspaper, The Quinnipiac Chronicle.

According to Wood, an article published on October 7, 1976, introduced two students who first brought up the idea of starting a “gay alliance.”

“Loraine Angueira and Judi Feldman are both students here at Quinnipiac. In an attempt to help others who are gay on campus, they’re trying to form a ‘gay’ alliance. ‘We are a gay couple, and we’re open about it. We have taken many risks — but it’s worth it to live an open and honest life,’” Wood read from the article written by Liz Natale ‘79.

Within a month of the article’s publishing, many students had reached out to the provided mail box number to ask for support, and a trip to Yale University’s campus to meet with other LGBTQ+ students was organized to talk about the process of coming out and the associated stigma.

“Two weeks after that, the Chronicle wrote that ‘Many people have contacted Box 756 and have indicated that they are interested in learning more about homosexuality. Others who have questions or who are interested in learning more about homosexuality are encouraged to write Box 756 as there is a possibility of starting groups for both men and women on campus,’” Wood read from a subsequent Chronicle article.

Sharing the history of the student organization helped attendees learn about the brave actions of the alumnae that helped pave the way for the GSA organization that now has a strong presence across Quinnipiac.

William Jellison, professor of psychology and women's & gender studies and chair of psychology, shared a presentation on sexuality blindfolding, the idea that people will minimize discussions and recognition of LGBTQ+ identities in an effort to reduce intergroup tension or awkwardness.

“Even within our own community, in efforts to gain equity, we perpetuate this,” said Jellison. “While our feelings are all similar — we are all human — the way that love is expressed and the complexities of that love are different and distinct. Sometimes using phrases that are meant to perpetuate acceptance further serves to shut down those unique aspects of a relationship.”

Jellison conducts research focusing on understanding prejudice, LGBTQ+ identities and the experiences of sexual minorities. His research explores factors that contribute to the development and persistence of prejudice, and he always encourages his students to be curious and engage in class discussions.

Jellison has presented at the LGBTQ+ teach-in in previous years and was excited to share his academic perspective at this year’s event.

“I think it’s a valuable event that we need to continue, and I appreciate that Briona is continuing to put it together,” he said. “It’s really easy to become invisible or think that events like this are not necessary, so I think it’s important to keep the tradition going.”

Aslin Argueta ’27, a sociology and Hispanic and Latin American studies double major, attended the LGBTQ+ Teach-In for the second year in a row and was excited for the event’s return.

“I came to the one last year and I really liked it. Specifically, Professor Jellison’s presentations are always really cool and I like to learn,” said Argueta.

Argueta said that as a student, he feels that Quinnipiac supports LGBTQ+ individuals in numerous ways.

“There’s just a lot of things that I think Quinnipiac does, and specifically the Office of Belonging, does for just everyone on campus — to make people feel welcome and to find a community,” he said.