Are you hungry for meeting new people and expanding your network (and also hungry for food in general)? In celebration of LGBTQ+ History Month, on October 20, at 12:30 p.m. Lavender Luncheon took place in Martha Bayard room 104. This event was hosted by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as well as two LGBTQ-focused organizations at Stevens, Torch, and oSTEM. Torch is a student-run organization where members of the LGBTQ+ community, allies, and people questioning their sexuality can join together in a safe social space without the fear of being alienated. oSTEM (Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) is another student-run organization that mainly focuses on empowering LGBTQ+ individuals in STEM-related fields and aiming to help them personally, academically, and professionally.
According to Kai Goz (they/he), one of the co-presidents of oSTEM, the luncheon is an event where people can come and chat, with the main goal being to help people get to know one another and to increase the network for LGBTQ+ people on campus. This event was made specifically for students (both graduate and undergraduate), faculty, staff, and alumni in order to start conversations and allow people to speak comfortably about their own experiences. The luncheon is an annual event (and sometimes a biannual event, with one in the spring semester and one in the fall semester of the academic year) and has been occurring for the past four to five years.
The luncheon is another one of the many efforts at Stevens to foster inclusivity on campus. At Stevens, we must work together to create inclusive spaces that accept everyone regardless of gender identity and sexuality, as well as work together to get rid of some of the normalized biases that hurt members of the LGBTQ+ community. We have to reassess our everyday life and the people around us in order to recognize the bigotry against LGBTQ+ people and take action to prevent it, such as speaking up about it or being willing to dissociate with bigoted people if they refuse to change their ways. We must create safe spaces that can allow people to come out as well as share their own experiences. These are steps we must take in order to make Stevens even more LGBTQ+ inclusive.
If you are interested in meeting more people from the LGBTQ+ community, listening to different stories, and maybe looking for a nice bite to eat, then be sure to attend the next Lavender Luncheon! And be sure to support organizations like Torch and oSTEM, to help Stevens be a more LGBTQ+ inclusive place! If you are also looking to learn more about LGBTQ+ identity, as well as injustices and issues that harmfully impact the LGBTQ+ community, you can RSVP for the Safe Zone Allyship Training, hosted by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
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