The GLASS club at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette is an organization that fights for the inclusion of all students. One of their biggest focuses is giving support to members of the LGBTQ+ community here at UL Lafayette that may have never had any. They do this through their annual drag shows, coming out celebrations, resource fairs, skate dates, coffee meetings, movie nights and many other events around campus.
In past years, many of the members have even been given the opportunity to walk in the annual pride parade. These are only a few of the abundant ways that GLASS shows its pride.
GLASS is an acronym that stands for “Giving Love, Acceptance, Safety, and Support”, which summarizes the goals and aspirations of the club. The club gives students a place to be open, as well as seek companionship and support throughout their college career.
Robin Duhon, GLASS’s social coordinator, says that throughout his time in GLASS, it has consistently given him friends and loved ones that he has been able to rely on. His favorite memories from GLASS are the National Coming Out celebrations. He says that it reminds him how many LGBTQ+ students there are around campus and shows him that he is not at all alone.
National Coming Out day is Oct. 11. This is a day that has been recognized since the late 1980s, where members of the community can show their pride and be reminded of the courage it takes to tell the world who they are.
In the past, GLASS has held celebrations for this day by selling buttons and stickers, signing posters and setting up a photo spot where LGBTQ+ students could take pictures of themselves “coming out” of a door frame. This display is set up to give students a chance to be proud of who they are and to show it.
Another event hosted by GLASS is the fall drag show. This event is a large competition among UL Lafayette students, in which the contestants compete to be crowned as either king or queen. Though the competition is only open to students, tickets are completely available to the public. This year, the show will take place on Oct. 16, 2024 in Angelle Hall. According to the current president of GLASS, Sam Wall, this year will be the organization’s 14th show, only ever having missed two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. GLASS is known as the largest queer community on campus with hundreds of students participating in events and appearing at weekly meetings. These meetings may include introductions of new officers, informative PowerPoints, lectures about diverse topics, or even fun game nights.
This year, the club also decided to partner with Cultural Connections, under the University Program Center, to organize a resource fair on Oct. 14, in front of Lee Hall. This fair will provide students with a chance to get information and resources from various people about topics stretching from the LGBTQ+ community all the way to voting and why it is important.
The UL Lafayette GLASS club has been around for many years under various names, and it continues to provide support and love to all students on campus. Many have found solace in the safety of this organization as it ventures to reach new faces every day.