Students can have their voices heard, tune in to LGBTQ+ news, plan activities and join the student organization The Coalition every other Friday at Texas A&M University-San Antonio.
The next meetings are 1-2 p.m. Nov. 17 and Dec. 1 in Room 223 of the Central Academic Building and through Zoom.
Since around 2009, The Coalition has been a safe place to become educated, engage with the LGBTQ+ community and organize events.
The meetings allow members to be comfortable using their voice and letting themselves be heard, said Rayo Reyna,communications freshman and vice president of The Coalition.
Brandan Salazar, communications junior and president of The Coalition, said attendees and members also can become more involved with the LGBTQ+ community, whether they are a part of the community already or an ally.
“You can be an ally. If you wanna come and get educated, that’s a big thing as well,” Salazar said. “I like educating people in the community ‘cause they don’t know what some of these words may mean. … Having these types of organizations is not only educational, but it also helps you grow ethically and morally as a person.”
A segment of the meetings known as “What’s the tea,” which gets its name from commonly used slang for gossip in the community, shifts the focus to its members’ other affiliations as well as provides an opportunity to announce any good news they want to share.
Salazar, says it’s important to not only know things about the organization you’re in but to be knowledgeable of other events and organizations on campus.
The Coalition often collaborates with its unofficial sister organization, BSU (Black Student Union).
The organization is planning its Drag Queen Extravaganza, which Salazar said he tries to do every fall in the hopes of exposing more people to the culture since it is a “big part of the community.”
“I love showcasing it to students who don’t have those resources,” Salazar said.
According to JagSync, the organization has up to 300 members while about 10-20 of those are actively participating and attending the meetings.
Students can join and become a member of the Coalition on JagSync: https://jagsync.tamusa.edu/organization/coalition.
For more information, email Salazar at bsala021@jaguar.tamu.edu or get in touch with the organization on Instagram,@tamusa.coalition.
