The Gender and Sexuality Resource Centre (GSRC) held its new Rainbow Frosh Week from Sept. 8 – 12 in the hopes of making themselves more visible on the Carleton campus.
This is the first year the GSRC ran its specialized frosh week, but Merissa Taylor-Meissner, the new programming co-ordinator of the GSRC, said she has high hopes that it will continue in years to come.
She said it’s important to be on campus and visible during the first week of school.
“As a new co-ordinator, I just want to make sure our space is open to all gender identities and sexual orientations,” she said. “It’s basically a normal frosh, just a little more queer.”
While organizers of Rainbow Frosh aimed to make themselves known to incoming students, the week’s events are also open to returning students.
Some of the events included pronoun button making, queer 101 sessions, safe sex workshops, and a comedy night at Babylon nightclub.
Algonquin College and the University of Ottawa have similar services to the GSRC, however Carleton is the first Ottawa university to have an frosh week dedicated to the queer community on campus.
The GRSC, located at the back of the fourth floor of the University Centre, is an open drop in space, equipped with couches, a TV, and various resources. The centre has an open door policy.
Taylor-Meissner said she hopes the events during the week will give them an introduction to the services they offer and make students feel comfortable coming into the centre.
With so many incoming students, she said the centre wants to let students know that there is a safe space for them to go.
The centre is not exclusive and is instead open to “anyone who wants to be an ally,” she said. Its mandate is to educate the general student population in order to create a safe and welcoming environment for all students.
“Students open our doors every morning, and it’s not unusual for us to walk into a group of chatting friends,” Taylor-Meissner said. “You can always come here to talk, or to check out our library and resources.”
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