Student LGBT Club stands together for equality

Nayeli Lomeli/Contributing Writer

 

It was the summer of 2018 and there she was, in a shop at Boston. In that moment, for the first time ever, she found a place where she belonged. She was attended by a transgender woman and talked to a woman about sex in LGBTQ and outside the binary contexts. She felt represented for once in her life.

Amelia Leon, founder and president of the Simple Pleasures club at FIU, found what she wanted to bring to the University.

Leon, a senior majoring in biology, founded the club in September 2018.

SP is a club that centers on sexual inequality in today’s society, as it seeks equality for people of all sexualities and genders. It focuses on dispelling the myths that young people have grown up believing, educating the members through a look at history and providing a safe place where people can talk about their preferences without being judged and where they can be accepted as an equal.

Leon said the club is about making sure that everybody’s voice is heard.

“[The club] emphasizes that sexuality is a very complex, dynamic and beautiful thing that is important because people express themselves in very different ways.”

Leon believes sexual education and awareness among college students are important for three reasons; One, sexual assault rates in college campuses is high and it is because of the lack of education that the student population receives: two, because of the homophobia that exists as a result of the student’s inability to understand one another and three, for the health of the students, both physical and mental. She said many LGBTQ people feel repressed, alone and scared.

“Spreading awareness helps end stigmas about sex, which I personally think is one of the best things that our club does,” said Sab Soriano, secretary of the club and a freshman majoring in women and gender studies.

Leon hopes the members of the club will gain a better understanding of themselves and the world they live in. She also hopes they gain a sense of self-confidence and a sense of love for themselves.

“I want them to be able to embrace themselves and love themselves no matter what sexuality they are, no matter what gender they are, [and] no matter what label they identify as.”

Soriano hopes that fellow club members find a space to be themselves and feel comfortable with all aspects of themselves within the club.

Vice President Eleanor Henry, a junior studying interdisciplinary studies, said the club has helped her find people who share commonalities with her. She added that it is validating to find people who are similar to you.

She said she never had any kind of sexual education in school and believes that spreading awareness is important. Another crucial aspect of this, she added, is the diversity.  

“I hope that my fellow club members can gain insight into diversity among sexualities. And that they can find people who are similar [to them].”

The club hosts various types of events. There are general meetings where they talk about non-binary genders and sexualities that lie outside the binary. They also have movie nights, concerts and drag shows, where students can express themselves freely and creatively.

In April the club is having a concert to celebrate and shed light on the LGBTQ community. They are also having a Drag Show to celebrate gender in all its forms. And there will be a Poly Panel, where polyamorous people come to talk about their experiences and what it means to be polyamorous.

Leon encourages everyone to follow the club on social media to keep up with their events, to learn about the various campaigns they have and to receive sex positive and inspirational quotes.

If interested in the club or for more information follow them on Instagram @simplepleasuresfiu.