By Marena Reich
On the day before Valentine’s Day, self love was expressed in different forms across campus.
But no matter the style, it was welcome at the first-ever Gender and Sexuality Center for Queer and Trans Life (GSC) Self-Love Day in Appleby Hall on Feb. 13. The event was an opportunity to practice self love and connect with others.
“This event is about celebrating love in all forms, and it’s really about loving your body and loving yourself, and we are centering health and well-being and community,” said Michelle Trumpy, the director of public health at Boynton Health.
Trumpy planned the festivities with Mycall Riley, the director of the GSC. The event was originally proposed as a vaccine day for students at the GSC through Boynton Health, but Trumpy wanted to do more.
“It was like, ‘Well, what if we grew this more than just flu shots and COVID shots?’” Trumpy said. “What if we had food? What if we had more community? We really wanted to get people connecting.”
The result was five hours of activities for the students that included vaccinations, queer-affirming haircuts, pet visits with Pet Away Worries & Stress (PAWS), headshots and access to safe sex supplies while enjoying food and company in the lounge. Local queer-owned bakery The Thirsty Whale provided baked goods..
A highlight was the PAWS-organized rabbit-petting event, called Hoppy Hour, which attracted many students.
“I’ve been to PAWS before, but they only had one bunny, and I never got to hold it and this was awesome,” attendee Maggie Moynihan said. “The bunny I was holding sat in my lap the entire time and never tried to get away.”
Attendees were also able to learn about other GSC events throughout the semester, which are also listed on their social media.
“I really did like the Speed Friending idea,” Moynihan said. “I wasn’t able to go to that one, but that would be great if they did that again. I’m always open to having more queer friends.”