By: SJ Jany
As you’re enjoying the festivities of MacPride this week, you might be wondering about the folks at Mac’s QSCC (Queer Students’ Community Centre) who’ve made it all happen. Look no further!
The official Mac queer and trans* community has its roots in the March 1973 founding of the McMaster Gay Liberation Movement (GLM), which held meetings on alternating Tuesdays as well as various social events (partially covered by an annual $4.00 membership fee) throughout the year. From these humble beginnings, the movement grew in size to encompass a community with a wide range of gender and sexual identities. It has also grown from bi-weekly meetings to a physical space, phoneline, Facebook page, Twitter feed, and more.
The QSCC today is a service of the McMaster Students Union for gender and sexual minority students. We have an office space on the second floor of the Students’ Centre with a hang-out area and a library of queer and trans*-related literature, movies, etc. Not to brag or anything, but it’s the largest (and, incidentally, only) such library in Hamilton!
In addition to providing a safe space for students, the QSCC works to advocate for gender and sexual minority students in the Mac community, organizes fun events and activities (like Gayzer tag, movie nights, intramural sports teams, and of course MacPride), and hosts weekly “Newcomers” meetings for students. There is always a volunteer (or volunteers) present at the front desk, so feel free to stop by, say hi, and peruse our extensive supply of informative leaflets.
By: Ana-Maria Qarri
With everyone having a blast during MacPride Week, as a queer student I am among many who realize how lucky we are to attend a university where a service like the QSCC exists. The QSCC co-ordinator Jyssika Russell and its many execs work hard year-round to make the voice of the Queer students on campus heard. What most people don’t realize is that “The Centre” is more than just the centre, a room and small library on the second floor of MUSC. From Intramural teams to simply hanging out in the social space, it aims to provide accessibility to everyone who wants it. As I sit on one of the signature brown couches of the social space, I begin to wonder: Was the centre always this welcoming, this popular amongst students?
“The QSCC has definitely grown over the last few years. Diversity has increased, and there is much better representation of gender and sexual minorities,” Russell told me.
In the last few years, the number of volunteers the center trained has doubled – this year alone it trained 50 volunteers. In a successful effort to provide a safer space for LGBTQ+ students, the volunteer training changed this year, covering more topics and possible scenarios, making volunteers better equipped to serve the Mac community.
On average the centre is accessed by 50-60 people on a regular basis, and 500 people throughout the year. But perhaps the most obvious rise in popularity is the QSCC’s presence in social media; @MSU_QSCC on twitter and McMaster QSCC on Facebook are both active outlets that provide information on activities being hosted by the QSCC along with fun facts and ideas that promote their initiative for a safe space on campus.
One of the QSCC’s most popular side-project is its weekly “NEWCOMERS” gathering. “When I first became exec, there were maybe 4 or 5 people at these meetings,” Hillary Jones, a NEWCOMERS facilitator, told me. “Last year it was 10 or so, and this year it’s averaging around 20.”
Overall, the execs are pleased with the centre’s size and the representation it gets at McMaster. Russell sits on various committees to make sure the Queer voice is heard. She said of the QSCC: “We want to break down the barriers that make people feel like they cannot access the space.”
