By Rob Mackie

Have you ever heard of GSA? If you have, then you probably know it by its official title – Gay Straight Alliance. But even if you knew the name, do you know what exactly this club does?  “To bring the campus together and show them they’re not alone, or not so different as they think,” says Pat Kelly, who is the public relations officer of GSA. The club holds meetings every Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. in Hammond’s third floor, room 314. The meetings are open and welcome to anyone interested in the club, or even to just check it out.

Kelly states that the club is all about acceptance; he even says that “the club is a safe-house for people who don’t feel accepted at home.” However, Kelly also mentions that “the biggest misconception is that you have to be gay to join.” Which in reality, he says, is against their whole principle of creating a diverse and accepting community. Kelly mentions that in the past the club was predominantly straight people and that currently it’s nearly even between both gay and straight people. Kelly emphasizes that the goal of the club is to realize acceptance and a sense of belonging among your peers. As for what the club does in the form of events, GSA’s most popular event is the drag show. The next will be held March 21, at 7 p.m. at the Rec Center. “Its an Alice in Wonderland themed show called Queens of Wonderland,” says Kelly, who is enthusiastic and predicts it will be one of their most successful events.

In addition, GSA is holding a Transgender Day of Remembrance on Nov. 14 , where a memorial will be held for those who lost loved ones due to the difficulty of acceptance. This event will also be open for the public to come and pay their respects. Anyone interested in joining may attend these events or participate in their weekly meetings at 3:30 in room 314 of Hammond. “People come because they feel like they’re wanted here,” Kelly says. “If you love us we love you.”