LEXI CHITWOOD AND RACHEL GOMOLL | PHOTO BY YASIR ALHUMAIDAN
Edgewood College’s LGBTQ organization, SAFE, is up and running after a year of decommission, and they have multiple events planned.
The organization had been left in a free fall after the previous President and Vice President graduated, leaving no one else to take the reins. This year, senior Bret Stalcup and sophomore Amir Franklin are heading the organization as co-presidents.
SAFE is the group on campus that is a space for anyone who is LGBTQ or an ally to simply be themselves and be comfortable, regardless of whether or not they are “out of the closet.” According to Franklin, SAFE is intended to be a place where students can express themselves without having to worry about discrimination.
“I envision SAFE to be more of a support type group,” Franklin explained. “Saying ‘I’m the president creates this kind of hierarchy. Our purpose is just to support those in the community.”
The organization held a few events in October since it was LGBTQ history month. On the Oct. 20, there was a drag show in Anderson Auditorium.
Drag shows are nothing new to Edgewood College, but it has been over a year since SAFE has hosted one. There was a drag show scheduled last year, but the performers canceled the day of the event. According to co-president Bret Stalcup, the actors didn’t give an explanation for the last-minute cancellation when he received the phone call early that morning. This year SAFE contacted the same group in an attempt to give it another try but were met with no response.
Instead, they went through SADHAUS, a Chicago-based organization, that has affiliations with SAFE’s faculty advisor, Lisa King.
While this year’s drag show had a few technical difficulties, the co-presidents consider it to be a success. When asked if there was anything he would do differently for future drag shows, Franklin said, “I only wish more people came, so maybe more marketing.” Around 50 people attended the show and he believes more promotion could bring even bigger numbers.
Students can also look forward to an opportunity to showcase their talents at the Rainbow Variety Show and a Sour Patch regarding an LGBTQ theme in the near future. SAFE meets every other Wednesday from 6:00 – 7:00 PM in the OSII.
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