GSA Perseveres through Pandemic
By Beeke Fock, Sophie Ma, and Leo Zhang
The pandemic has resulted in a redefinition of what it means to be in a community. Because of this, COVID-19 has greatly impacted affinity groups, one being the Gender and Sexuality Alliance.
With in-person meetings being limited, many affinity clubs have turned to virtual spaces amidst restrictions. Gender and Sexuality Alliance advisor Alex Myers explained some of the options members had. “I think similar to other groups we have tried to offer remote options, like a Discord channel, drop-in hours, and a wider range of interactions than the traditional ‘club meeting,” Myers said.
Advisor Paul Langford elaborated on the effectiveness of the group’s online meetings. “Virtual meetings may not be as conducive to serious discussions and building connections, especially for new members of the group, but they do allow for gatherings that provide a relaxing break for those in need of it.”
With the lingering pandemic, virtual meetings often take precedence over in-person ones. This can pose issues, especially for affinity groups where in-person interaction can be greatly beneficial in fostering safe and comfortable spaces. Langford spoke on this, stating, “The opportunity to meet and speak with other queer students in a confidential setting is very important to many, so the various forms of distancing and remote, rather than in person connections may, for some, increase feelings of isolation.”
Senior and co-head Allison Kim agreed, noting that virtual settings can greatly impact the topics of the discussions. “One more negative aspect of having to go online is that it’s a bit harder to have more serious or nuanced discussions through zoom. It’s harder to feel the discussion dynamic and stuff like that. I feel like we’ve had to just stay sort of lighthearted with our meetings when we’re online,” Kim said.
Speaking on the ways COVID has disportionately impacted LGBTQ+ students, Kim explained, “[During a pandemic,] staying at home can be an added stressor [for LGBTQ+ students]. The term last year in the winter when we were at home was probably hard for people who are not out to their families.”
“At home, people often can’t be as free with their gender expression as they might be able to on campus,” Kim continued. “Because we’re more limited to our specific dorm communities [during COVID], it can be harder to connect with other queer students at Exeter,” Kim continued.
While COVID restrictions have hindered club meetings, GSA is still trying to host in-person events. “We really think in-person meetings are important, and it is hard to find time and space to do that within campus restrictions. We’ve managed a couple and have plans for outdoor events, like a skating party,” Myers said.
“Thankfully, we’ve been able to meet in-person most of the time because we’re not too big of a group.” Kim added, “It’s been pretty good overall.”
Some students felt that the pandemic had elements that positively impacted GSA. “The online element of the pandemic is actually something that I think could be helpful,” lower Clara Peng noted. “You can change your name, add pronouns, turn off your camera, or do pretty much whatever you need to do to feel comfortable, instead of leaving the comfort of your room and putting yourself out there as queer.” Peng explained that COVID itself gives time for students to self-reflect, which leads to gender and sexuality discovery.
“We started using our group chats more actively too,” Kim said. “I think we’re able to keep about the same level of activity and members throughout the pandemic. Another thing with Zoom and having to meet in smaller groups is that we’ve put more focus into [specific] affinity groups. In Zoom, you can do breakout rooms and have multiple affinity groups running at once. Those affinity groups bring in a different audience than the full group meeting sometimes.”
“Ms. Lembo and the co-heads are always here if [students] need help,” continued Kim.
“We try to make sure that people are comfortable reaching out, either in the meeting, after the meetings, or through email and group chat.”
Despite the hindrance the pandemic has caused, GSA remains a safe space that supports students. Peng continued on the benefits GSA creates. “Even though the pandemic as a whole has been really isolating, spaces like GSA are super helpful in making me feel less alone. When I came out to my mom I actually ended up asking someone from GSA for help and advice. It is in general just comforting to know that you’re not alone in your experiences and to see that there are people that support you.”
