By: Erica Cortes
The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Queer Center invited students via Zoom to discuss and inform students about the LGBTQ+ community.
Lynn Wood, Student Services assistant at LGBTQ+, hosted the event on Friday. Angel Banuelos, an East Los Angeles College transfer student at California State University Long Beach was there to assist and give other understanding concepts of the terminology of the LGBTQ+ community.
The workshop was a mix of general knowledge of the topic, such as vocabulary, and approaching people about their sexual orientation. The workshop included talking about gender identity, gender expression and how individuals present themselves to others. “We need to try to be aware of what is going on in the world and universe, and try to display multiple messages to show support in the globe,” Wood said.
Ideas for how the LGBTQ community can branch out and be known as well, as get allies outside of the community, was in focus. “Here at the LGBTQ, we try to focus on a community that the world doesn’t see as the normative but also can not forget our allies,” Banuelos said.
Students were welcome to participate in the quizzes created for the event and were given the chance to speak out about their concerns and comments on the community. “A lot of people also seek hormones but some trans people live life without either surgery or hormones and that doesn’t change the validity of their identity or value as a person,” Juan Carlos, a student at ELAC, said.
Towards the end of the zoom meeting. Wood and Banuelos gave a list of resources for students to use to talk with someone if they were not comfortable speaking out during the workshop. In order to reach the LGBTQ+ center please contact woodcl@elac. edu or call 323-267-3791.