Rainbow Alliance | Photo provided by Dakota Sturgill, president of Rainbow Alliance
“We empower individuals by affirming and celebrating their lives and providing support and space for students, faculty and staff,” said Emily Yantis, Interim Associate Director of LGBTQA Affairs.
Rainbow Alliance, a student organization, strives to spread advocacy for the university’s LGBTQA (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning and asexual) community. One of Rainbow Alliance’s biggest goals is to educate and share their values.
Rainbow Alliance strives to help educate students and spread advocacy through love, support and involvement.
In order to better understand the LGBTQA community, the importance of pronouns must be comprehended.
“For me, pronouns create a sense of validity. It’s a respect thing,” said President Dakota Sturgill.
“If you wouldn’t guess someone’s name, you shouldn’t guess their pronouns,” said Vice President Drew Gillum.
Being a part of the LGBTQA community comes with an immense amount of misconceptions that can create misleading stereotypes. For example, being transgender can be described in many ways.
“Definition wise, I’d say it's identifying as a gender other than exclusively the one you were assigned at birth,” said Gillum.
However, not everyone fits a “dictionary definition” or spectrum. There’s a depth behind everyone, so not everything can be assumed to fit a given definition.
“There’s always more to learn,” said Sturgill. Things are always changing and evolving so staying up to date and being properly educated are huge focal points of this organization.
Rainbow Alliance will be hosting Wright State’s second Queer Prom from 8-11 p.m. on Nov. 23 in the Student Union. It’s an opportunity to feel welcome and comfortable while being supported by others in the LGBTQA community on campus.
“It means a lot to have that typical prom that you see in the movies. Everyone can wear what they want and be authentically themselves,” said Sturgill.
