EMU Today

On Jan. 31, the EMU Honors College and the LGBT Resource Center held their annual Queer Talks event, which celebrates queer joy and identity. The event began with a keynote speech from EMU alum Nick Clark (‘10 ), who currently serves as the assistant coach of women’s volleyball at the University of Michigan. It continued with multiple presentations from EMU students and ended with a drag performance by ten local drag performers. Student presentation topics encompassed vampirism, the “coming out” experience, intersectionality in media, spreading queer joy, and more.

The purpose of Queer Talks is to create a safe space for students to explore and celebrate queer identities and learn from fellow students.

“This event is significant for students to find community on campus,” said Nick Malendowski, Assistant Director of the Honors College. “Having a space dedicated to queer joy and compassion can be extremely impactful for students.”

Senior English major Gracie Hand, a student presenter who spoke on the “coming out” experience, seconded Malendowski’s comment, adding, “Though the event was queer-centric, it’s important for anyone from any walk of life to hear information recognizing the complexities in the LGBT movement.”

The event fostered community through student participation. Jade Traska, a junior double major in psychology and women and gender studies, decided to participate as a presenter after creating a zine for their queer studies class.

“I have always loved to inform people about my identities… because so few people understand what it means to be queer and trans,” said Jade. “I wanted to share my privilege of comfort in my own skin with others and use my voice to encourage others to explore their bodies and identities and by bolstering these claims of self-love with academic literature.”

To learn more about the resources for queer students on campus, please visit https://www.emich.edu/dei/centers-programs/lgbtrc/index.php.