Making a resurgence in 2023, LGBTerriers has grown to an active, thriving organization with members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies. Hosting events around once a month, the organization has strived to provide a safe space for members of this community in a conservative campus environment.
Creating spaces of belonging and community is a central goal of any campus organization. When now senior and president of LGBTerriers Sophie Thrasher came to Wofford in Fall of 2022, she felt isolated and that no one shared her experience.
“As a first year, I was one of many queer people who thought I was alone on campus,” said Thrasher. “Building communities for marginalized identities is massively beneficial. It gives us a voice for change, protects us through numbers, and gives us a sense of family and home.”
The organization has found support among the other Diversity Council Organizations, also referred to as DCO’s. Seth Flannagan, Director of Inclusive engagement for the college, serves as the organization’s advisor.
Despite being a different vein of diversity organizations, LGBTerriers and their executive board feels welcomed and supported by the other Diversity Council Organizations on campus.
The organization saw increased engagement following their first Drag Brunch, hosted on campus last semester on May 4th. They hosted drag queens Kenya Pleaser and Vertigo on campus for brunch, marking the most attendance of an LGBTerriers event since the organization was brought back to life.
LGBTerriers has promoted advocacy and awareness through their social media page and event programming. On Friday Oct. 11, the organization hosted a Chappell Roan night in the Association of Multicultural Studies house featuring other queer musical artists.
As Wofford attempts to redirect enrollment and recruiting efforts toward a more diverse student body, the strength of diversity organizations is essential to this goal.
“When I was picking a college, I noticed LGBTerriers on the list of campus organizations on Wofford’s website. But, when I went to the club fair, I noticed it wasn’t there and thought that was disappointing,” Isabel Astwood ‘26, event director for LGBTerriers, said.
With an increase in event attendance and interest from Wofford students, the organization has adapted to a larger executive board, including a president, vice president, event director, secretary and social media director. They are also forming committee systems to engage active members. The organization is adjusting leadership for next semester and is accepting leadership applications through Nov. 15.
The organization has also worked with other organizations. From collaborating with the Diversity Council Organizations sharing the AMS house, to working with It’s On Us, collaborating with Delta Delta Delta for queer trivia, LGBTerriers shows that meaningful connections with other student groups is integral to an organization’s growth.
Current first year students expressed lots of interest in LGBTerriers at this fall semester’s interest fair, indicating the future of the organization is bright. The resurgence of this organization is filling the gaps in the Wofford community, providing spaces of belonging for students who might feel ostracized.
The work of LGBTerriers has had its barriers. Being a student group for queer students in a southern campus is never without challenges.
Though the Drag Brunch last Spring brought in a lot of student interest, it was also met with opposition. The organization had promotional posters across campus torn down and negative comments on the anonymous app, YikYak.
“I think Wofford is eager to establish itself as an accepting community and tear down some of the stereotypes about it as a Southern private institution and they value our work for aiding in that goal,” Thrasher said.“Each time I see a negative post about us the comments are filled with people calling out the original post for just being unnecessary. If you don’t like an event, you don’t have to go.”
Moving forward for the rest of the semester, events of LGBTerriers are in full force. They are working towards more collaborative events, with a few events on the works with Uplift Outreach Center, an LGBTQ+ Youth Outreach Center in Spartanburg.
They want to work with the organization to ensure that potential LGBTQ+ applicants to the college understand what queer lives look like on Wofford’s campus, and the rights they have as students.
According to the Williams Institute, a leading policy research center on LGBTQ+ issues, nearly one in six young adults aged 18 to 24 in the United States identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Given the growing need of Generation Z for these groups on campus, LGBTerriers club is filling a need on Wofford’s campus, creating a more welcoming and accepting Wofford community.
To stay up-to-date on LGBTerriers, follow them on instagram @wc.lgbterriers.
