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by Megan Guard
Staff Writer
Working collaboratively, the LGBT History Month Committee and Gender, Love and
Sexuality, Spectrum, G.L.A.S.S., have held a range of events celebrating the month of
October for the LGBTQ+ community.
Students frequently stop by the Health and Wellness Center, where G.L.A.S.S.’s
resource room is located, to ask what time the next event will be held that same
evening. Although the numbers have been modest, the attendance levels at these
events have fulfilled G.L.A.S.S.’s expectations.
Early this month, Open Mic Night brought in nearly 50 attendees. It was a way for
students who are not a part of the club to get involved and leave with an awareness
of what G.L.A.S.S. is.
Since introducing its new name last year, when it was formerly known as the Gay,
Lesbian and Straight Society to Gender, Love and Sexuality Spectrum—what Naimul
Khan, president of G.L.A.S.S. refers to as one of their “defining moments”—the
organization has been more focused on creating inclusive events. “I find that Baruch
students in general aren’t very active on campus so the ones that are—we want them
to be involved,” said Khan.
There have been events like Safe Zone training, an information session where faculty,
staff and students receive helpful tips for becoming a better ally to the LGBTQ+
community, and Queer People of Faith where each of the seven tables at the
resource center represented a different religion. Art projects were also set up on
tables, each one meant to reveal one’s own identity with a combination of that faith.
“A lot of important conversations happened at the table about different religions and
what it is like to be an LGBT person in a religious household or to be a religious LGBT
person,” Gabe Roman, Creative Director of G.L.A.S.S. explained.
G.L.A.S.S. has evolved greatly since its inception at Baruch College as G.A.L.A. in
1977. Operating in a stigma-heeding society that oppressed the voices of the
LGBTQ+ community, G.A.L.A.’s members were virtually unable to conduct meetings
at school without the help of security guards to protect the students. The group was
eventually forced to go underground during the wake of the HIV and AIDS scare in
the 1980’s and reemerged a decade later as Gay, Lesbian and Straight Society. Last
year, with the Gender Neutral Campaign, G.L.A.S.S. received a lot of suggestions from
students who were unable to identify with the acronym.
“People came up to us at tabling events and were like, ‘even though I’m part of the
News
G.L.A.S.S. Evolves to be More Inclusive
Article by - November 9th, 2015

2. community this name does not reflect me as a person and I don’t want to say I’m part
of the G.L.A.S.S. when people think I’m narrowed to Gay, Lesbian, or straight.’ But as a
club who listens to their members and takes their feelings into high regards, we
decided to change our name to reflect what they were asking for,” said Roman.
In an effort to reflect a safe space for intersectionality in not only sexuality but also
identity, creating dialogue focused on issues affecting individuals within the LGBTQ+
community have also become a primary focus for the group.
Last year, G.L.A.S.S. was able to hold several events on gender and relationship
structures like polyamory and how to be an ally for someone who is polyamorous.
This year the club plans to facilitate an event called ‘Toxic Culture,’ “which is not about
views of the LGBT community from the eyes of those who are not in it but about the
views of those who are within it. It is from the eyes of the people who are within and
the issues that exist between the sections, like a how a gay man might view a bisexual
person,” explained Roman.
Digital NativesbyRingoAdmin Login |Content PolicyCopyright 2015 - Baruch Ticker
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