Before college, I didn’t have many gay friends. I came out in the summer of 2016, but I could tell that my family, especially my parents, weren’t sure if there was a place for me at DKU. I was part of the second undergraduate class, and the university had not been as visible then when I searched for it online, let alone an inclusive community like GSRM. 

GSRM, for those who may not know, stands for Gender, Minority, and Romantic Minorities; the acronym was initially an attempt to differentiate our club from other gay/straight alliance clubs at other schools. Over the years, the name stuck as a symbol of the club’s inclusivity, embracing individuals who don’t neatly fit into conventional categories such as gay or straight, thus representing more of the diverse community we have here at DKU.

I remember joining the club in the Fall of 2019, painfully shy and fearing any sort of rejection. Things only clicked during our first meeting: there were less than 10 people sitting across our table but the vibe of the place felt safe and welcoming. I don’t remember much of the details from that night. What I do remember clearly was that I wanted to come back. 

In some ways, GSRM wasn’t that different from a social group. We would steal a team room once a week, talk about LGBTQ+ news, listen to music, and go out drinking to get away from our mountain of assignments. Despite this, it feels like I struck gold, finding people who understood me and shared their life experiences with me. In your first year of university, especially so far from home, it’s important to find people who are going through the same thing, someone to make you feel less alone. 

By then, I thought I would be spending the best four years of my life in China, traveling and learning with the people that I met that Fall. Then, second year came and that was a far cry from my first year experience or any normal university experience for that matter, with the pandemic. 

The reality was a blur of Zoom meetings, movie screenings, and a difficult adjustment period that no one really knew how to handle. That time also made me realize what this group meant to me. I was thankful for any excuse for us to feel connected to one another. From in-person color runs and film viewings, our executive board team got creative and transitioned to speed dating, coming out day events, and explorations of being Latinx in the community. I found myself hosting hybrid events with three or more time zones in mind. At times, it was as much for me, as it was for GSRM, and that’s the thing about leadership in these spaces. 

I’m going into my 5th year as a member of GSRM, and my 2nd year as a part of the executive board. I’ve grown a lot, and I’ve seen the scope of student and faculty responses to our small alliance. There have been times where our events are restricted and we’re under scrutiny for our publicity, and it still hits as hard every time. I won’t sugarcoat the fact that it can be scary to be openly out on such a small campus. I’ve received comments that range from ignorant to malicious. I know a lot of people wouldn’t sign up for this; I wasn’t this excited to be out and proud when I was a freshman either. 

Yet I persist, and so does GSRM. There is something so precious about the community we have here, to know that there’s a pocket of people who support and understand you, even if you are not at the point where you can be out. 

These days, I think a lot about privilege, and what it means to use it for good. I’m so immensely lucky to be loved and to share that love with my peers. For every bad experience I have from being out, I’m gifted a handful of positive memories— my safety net from my community that accepts me as I am.  

As a club we still do most of the same things: watch movies, celebrate pride, go out to gay bars, and share our worries with one another. It’s the highlight of my week to see friends and to bask in the warmth of a second home. I can’t put into words what it means to us to continue this kind of work, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Few student-led clubs at DKU are as active as we are, and similarly, few clubs have lasted from 2018 until now. Even during the times when the most we can manage is one monthly event, our resilience is something that I’ll always be proud of. 

As the current president of GSRM, most of my friends are queer. It’s a common joke that there was something inherent to DKU’s branding that drew so many of us here. I’ve seen the impact of this with our underclassmen and admits. People coming out to their families, finding community for the first time, seeking out DKU specifically because they’ve heard of us on Weibo or Instagram. Our faculty advisor, James Miller, says that he wants DKU to be the most LGBTQ+ welcoming campus in China, and I think we’re doing a good job at it. 

I’ve made lifelong friends here, and my hope is that other people can too. If any part of this resonates with who you are or who you want to be, we’re always here to welcome you with open arms.