Despite some feelings of disjointedness, however, students overwhelmingly believe that smaller queer groups play an important and necessary role in the queer community.

“It’s nice to have that intentional queer person-of-color space,” Christopher Frost ’15 said, referring to BlackOut, of which he is a member. “I don’t think that it takes away or detracts from any other group on campus.”

SUPPORT FROM THE TOP

Concerns regarding inclusion and intersectionality are not new, according to Marco Chan ’11, co-President of the Harvard Gender and Sexuality Caucus, a queer alumni organization, who served as co-Chair of QSA from 2008 to 2011. In 2010, QSA altered its mission statement to include a broader range of identities.

However, compared to his time at Harvard, Chan said that groups formed to fulfill these niche interests and needs now benefit from two trends—the growing experience of queer group leaders on campus and nationwide and increased institutional support from entities such as the Office of BGLTQ Student Life.

According to students and administrators, the office—formed two and a half years ago—helps to address inclusivity issues by providing a safe space for a range of queer community members and bridging the subgroups that have emerged.

Blecher-Cohen, a current intern at the Office of BGLTQ Student Life, said that opportunities to have conversations that are less politicized have increased since the creation of the “Quoffice,” which has an educational purpose. “[The Office of BGLTQ Student Life provides] a space where queer people have an incredibly wide range of opinions,” Blecher-Cohen said.

Some students said they think the office does not play a unique role in the queer community. Bailey, the director of the office, said that the Quoffice will be launching and reforming initiatives this year.

“The past few years have been about conversations and relationship building,” Bailey said. “Now we’re building.”

According to Emelyn dela Pena, assistant dean of student life for equity, diversity, and inclusion, the College can assist inclusion within communities by providing staff training and cultivating a “culture of learning.”

She said that the Office of Student Life has accounted for intersectionality in its approach, citing regular communication and collaboration among the three diversity offices—the Office of BGLTQ Student Life, the Women’s Center, and the Harvard Foundation—and the recent hiring of diversity fellows tasked with working with all three offices to implement diversity initiatives.

MOVING FORWARD

While many students said they would like the queer community to continue to strive toward inclusivity and solidarity, they acknowledge the complexity of this aspiration.

“I feel like with any community, it’s very hard to say that everyone should coalesce into this one idea of what it means to be something,” Frost said.

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