As a new student at San Antonio College, Tony Rey was looking for connection and community with other LGBTQ+ members when he found the college’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) this fall.
“Being gay makes life seem like it’s so much more difficult,” Rey told SAC Student News recently. “You just have a lot more fighting to do.”
Rey said the GSA helped him find the courage and confidence to express his sexuality.
The group seeks to provide a safe, inclusive community on campus for all students by offering resources to marginalized communities and promoting acceptance and awareness of LGBTQ+ issues, according to its organizational web page.
Jim Ward, a 2020 SAC distinguished graduate, co-founded the GSA in the Fall of 2019, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced its temporary dissolution in 2020, according to Dr. Suraya Khan, assistant professor of history and a GSA advisor.
“The GSA has definitely given me a lot of courage.”
— Tony Rey, GSA member
The club has about 30 members who join their weekly meetings and events, according to Jeigh Motley, a chemistry professor and GSA advisor at SAC.
October was LGBTQ+ History Month, and SAC officially celebrates the occasion as “Rainbow Heritage Month,” according to the college’s website. This year, GSA members chose their own theme to commemorate the observance: “Monsters Inc.” The reference to the Pixar film about monsters in closets is meant to encourage LGBTQ+ individuals to “come out of the closet.”
“The GSA has definitely given me a lot of courage, especially Rainbow Heritage Month,” Rey said. “I’ve been considering people I want to tell in my life. I don’t think I would have ever considered it if I hadn’t started coming here. I wouldn’t have been exposed to what life could be.”
The GSA elected three student leaders in September: Alexandra Klein, Dystini Hatton, and Simon Dennis. Khan, one of the faculty advisors, said the group established its leadership roles and duties in 2022 with the goal of allowing members to gain experience in each role and share the responsibility of managing the organization.
The GSA posts its activities and meetings on its Instagram page, and the group holds meetings in room 256 of the Loftin Student Center. The brightly decorated “Pride Room” is the GSA’s home base, and students can access pamphlets and other resources for sexual health and wellness there.
SAC student Ethan Wilson told SAC Student News that he discovered a passion for volunteering and serving others when he joined the GSA.
“Being involved in this community has definitely made me happier,” Wilson said. “It’s given me a better sense of purpose. It’s about shared identity. Even though we may have different flags, everyone has had similar experiences. The GSA is creating a deep and personal experience for those who participate.”
