Center Blog

Outside of the large third floor room, Tina Alexander, dressed in various shades of brown, volunteers as a sign-in person for folks filing in to the space. As we stand there chatting about her history with the Center – of which she said has been since the early ‘90s –fists beginning pumping wildly in the adjacent room, and cheers of joy echo off of the walls around us. Her faced full of smiling emotion, she lamented on how “it’s a monumental event” and how she feels volunteering at the event is a way to give back to a place where she first came and connected with other lesbians when she was 17-years-old, and newly out.

For Sarah Insel, 26, coming to the Center is about intersecting identities with political muscle. “Because I feel appreciate that folks in this space are politically engaged; that engagement brings to life for me the potential for the queer movement (in addition to the LGBT movement) to emphasize the force of organizing, and growing awareness for collective empowerment. So that means recognizing that our well being is inextricable from any one’s else’s well being; that’s the spirit of community.” For her, the queer movement has the capacity to move the next era of change in racial, economic, etc… justice. More, Sarah is looking at issues beyond the scope of the Center – for her, the 5.3 million people (among them disenfranchised LGBT individuals) who are experiencing felony disenfranchisment in the United States, and therefore unable to vote in this election, inspire her to make change by engaging in the political process.

Tina also felt that beyond the scope of LGBTQ specific issues, the overall economic and war-related issues were ones that trickle in to just about every aspect of society. However, she would specifically like to see “better rights, in terms of employment and marriage issues, and civil rights” highlighted in the outcome of the election.Danisha is at the Center for the second time. She brought along a friend and grabbed up various brochures to give light to some of the issues that she is determining her connection to – those issues are still being prioritized in her mind: “[I’m living my own life, not really involved in issues, [but] been loving women since I was young.” Overall, she said, “I feel blessed; feel good to be a part of this.”