Helping found Lavender Alliance is the most important thing I could’ve done in college.
I came to FAU in 2022, and during this time there were little active LGBTQ+ clubs. However, during my first two semesters, I met a lot of amazing friends and people. One of those was Paige.
I met Paige at the very beginning of the Spring 2023 semester. Paige had previously been involved in other clubs on campus and knew the ins-and-outs on how to start them. She took the idea of making an LGBTQ+ club on campus and made something amazing out of it.
With Paige as president, me as vice president, and a very amazing group of people as our eBoard, we were able to bring Lavender Alliance around campus. Our first event was Karaoke, and I remember being so happy with the turn out. It felt like there was a genuine demand for a club like ours.
Through more events, tabling and word of mouth, our club began to grow. By the end of Spring 2023, our little community had transformed into something bigger for me.
Paige graduated the following semester, and I took over as president. It was an amazing experience to run the club for a semester and it helped me feel much closer to a lot of people who I got to meet through the club, many of whom I know will be lifelong friends.
I’m stepping down this semester to just be an eBoard as I am taking a gap year. However, that doesn’t negate my involvement in the club and the joy it brings me. I am so proud of what we’ve done with the club.
There’s a genuine sense of community at each meeting, no matter how big or small.
There’s a genuine sense of community when we table for hours on the breezeway talking to friends and people we don’t know.
There’s a genuine sense of community just seeing people from the clubs walking down the Breezeway.
I am always excited to see any people involved with Lavender Alliance, new or old. It feels like pure joy. There’s a bond that goes through everyone in the club, and that’s the most important part of having a space like Lavender Alliance. It feels safe.
That’s why clubs are important, especially social ones. It gives people a space they wouldn’t have otherwise to meet people and to be themselves. I could not imagine how college would be for me without Lavender Alliance. I know no matter what, the club will continue to flourish for years to come.
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