The smell of fresh empanadas and the sound of thoughtful discussion between more than 20 students filled the former Multicultural Engagement Center on the evening of Oct. 16. 

The Queer Trans Black Indigenous People of Color Agency hosted their first Queer Trans Leadership Institute meeting of the year. Every Wednesday at 6 p.m. through Nov. 13, since 2018, the QTLI series focuses on topics such as safety within activism, navigating the professional and academic spheres as a QTBIPOC person and health and wellness. The series kicked off with safety and activism, presented by several of the group’s officers. 

“(April’s Pro-Palestinian protests have) shown us, QTBIPOC people are more likely to be (subjected) to violence simply because they look a certain way and oftentimes are more recognizable,” Anya Gupta, design sophomore and member of the graphics team said. “It’s important for our community to stand together through that, and I think that especially has shaped QTLI.”

According to the organization’s Instagram, the final meeting of the series will offer an open discussion of the organization’s goals. Besides education, Kam McQueen, co-director of QTBIPOCA, said building community proves a major point of both the series and the agency.

“Attending a primarily white institution … there’s already limited spaces for people who are both queer and people of color to exist and flourish and relax,” McQueen, an African and African diaspora studies and psychology double senior, said. “The purpose of QTBIPOCA is to consistently create space for queer people of color to just exist.”

Mariah Adeeko, rhetoric and writing senior and communications officer, said QTBIPOCA frequently collaborates with leaders on campus, such as Dr. Karma Chávez. As a professor and chair of Mexican American and Latina/o studies, Chávez will speak at this year’s QTLI. 

“In the past, we’ve had grassroots advocates, we’ve had organizers, we’ve had a variety of people come speak,” Adeeko said. “It’s really just being like, ‘Hey, look, there are people 10-20 years older than us still letting us know that our identity is something we have to fight for.’ There’s hope in the older queer generation coming to these things and speaking out.”

McQueen said the officers organize meetings themselves to ensure that students feel welcomed to a ready-made, safe community. 

“I don’t tangibly gain anything, but I gain the satisfaction of knowing I have created a space for people like me to just be,” McQueen said. “(QTBIPOCA has) decided that we are okay with taking on that responsibility of forming the space so that once you get here, (showing up) is all you need to do.”