Published: Wednesday, 14 October 2020
Resources for Women/Non-Binary Students:
The Women’s & Gender Equity Center (WGEC) focuses on gender equity affairs and provides an inclusive space for women and non-binary students. They offer support for pregnant and parenting students and advocate for survivors of sexual misconduct. The Womxn Collective is one of their new programs that coordinates events for women of color with a speaker series and their monthly Collective Chat. WGEC also hosts SisterFriends, a supportive networking group for Black women students at CSULB.
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) offers countless support programs for students. Currently they have a women’s therapy group and a support group for Asian Pacific American Women. CAPS is also home to Beach Parents and Latinas at the Beach. These drop-in support spaces are available via Zoom, and students are highly encouraged to attend!
Sarath Cornelio is the 2020-2021 Women & Gender Equity Affairs Commissioner. She is the representative in ASI for issues related to women and gender equity. Feel free to reach out to her at sarath.cornelio@student.csulb.edu!
Student Health Services (SHS) also offers free birth control workshops, pregnancy options and consultations and STI testing to promote sexual health.
Resources for LGBTQ+ Students:
The Office of Multicultural Affairs houses the LGBTQ Student Cultural Resource Center. The center advocates for and educates on topics related to homophobia, heterosexism, inclusive language and other sexual and gender identity issues. It is also a space that can be utilized for teaching, group meetings, support groups and more. They are also holding a variety of events for OUTober to celebrate LGBTQ+ history.
The CSULB Queers and Allies organization provides a safe place for all individuals regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity. It is aimed at promoting tolerance and encouraging acceptance. They have a full schedule of fun events and meetings this semester. It is a great place to meet new friends within the community and bond over shared experiences.
CSULB Transgender Empowerment & Advocacy (TEA) is a resource for students that are transgender, non-binary, gender-nonconforming, genderqueer, questioning or anyone else along those spectrums. They have bi-weekly discussions over topics that relate to the gendered experience.
Rainbow Cafe, a drop-in support group hosted by CAPS, meets Mondays from 3:30 to 5 p.m. It is a space in support of gender and sexual diversity. The group focuses on the wellness of LGBTQ+ students and is a safe place for conversations surrounding identity
CAPS also has a program called Queer Talk for one-on-one, free confidential service from mental health professionals. This service is offered from 1 to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays. Drop-ins work on a first come, first serve basis, but there is little wait time.
Caleb Aparicio is the 2020 - 2021 LGBTIQ+ affairs commissioner. He is a great resource if you are looking for LGBTQ+ support or events and is the contact for any LGBTQ+ concerns that you want to be brought up in ASI. Reach him at caleb.aparicio01@student.csulb.edu.
SHS has Transgender Health Services available. Though they cannot currently initiate hormone therapy, they can continue any plan prescribed. SHS also provides pharmacy services, laboratory tests and mental health referals for transgender students.
The Office of Equity and Diversity reviews and investigates allegations of discrimination, harassment and retaliation as it relates to protected status which includes gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation. The Title IX office has resources on how to report sexual harrassment or sex-based discrimination.
These resources are available virtually to all students, and we recommend reaching out to these organizations with any questions.
Stay Engaged & Vote
Lastly, we would like to remind students to register to vote! The last day to register by mail is Oct. 19. Voting can be done by mail or in-person on Nov. 3 or earlier depending on your county. Now, more than ever, remember to stay civically engaged and support these communities within our campus and country!
Register to Vote
For all other voter information related to CSULB, be sure to visit www.csulb.edu/vote.
This article was written as a part of the ASI Student Government advocacy series by Hannah Peedikayil, a second-year student at CSULB majoring in Healthcare Administration serving as Lobby Corps Student-At-Large.
