Brookdale has a wide variety of clubs, including an LGBTQ+ club. This club is a safe little community that meets 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays, at PAC 103.
At these meetings, members play games, educate each other and get to know one another.
“The goal for our club is not only to give out resources to people who are gay in the community but also to give resources to allies and people who want to learn,” says 22-year-old Alex Mock, who is one of the co-presidents of the club. Her duties are to organize events and talk to other collaborators.
Something that many people don’t know is that pride grew out of a riot. The people who started the LGBTQ+ movement were trans and people of color. People who were already being discriminated against. Brookdale’s LGBTQ+ club educates its members about this kind of history.
“I think what’s really unique is that there are a variety of people and a variety of experiences,” Mock said.
Recently, the club held a How to Be a Trans Ally event. Curated by club members who identify as transgender, the program focused on discussions about things trans members have been through. Their goal was to spread awareness.
Both Mock and her 21-year-old co-president, Aya Raz, say that they have made friends at this club. “I have to say, I have met a group of people who very much love me for who I am, and are who I consider my second family,” Mock said. “I think it comes back down to, you know, the start of the movement. The gay community is a second family for a lot of people and that is our goal. If a person has a second family then that shows how good the club is.”
“What keeps me coming back is the members and the people,” Mock said. “It’s not my club; it’s the members’ club. And it’s what they want to do. If the members’ voices were not heard, this club would not be where it is right now.”
“I think we have a very nice group of people. And we really try to focus on what our community needs. I think, like, not a lot of places do that, so it’s good to have that resource available,” said Raz, who helps plan events, plans the main schedules, and has been delegated as the main source of community information. “Whenever someone needs, like, an encyclopedia of gay stuff, they come to me.”
Brookdale’s LGBTQ+ club also had a table at the Social Wellness: International Festival on Tuesday, April 9. There, the group had a table, where they had pamphlets that were free for anyone to take.