According to LGBTQ+ Student Ambassador Cristian Barbosa, attendance at this year’s on-campus LGBTQ+ History Month events was lower than last year.
Barbosa said because of the political climate, many students are unsure whether LGBTQ+ History Month events will be held this year, which could affect attendance.
“Students often ask, ‘Are we still doing events like this?’ Yes, we are,” he said.
Student Programs Coordinator Alison Garcia told The Oracle in October: Low attendance at LGBTQ History Month events was expected Only three students attended one of the first events, an LGBTQ+ career panel.
Related: Coordinators say low turnout is expected for LGBTQ+ History Month events
A screening of the movie “Love, Simon” was among the events canceled due to low attendance, with only three people confirming their attendance the day before it was scheduled for Oct. 26, Barbosa said. said.
Other events such as “QTPOC & Coffee” and “Lesbionest,” which include informal conversations about socializing through food and drink, were also canceled based on expected low attendance.
One of the most well-attended events was the National Coming Out Dinner, with 112 students in attendance, Barbosa said.That number has not yet been reached Approximately 130 seats are expected to be filled..
Events like Bull Market Kickoff and LGBTQ+ History Month Exhibits saw 300 students and The number of students in each is 402.. LGBTQ+ History Month Exhibition Attracted more students than any other Center Gallery exhibit this semester Based on the first week only.
Related: Most students gather for the LGBTQ+ exhibit at this semester’s opening reception.
Barbosa said the reason the exhibition attracted so many visitors was because it was advertised at the bull market at the beginning of the month. Barbosa said the kickoff event piqued the initial interest of many students and served as a reminder that LGBTQ+ History Month events are still happening.
Although Barbosa does not believe that low student participation in cultural events is a direct result of changes in state law, he believes such changes could cause the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) to become student-led. He said that it has become.
Staff members cannot be formally involved in planning cultural events, such as LGBTQ+ History Month events, Barbosa said.
Jackson Bartsiewicz, a computer science major, said he was aware of LGBTQ+ History Month events being held on campus, but didn’t participate because he wasn’t interested.
“Many of my friends are part of the LGBT community, both in person and online, but we’ve all never had great experiences at such public events. And I originally didn’t participate in most extracurricular activities. “I don’t tend to,” he said.
Bartosevic said he doesn’t have to worry about his safety if he attends events, but he has no interest in them.
According to Barbosa, low attendance due to lack of student participation is a problem not only at LGBTQ+ events, but at all cultural events hosted by OMA.
“Student engagement is not going well at all, not only in the office but also in the student body. It’s not just happening at LGBTQ+ events, it’s happening at Latino events and African-American events. [Low student engagement] It’s hurting all the cultural aspects of campus,” Barbosa said.
USF LGBTQ+ Health Alliance President Simone Percivalli said that while USF is committed to making sure LGBTQ+ students feel safe and comfortable on campus, there is still work to be done to make the school a truly inclusive place. Yes, he said.
Percivalli said allowing LGBTQ+ speakers to come to campus and lecture on current events would be a good start to combating homophobia and transphobia on campus.
“We recognize that we live in a state where it’s not the safest place to be gay,” she said.
Percivalli said allowing students to express themselves through LGBTQ+-focused events creates a safer, more open atmosphere for students who don’t have similar opportunities outside of the university’s social environment. He said he would be born.
Barbosa said events such as February’s Black Heritage Month event and April’s Arab Heritage Month event are well-attended.
“It’s not just queer-related events. It’s literally everyone, including fraternities and sororities. We’ve seen a lot of organizations not be able to participate this year because of low participation last year,” he said. Ta.
Barbosa said it’s difficult to predict what next semester’s numbers will be because student participation numbers haven’t been impressive this year.
“We can promote the event and promote it as much as possible, but it really comes down to whether the students want to go or not,” he said.