17 September 2019
Cambrea Hall
The LGBTQ+ community and its allies were brought together for the dual purpose of networking and spreading awareness at the fourth annual LGBTQ+ Community Mixer hosted by MOSAIC last Tuesday.
Assistant Director of MOSAIC and LGBTQ+ Program Director Jesse Perez coordinated the event and said that many of the multicultural student groups were represented.
“One reason we host the mixer is to promote the MOSAIC Office broadly and to let students know that we and the student groups exist. We hosted in the UC so that we’re visible to all students,” he said.
According to the MOSAIC website, MOSAIC strives to create a safe place that encourages and nurtures connections and engagement across social identities, cultures, international status, experiences, gender identities and sexual orientations.
Spectrum (LGBTQ Alliance), Trans Student Union (TSU), Queer Transgender People of Color (QTPOC) and Queer in Questioning (QNQ) were some of the groups present at the mixer.
Senior and English major Kendall Johnson is the current president of Spectrum. She said that she attended the mixer to meet new people and further build the LGBTQ+ community on campus.
“Spectrum’s goal is to create a safe community for the LGBTQ+ and allies. Our main purpose is to be welcoming and accepting, and to create a safe place for people to have fun,” she said.
Spectrum meets every Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the MOSAIC office, University Center room 110.
Senior and digital filmmaking major Nikole Brekke is the president of TSU, and she said that TSU provides a variety of different support for Transgender students who have already transitioned or are in the process of transitioning.
“Our mission is to provide a safe and fun environment for transgender students. We have information and resources for people coming out, undergoing hormones, etc.,” Brekke said.
The TSU meets every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in the MOSAIC Office.
The MOSAIC Office is also hosting another event this month. They will also be providing free HIV testing on Thursday, Sept. 26, from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. in UC 303 A and B. According to the MOSAIC website, the purpose of the HIV testing is to promote sexual health and challenge stigma connected to the LGBTQ community.
The National Coming Out Day Celebration (NCOD) is on Tuesday, Oct. 8 from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. in UC 116. The event welcomes all to join MOSAIC in celebrating and affirming LGBTQ+ culture and identities and will feature campus and community resources, connections with UCCS LGBTQ organizations, music, food and games, according to the MOSAIC website.
For more information on the MOSAIC Office and multicultural student groups on campus, please visit https://www.uccs.edu/mosaic/.