Celebrate queer resilience with art, magic and joy

MCCGSC invites students, faculty, staff, community members to submit works

Lily Cole

Editor 

The annual Michigan Community College Gender and Sexuality Conference (MCCGSC) is seeking submissions from students. 

Students, faculty, staff and community members are invited to participate by submitting presentations, art and workshops by Feb. 13. The conference will be held at WCC on April 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The conference is free to students.

Josiah Jackson, WCC English instructor, was connected with the event for the first time last year. He explained that this year’s theme of “Queer Resilience: Art, Magic & Joy” are three pillars that help queer identities maintain and stay true to who they are. 

Christina Do, coordinator of equity and inclusion at WCC, said she’s excited about the theme. 

“We’re going to be displaying some art by students and staff. We’re looking to be able to provide some art workshops, so more hands-on activities,” she said. 

According to Mary Mullalond, English and college readiness faculty at WCC and OutSpace+ faculty advisor, the conference was initially conceptualized and organized by Zach Baker, a former writing center secretary and advocate for queer student support at community colleges, in 2018. After the COVID-19 pandemic, the event shifted to a virtual format under the leadership of a past OutSpace+ president, Latitude Brown, who coordinated an all-day virtual conference with the help of others.

The mission of the MCCGSC is to “support queer students and provide them an environment where they can feel support but also feel like they can make connections with each other and feel empowered to make the world a better place,” Mullalond said. 

She explains that in 2023, the MCCGSC transitioned to a hybrid format, where students, faculty, staff and community members could attend even if they couldn’t be at WCC in person. This happened with the help of a planning committee that included Do, and Janel Baker, a faculty member at WCC. 

“The world is not always safe out there …you never know what somebody’s gonna do or say. And we’ve all had negative experiences,” Baker said. “So, being in a place that is specifically welcoming for every single person–it’s unbelievable.” 

It’s not just WCC students who can attend this conference, though. The MCCGSC invites students, faculty and staff from all Michigan community college campuses to attend. 

For the 2023 conference, “the farthest folks came from the Upper Peninsula,” Mullalond said. “Last year, it was up by Petoskey.”

MCCGSC isn’t just an academic experience but a learning opportunity, too. “It’s a way to support one another, not just as human beings but also as academics,” Baker said. 

The MCCGSC is seeking two types of student submissions: traditional academic presentations to share research or ideas and creative art submissions.

These can be in any form, such as painting, poetry, dance, or textiles, and showcase how creativity fosters magic, joy or resiliency. You can present or simply display your work.

“It’s so important just to see other queer people,” Jackson said. “We do not do this quietly in one corner of the college campus, but something we loudly and proudly put out there and want people to see. We want people in this community to know they have a space where they can be valued, elevated and celebrated.”

MCCGSC will have a table at Welcome Day on Feb. 4 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. as well as one on Feb. 5 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

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