Many students have chosen to attend Grand Valley State University not only for its academics, but also for its recognized atmosphere of inclusiveness and offered support of students as they learn more about their identity. The LGBT Resource Center located on the main floor of the Kirkhof

Center aims to provide a safe and open place for students to discover more about themselves and to support them as they navigate their journeys of gender and sexuality development.

As a welcome to incoming freshman and returning students, the center is planning several events for the coming week to commemorate the new school year.

The “Queer Students of Color Reception” will be held at noon on Tuesday, and the “Trans and Gender Non-Conforming Student Reception” will be held at noon on Thursday. Both will be hosted on the balcony of the Resource Center in Kirkhof, with snacks and refreshments provided.

The two receptions have been planned to give students the opportunity to learn more about the upcoming programs and provide a chance to meet new friends.

After Labor Day on Sept. 4, the LGBT Resource Center is hosting a “Rainbow Social” where new and returning students will meet for ice cream, live music and socializing as the center welcomes its

LGBT and allied students back to school.

The center will also kick off its long-standing programs that meet weekly throughout the year: First-Year Queer Alliance and Loud and Queer.

“First-Year Queer Alliance is a program that provides new students with the opportunity to learn about university life while in community with others who are seeking to better understand their gender and sexuality as part of leading authentic lives,” said Colette Seguin Beighley, the director of the center. “Our FQA students learn skills such as how to use the library, ride the bus and develop healthy relationships—all while developing lasting friendships.”

Loud & Queer is a program that was created for second year students and beyond.

“L&Q is focused on empowering students to lead authentic lives, to challenge systems of gender and sexuality, and to work for social justice by fostering a community of learning, celebration and solidarity,” Seguin Beighley said.

The center also has a monthly program called the OnGoing LGBT Conference for students who are interested in learning more about systems of gender and sexuality. The series kicks off in

September with a three-hour workshop called “Mapping Desire.”

“(This invites participants to) explore their relationships with their desires, past and present, (and) how those desires fit into a broader landscape of society with the complexities of gender, race, class and ability,” Seguin Beighley said.

This week the LGBT Resource Center will be hosting two events to welcome incoming and returning students.

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