Meg Masseron
CCBC’s Rainbow Club offers inclusivity and support for LGBTQ+ students on campus. With meetings every Wednesday, the club provides a place for LGBTQ+ students to discuss important issues in the LGBTQ+ community, share personal experiences, and even push for important changes on campus.
“I think the Rainbow Club has been an important presence on our campus, giving LGBTQ students a greater sense of community and acceptance,” said Dr. Morgan Slusher, CCBC professor of Psychology and Rainbow Club Faculty Advisor. “At the Get Involved Fair, it’s not unusual for students to come up to our table and say how glad there are to see that a group like the RC exists at CCBC.”
Dr. Slusher also expresses that the Rainbow Club has made an impact on campus, advocating for improvements on inclusivity and accommodation for LGBTQ+ students. “The Rainbow Club has also been a forum where students can make their concerns known...The recent changes at CCBC concerning students’ preferred names - with a form available for students to register their preferred name with the college, along with a policy requiring faculty to use preferred names - came out of a discussion at a Rainbow Club meeting where students expressed that they were having troubles around this issue,” he shares.
The Rainbow Club doesn’t just aid students in creating changes across campus, it’s also an excellent way to simply make friends and find a place where you feel comfortable enough to truly be yourself. “My first meeting at The Rainbow Club made me feel like I wasn't alone,” Club Secretary Dani Ciscell said. “There were a surprising amount of people who identified just like me. That was a first for me.”
Having a community on campus where you can find solidarity, support and friendship is vital for many LGBTQ+ students. CCBC is one of the many campuses today that has a community like that, although previous generations were not as fortunate. “I was an undergraduate in college in the 1970’s in rural Missouri, and certainly there was no support or even awareness of the needs, or perhaps even the existence of, LGBTQ+ students,” states Dr. Slusher.
Today, The Rainbow Club offers the support previous generations may have not been able to find on campus. “The Rainbow Club can help students by providing social support, educational resources and an opportunity for self-expression, both within the group and to the larger CCBC community,” says Dr. Slusher.
Joanna Ahmed, President of The Rainbow Club, urges LGBTQ+ students, and even allies, to participate in the club if they are in search of a place to both make friends and make a difference. “Join...Even if you are not queer, be an ally. You’ll find a family and people who love you, and you’ll learn about the issues happening in the LGBTQ+ community,” said Ahmed.
Club member Aiyonna Range concurs, expressing that joining the club will provide you with a place where you can be yourself and be at home. “Don’t be afraid to speak your mind,” she said. “Come with an open heart. Freely be yourself.”
The club meets every Wednesday on Essex’s campus.
I was reading this article and I was enjoying the article. It’s great that there are clubs where people of different sexual orientations and gender identities and expressions can hang out together safely and socially. We need more of these clubs around schools in Maryland so that students can feel safe and enjoy learning. We also have an LGBTQIA club at Catonsville, so definitely there is more power in unity than division!
I thought this article was very well written, with some very strong quotes and attributions. I previously didn’t know about this club, so I’m happy to have learned about it. A safe space for LGBTQ+ is so important for everyone, and I hope that clubs like these continue to make the world a safer and more loving place. I believe that everyone deserves to live their truth safely and happily, and it’s great to see The Rainbow Club providing that support.
I love that CCBC encourage the creation of clubs that allows students to freely express themselves and their sexual orientation. It is also a plus to be able to discuss issues and policies that could be in need of change across the campus. Some students may have moved to Maryland to attend college or many other reasons so allowing this platform to flourish can help students find friends with similar interest. I would love to join a meeting one day and help make a difference with challenges many still face today!
I love that CCBC encourage the creation of clubs that allows students to freely express themselves and their sexual orientation. It is also a plus to be able to discuss issues and policies that could be in need of change across the campus. Some students may have moved to Maryland to attend college or many other reasons so allowing this platform to flourish can help students find friends with similar interest. I would love to join a meeting one day and help make a difference with challenges many still face today!