Becoming a More Activist-Oriented Campus Group
Programming and Organizing!
Activism is inclusive of a wide range of events and programming. It can encompass anything from informative meetings, panel discussions, speeches or flyering to large rallies and campaigns.
Striking a balance between the social and the political
Many [students] have stopped coming to meetings and events because they feel they do not "need" that kind of support anymore and they know and feel comfortable with who they are. It is difficult trying to make the group appeal to both students who are struggling and students who are comfortable. Hence, we have tried to make our events more social in the past two years.
— Jessica Baverman, Spectrum at Dickinson College (Carlisle, PA)
We definitely struggled while I was [president] to make the members more excited about activism. I think now it is heading in the activist direction, though. For a while it was just a struggle because we didn’t know exactly how to keep people coming because we weren’t sure what their needs were.
— Kendra Nelson, former President of Pride at Southern Utah University (Cedar City, Utah)
There definitely has to be a balance. No matter how many social events you do, if you are not making headway for your population of queer people you need to figure out a way to make it happen. When it comes down to actually putting in the hours it’s harder to maintain enthusiasm, but you can do it if you can engage them in the activism and provide them with opportunities for fun and social outlets.
— Jarret Henson, Activism Chair, KU Queers and Allies (Lawrence, KS)
Challenges you may face as an activist organization and how to handle them
Tension with the University administration
- Organize town hall meetings
- Draft proposals to the administration
- Reach out to the student body and other student organizations for support
- Ask to schedule meetings with officials in the administration
- Check out more ideas and examples from other campuses
Antagonistic responses from other groups, faculty, students and local communities
It is clear that our campus is still hostile towards GLBT students, and it has definitely been a struggle to create our space on campus. Even so, we continue our work and try to make our group as inviting as possible to those people who need and want a space on campus.
— Jessica Baverman, Spectrum at Dickinson College (Carlisle, PA)
LGBT issues are sometimes controversial and you may have to deal with negative reactions to your group’s activism. Make sure that your group has talked about how you will respond to these issues in the most effective and responsible way.
Example!
The LGBT group at Dickinson College confronted the College Republicans at their school about a publicity scheme that was offensive to members of their community.
Apathy! How can you keep people involved and active?
It was pretty difficult to get people moving and excited at first. We resorted to watching movies and doing more informal activities because we were just trying to keep the club alive so that meant more social programming at the time.
— Kendra Nelson, Pride at Southern Utah University (Cedar City, Utah)
- You can engage more people by appealing to their different needs.
- Some people in your community may just want social outlets for queer people. Listening to your members and catering to those needs is important.
- Make sure that you are still pushing the group to engage in activism by using the social events to spread information about activism and how to get involved.
- Delegate more responsibilities to the general membership by asking them to come up with their own initiatives for events and programming. You can also form subcommittees that focus on specific issues or events in order to include more people in the organizing process.
Example!
At George Washington University, Trans Education and Action (TEA) is a committee of Allied in Pride that works to bring awareness to transgender issues. As part of its efforts to make GW a trans-friendly and trans-aware campus, TEA has spearheaded efforts to pass trans-inclusive resolutions in the Student Association and Faculty Senate, organized an annual drag ball, and brought visibility to the issue of transphobia through events such as the Trans Day of Remembrance.I like to find out what other people are passionate about. What issues are important to them? What lights a fire under them and makes them want to be active? If they really feel like they are putting their thoughts in and contributing, that makes them want to be active and involved.
— Jarret Henson, Activism Chair, KU Queers and Allies (Lawrence, KS) - Make an effort to speak with members one-on-one to let them know that their voice and ideas are valued within the group.
- Engage, Inform, Agitate, Involve
- Engage: Get people interested in learning more about your activist initiatives by using flashy posters, Facebook events, and one-on-one conversations
- Inform: Let them know what the issues are and exactly what’s at stake
- Agitate: Get them invested in the issues by stressing the injustice of the situation
- Involve: Encourage them to become active in the effort by emphasizing the importance of their participation and how it can make a difference