Office of LGBTQ Services and Gender Equity to host open discussion about healthy relationships and boundaries
A basket of LGBTQ+ Pride flags sits on display at the Black History Month LGBTQ+ Trailblazers event in the CSID, Bovee UC 108, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. Not only is the space used for the Multicultural Academic Student Services, but also the LGBTQ+ Services and Gender Equity Program. (CM-Life | Soli Gordon)
Love is in the air as Valentine’s Day makes it way closer. But, a day to spread love can be dreadful for others.
The Office of LGBTQ Services and Gender Equity will be hosting an open event to discuss topics such as relationships, boundaries and self love from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Feb. 13 in the Center for Student Inclusion and Diversity (CSID) located in the Bovee University Center Room 108.
Bee Taylor is the director of the Office of LGBTQ Services and Gender Equity Programs. They said the office focuses on supporting LGBTQ students and registered student organizations.
“Our office offers programming, education and training, advocacy and support services for anyone who is impacted by homophobia, transphobia, sexism and gender based violence,” they said. “We do lots of events and act as a resource and support for a lot of student organizations on campus focused on LGBT work.”
Taylor said around Valentine's Day they try to use the time as an educational opportunity and turn it into something important to everyone.
“Healthy relationships and boundaries are important to everyone, so I wanted to generate a lot of content around that topic, what to look out for whether it's healthy or unhealthy and the different types of relationships someone could be in,” they said.
The event will include a board to write affirmations on, and resources such as a counselor in the CSID who is an LGBT person, they said.
“There will be lots of content about what healthy boundaries look like outside of that narrative of being cisgender or heterosexual,” Taylor said. “I’m also hoping for some more content, from my graduate assistant Jose Medina, about self love and non-normative types of love like for pets and oneself.”
They said they planned the event to help distract people from the Valentine's Day traditions, learn more about self love and self care.
“The whole intent is to distract people from Valentine’s Day if they’re not interested in it, (or if they're) stressed out about plans and buying gifts,” Taylor said. “It’s just a place to relax and maybe take your mind off those things.”
Taylor said they hope visitors feel like they can participate in Valentine’s Day without feeling alone.
“I hope they feel like they have a place where they can engage on Valentine’s Day without it being stressful or reminding oneself of their loneliness,” they said. “Just to be a space where we can share with other people.”
