For anyone struggling with their sexuality or gender, or anyone who wants to learn more about the LGBTQIA+ community, Marywood has a club for you.

The Sexuality and Gender Alliance (SAGA) was formed in 2019 and acts as a safe space for LGBTQIA+ students and allies to spread awareness of sexuality and gender issues on and off campus.

Andre Vizarrondo, the current club president, explained that this semester, smaller activities have been occurring, such as making Valentine’s Day cards and self-care sessions. However, normal club meetings are still engaging for members.

“We usually have self-care activities or if we’re doing something that involves activism or something heavier; we may use the club meeting to just debrief what we talked about,” said Vizcarrondo.

Occasionally, Sexuality and Gender Alliances of other universities have collaborations with one another. Marywood’s SAGA has not done such collaborations as of yet, but this is something that Vizcarrondo wishes to change.

“We haven’t really done something like that but for me, it would be really cool to do something like [that]; we’ve been looking to maybe work with [other universities],” said Vizcarrondo.

Nyla Lott-Khan, a member of the SAGA since 2020, said that she joined the SAGA to learn new things. She says that her time in the club has done just that.

“It’s not like thrown in your face, but it’s just like a slow, gradual learning experience, being in the club and meeting so many people from so many different places,” said Lott-Khan.

To anyone interested in attending meetings or joining the club altogether, Vizcarrondo offers words of encouragement

“I know it can be a little difficult to join (…), especially if you’re closeted or even if you’re an ally, but have people in your life who wouldn’t react to you kindly. We want to make sure that the safety and the comfort of our members is firsthand. Our meetings are in (…) an enclosed area and it’s pretty private and we have rules like we may disclose stuff that we are not comfortable talking with other people. So what happens in that space has to stay,” explained Vizcarrondo.

For more information regarding the club, you can contact [email protected]. The SAGA meets every other Tuesday in the social space of Loughran Hall at 8:30 p.m.

Contact the writer: [email protected]