Somewhere over the Rainbow: A Virtual Queer Community
Rainbow Connect is a new LGBTQIA+ Co-Mentorship program to USD this year
Dominic Urquidez / Assistant Feature Editor / The USD Vista
With the world turning to virtual communities for everyday life, Stacey Williams, the associate director of the LGBTQIA+ and Allies Commons, adapted to the new normal by creating a community for queer students at the University of San Diego. She wanted to design an online space where students can discuss their experiences being a part of the queer community while also teaching about leadership opportunities and queer culture. To do this, she formed Rainbow Connect, an LGBTQIA+ Co-Mentorship program.
As clubs and organizations began to meet online, Williams recognized that forming connections with other students could be very challenging. She knew that it would be awkward for some to join a virtual community that they were not already familiar with. She also noticed that it was trying for student organizations to see new faces in a virtual environment.
It is through Rainbow Connect that students will be able to find a community while living among stay-at-home orders. The program is purposed to form an environment of inclusivity, likeness, and solidarity through bi-weekly video discussions. Though students are scattered around the globe, Rainbow Connect allows those who join to show their true colors.
Williams’ intention for the program was to create a structure that helps students form meaningful relationships while simultaneously focusing on a goal. She wondered if adding a framework to this program would help reduce the barriers of entry for students. The structure of Rainbow Connect is to queer the traditional hierarchy of mentor-mentee.
“When I say we’re queering the mentorship model, we’re not taking folks who are mentors to then mentor these mentees,” Williams said. “We’re saying ‘what would it be like to come together with an intention to mutually listen and co-support each other?’”
Williams designed Rainbow Connect to have a horizontal way of sharing knowledge. Rather than a one-person lecture, it is a group round table. Those who join will be part of triads/dyads that discuss culture, leadership, and personal experience. The members of the program are the ones who decide what the themes and topics are. It is through brainstorming that the group will answer questions about identity.
“How do we understand who we are? What have our experiences been? How has our identity shaped that experience? And then what are we really curious about when we think about the intersection of queer identity and leadership, or this idea of mutual support and mentorship,” Williams explained.
All undergraduate students are invited to participate in Rainbow Connect. Allies are welcome to join in and listen with the intent to learn through the stories and experiences of the LGBTQIA+ community on campus. Applications are still open for anyone who would like to join.
