Welcome to the Trent! Introducing you to the Trent Queer Collective. Let me tell you what the TQC is! We are a small group of students dedicated to making good on Trent’s reputation.
By this, I refer to the reputation Trent has managed to acquire over the years as being “the gay school.” I heard this from a couple of sources growing up. I’m not sure where this reputation came from, because when I showed up first year, I found it to be a pretty massive lie. Allow me to rephrase: There didn’t seem to be any low-key place to go and meet other queer kids.
It took me a while to discover the TQC. My friend brought me to the big drag show and cabaret in March. I found out there was a queer student group in MARCH. So here I am, to save you from my mistake by telling you that we’re here, we’re queer, and we use the line about three times a week because it rhymes. Enough preamble; who the hell are we? We’re a bunch of kids dedicated to welcoming, creating and maintaining a queer community on campus.
We have a mandate, which you can find on trentqueercollective.com. We also have Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter. I’m currently a volunteer for the TQC, and I’m in my fifth year.
I’ve been engaged in this rigmarole since my second year. The TQC is a non-hierarchical organisation, and I have no authority over any other member of the hub. What’s a hub? The organizational body of the TQC in charge of balancing the books, planning events, and hanging out in the TQC office in order to answer any questions people may have, as well as providing advocacy services for students.
In terms of what I know, the answer is that I know all about our upcoming events! For orientation we’re running three events, Fast, Flaming, Friends: This is a scientifically proven good way to meet queer folks on campus, as well as getting the TQC to answer your questions. It’s on September 8th, at 1:00PM-2:0PM LEC Junior common room. Weekly Queer Social: a weekly hang out space that will also serve as a venue for workshops and guest speakers.
Really cement the relationships built earlier in the day, on September 8th 7:00PM-9:00PM with Gender Bread Decorating! Do you have a lot of feelings about gender? Do you have no feelings about gender, but want to know why other people do?
Do you like cookies and rock operas? Come watch Hedwig and the Angry Inch decorate gender bread people and engage your peers in a light-hearted discussion about gender identity, which will be held on September 10th from 8:00PM to 10:00PM.
If you’re overwhelmed the first week back, here are some of the events you can look forward to. Weekly Queer Social! What’s left to say? It’s an on campus safe and accountable space to come hang out. Come to learn, come to teach, come to sit in a corner and read.
This space aims to be fun and low-key, because who wants to get lectured after being in class all day? There will occasionally be more structured workshops run by community members experts, and viewers like you! Also, you should know about B4Q’s: Beers. For. Queers.
Come have a beer/non-alcoholic/age-appropriate beverage with some awesome queers. Queer Sexy Health! Did you feel hella left out by your school’s gym curriculum? This is more than just an excuse for me to make puns. It’s an interactive learning experience aimed at teaching everything from consent 101 to STI prevention, to BDSM.
As well, we offer Burlesque classes through the Kitten Academy taught by the Lovely Miss Vonpurr, Peterborough’s glamour ghoul! There will be a beginner and intermediate class starting in October. Further more, every year we host a simply massive, no holds barred, drag show and cabaret. It just keeps getting bigger and better!