Lavender Alliance kicked off the new semester at FAU with a meet and greet mixer on Jan. 19. The student organization, one of two major LGBTQ+ clubs on campus, was formed in 2023 by Kenny Ruff and Paige Allen.
“When Paige and I started the club, it was to get people and allies together because legislation made us feel unsafe on campus,” Ruff explained. “We also had no place for us on campus, since we didn’t have a club to come together.”
The Friday night mixer opened up in the Student Union with New Year’s resolutions, asking people in the audience what theirs were. This was followed by asking the crowd to look back at 2023, what they are proud of, and if they have anything they wish to leave behind.
But really, the night was about reconnecting after the break.
Kayla Barnes, who is an interdisciplinary studies major, enjoyed talking with the attendees at her first meeting.
“I feel like I’m amongst friends. I enjoy getting out of the house and socializing,” Barnes said.
“The primary objective of Lavender Alliance is to establish a friendly and uplifting LGBTQIA+ and ally community at FAU,” the club’s description on Owl Central reads.
BLISSS, the other major LGBTQ+ club on campus, hosted their first event of the semester, Tea Time on Jan. 16.
You can find Lavender on Instagram @faulavenderalliance. Their next event is Friday, Feb. 2 from 5 to 7 p.m.
“It's our queer history general body meeting,” Ruff said. “Essentially, we're gonna have a PowerPoint where we will discuss important moments in queer history up until today, and it will be open for discussion and commentary for anyone who would like to talk.”
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