SMU-Q: A queer-friendly place to go

SMU-Q hopes to have educational and social events throughout this semester for students. (Photo credit: Heather Gillis)

SMU-Q is the newest student-run society at Saint Mary's University. Its mission is to provide support and education for the gay community at large.

"There wasn't a safe space that was queer-friendly on campus," said society president Elise Aliphat.

She says the society will be a place where students can go so they don't feel alone.

"You're not alone on campus, so we want to have a friendly environment," said executive member Joel Slade.

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Elise Aliphat was elected as SMU-Q's president on Monday. (Photo credit: Heather Gillis)

Timeline

Enlarge Timeline
A brief history of LGBTQ and pride societies at Halifax universities.

SMU-Q is dedicated to supporting the LGBTQIA community.
 LGBTQIA is a reference to:

• gay
• lesbian
• bisexual
• transgendered
• transsexual
• queer
• questioning
• intersexed
• ally persons
• unsure
• curious
• two-spirited 
• asexual
• pansexual
• and others.

 

Related Websites

• SMU-Q's Facebook page (must log in to access)

For Aliphat and the founding members, the society creates an opportunity for members to recognize and speak to each other in the halls of the school.

"I was shocked when I came here and I didn't see posters for a LGBTQ group," said first-year student and society vice-president Brittany Walker.

The society held its first official meeting and executive election Monday evening.

Previous student efforts to organize a queer-friendly society at the university were unsuccessful. Slade said he attended previous LGBTQ meetings at SMU and felt there was a lot of alienation between attendees.

Slade thinks the LGBTQ label is too limiting, so the society has called itself SMU-Q.

According to the society constitution, the "Q" in SMU-Q stands for queer, queens, questioning, and equality. It is an umbrella term so no sexual identities are left out.

"We're all humans, we should all be a part of something, and sexual identity should not separate us," said Slade.

SMU-Q plans to work closely with the SMU Women's Centre and DalOut, a Dalhousie University LGBTQ society since 2001.

There were 26 members present at the inaugural meeting, and there are 45 members on the Facebook group. They plan to recruit more members by word-of-mouth and displaying posters around campus.

"I hope to meet new people with the same background as me," said Krista Wright, a second-year student, who is now a member of the society.

SMU-Q membership is open to anyone and costs $1.

The society hopes to design a logo and plan educational and social events for this semester. Their first educational event, Trans 101: Exploring Gender and Sexuality, is Thursday.

Slade says the key to the society's future success lies in having a strong public relations manager and fundraising. In order to maintain their status as a ratified society, SMU-Q plans to follow the SMU Student Association rules and regulations closely.

If the society is successful this term they plan to continue through the summer and enter a float in Halifax's annual pride parade.

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