PAC supports the LGBTQIA community

By Belinda Rangel
Pulse Staff Reporter

Every school expresses their support for the LGBTQIA Community in different ways, from organizations to having an event to express solidarity. Palo Alto College is no different.

“When class started, everybody is kind of awkward but then people just kind of warm up to each other, no one treating each other different,” said Drew Gutierrez, a freshman English major, who is a member of the LGBTQIA Community.

June was Pride Month for the LGBTQIA Community, and since June is a summer month, the college did not have any type of recognition, like the Heritage Month events during September.

Currently, Palo Alto does not have an LGBTQIA organization. The previous organization, Palomino Alliance, had a proactive and positive representation but was not continued because the leaders of the group graduated and no one took their place.

“That first year, they did like a conference, a workshop, series of workshops on bullying and strategies for students in that population to deal with sometimes the treatment that they get,” said Veronica Rosas-Tatum, assistant professor of Business Management. She approves of the idea of another organization for the LGBTQIA Community because of its support and education.

 “I feel like they need to have that here as a place to go to, especially since stressful times, like during college,” said Gutierrez.

Personal counselors, Rhonda O’Cana and Tyler Archer, help students if they have issues within or out of school.

“I feel like it is important to have those kinds of resources. While there is a lot more upcoming LGBT, that doesn’t mean that there are families that are so accepting about LGBT,” said Gutierrez.

Oct. 11 was National Coming Out Day, and Student Life had a Coming Out to Dance party on Oct. 9, which included pizza, D.J, dance, and a mini-resource fair. The campus also participated in the Pride Parade downtown on June 27, 2019.

If you’re interested in helping to re-activate the Palomino Alliance, contact Erica Muñoz in Student Life Office at (210) 486-3137, or drop by the Student Center Room 124.