In the first week of his presidency, Donald Trump began targeting minorities by rolling back protections and considerations rooted in the civil rights movement.
Among these are executive orders banning transgender people from military deployment and sports, terminating discussions regarding minority dynamics in schools and dismantling DEI and accessibility policies.
Rather than hide, Parkland PRIDE plans to be more visible than ever while the LGBTQ+ community endures being caught in the crosshairs of President Donald Trump and his cabinet.
After its inception between 2011 and 2012 under the name “Colours,” the club has built up a legacy of compassion and community building.
In recent years, the name went through a member-based vote and was changed to Parkland PRIDE! Revived and louder than ever.
“I have worked very, very hard to use whatever sort of talent or skill I have to support the community and lift people up and make things a little bit easier for fellow queers,” says Tanino Minneci, an advisor for Parkland PRIDE.
In Minneci’s case, the “talents” and “skills” are not only his history in social work and academic advising but a honed sense of bravery and unwavering advocacy; two tools everyone has access to.
It has become clear that these will be invaluable in the struggle against incoming legislation and executive orders.
Co-advisor Thomas Peisker further emphasizes the need for inter-community empowerment, saying, “[It] doesn’t seem that anyone at the federal government level is interested in standing up to this and actually stopping [it], you know.”
Peisker continued, “I think that one of the things that this has made me reflect on as somebody who’s part of Parkland PRIDE is: What kind of preparations do we need to take to keep our in members safe and keep Parkland PRIDE a safe and affirming place for them?”
When asked what events were planned for visibility and community building, the President of Parkland PRIDE, Quinn Fisher, said he wishes to organize queer clothing/accessory swap events, bracelet-making meetups and partnerships with the local UP Center.
The UP Center (Uniting Pride of Champaign-Urbana) offers a suite of resources for the LGBTQ population, including a food pantry for Illinois residents, cultural competency training for organizations and free gender-affirming items, including binders and waist cinchers.
The UP Center also supports numerous support and social groups. These include groups for preteens, parents, writers, crafters and various other interests.
Other CU organizations like HITNHOMEBOY and Campus Union for Trans Equality and Support (CUTES) also offer various events and community-building efforts.
Taken by Tayon Swift
While Minneci, Peisker and Fisher showed great gratitude and love for CU organizations and events, we asked if there were any gaps in resources that they would like to be filled.
Peisker says that they would like to see an “LGBTQ-focused homeless shelter.”
“There isn’t a place for queer people who are unhoused to find a place to get off the streets specifically for them… Homelessness affects trans people at a disproportionate rate, including in Champaign County.”
Minneci agreed, sharing his time working for a homeless shelter in New York. “That was one of my first major roles… I was working at a homeless shelter for young queer adults. 16 to 25, basically. I was in New York, and it was mostly trans kids.”
“For the most part, it was trans kids who were the homeless folks that needed support, and they couldn’t find it at regular shelters because they were being kicked out of regular shelters. And that happens everywhere. That doesn’t just happen in New York City or other big cities. That happens everywhere. And Champaign is not immune to that.”
Indeed, the National Coalition for the Homeless and National Network for Youth report that despite making up only around 10% of the youth population, 40% of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ.
Peisker says that although they did not realize their identity until “a little bit later in life,” the effects of losing a support system are still devastating.
Peisker adds an account of his own, saying, “I sort of lost another community, my religious community, when I started to grapple with issues of sexuality and identity. The queer community welcomed me with open arms. Anybody who has experienced being… rejected from a community for coming out understands the pain and the loss of a sense of identity that comes with that.”
Peisker details that after growing up in a conservative environment, they “lashed out at my peers who were in the LGBTQ community and who were open, which is wrong. I want to make sure that now that I’m in a position where I can help young people, or listen to young people who are in the queer community, that I do that.”
Minneci also describes the dangers of isolation that stem from a lack of acceptance.
“Throughout my whole coming out journey, the community literally – and I’m not being hyperbolic – they saved me.” Minneci says, “There have been lots of periods of my life where my mental health was extremely low because of social pressures or conflicts with family or society in general.”
“I personally, at several times in my life, have been suicidal and have felt close to ending it all. And if it weren’t for fellow LGBTQ people, I might have [done so]. In some ways, my reaching out is a way of thinking, of paying back, of paying it forward, of trying to make sure that – as much as I can – no other person has to feel that way or should have to feel that way.”
In the past, Minneci and Peisker have held “Know Your Rights” events to distribute knowledge on LGBTQ protections, organized field trips for PRIDE members and held gaming/queer movie days to foster a sense of community.
The advisors have also expressed an intent to push outward and attend more important community events with Parkland PRIDE to help students build their networks, support systems and familiarity with queer resources.
In the meantime, organizing smaller events like friendship bracelet making and LGBTQ cinema screenings, which work both as a way to destress and send a message.
Peisker says, “The idea is that, if you’re so inclined, you could make a friendship bracelet that has the colors of the pride flag with which you identify, or just something that looks pretty and is fun, and, you know, somebody spots it and says, ‘Oh, hey, where did you get that?’ [You could respond] ‘Well, I made it with the Parkland Pride event!’”
“It speaks to that unwillingness to hide… That openness and boldness with which we should assert ourselves as members of the community already. Not you wanting to join something, but already here and already queer.”
– Thomas Peisker
As president of Parkland PRIDE, all of these ideas are introduced or supported by Fisher, who adds, “There’s a lot of stress and a lot of sadness now for a variety of reasons, and I’m trying to create things to be happy about and [create] positive experiences… All of the events that I want to do, really. I want everybody to be able to participate. Even if you’re not in PRIDE club. I just want it to positively affect everybody.”
These sorts of “safe spaces” and hubs for the community are becoming increasingly important while Trump’s administration begins scrubbing away the community’s history and sense of solidarity.
At the present moment, the government is attempting to dismantle and erase the impact of trans and gender nonconforming activists like Marsha P. Johnson, Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, Sylvia Rivera and so many more who were undoubtedly instrumental to the advancement of civil rights and fair representation.
The National Park Service’s Stonewall Monument website has scrubbed all mentions of transgender people from their site, currently reading, “Before the 1960s, almost everything about living openly as a lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB) person was illegal. The Stonewall Uprising on June 28, 1969 is a milestone in the quest for LGB civil rights and provided momentum for a movement.”
At a minimum, the shorthand for the community – typically LGBTQ – has been LGBT. Removing the ”T” from this acronym and choosing to omit the history of trans trailblazers has been taken as a way to break apart a community built on unity and acceptance.
NBC details a multitude of other government websites where LGBTQ-related information was completely erased. Included among the cuts are safe travel information from the State Department, LGBTQ research from the Centers for Disease Control and resources for “avoiding sexual orientation discrimination” from the Labor Department’s site.
In these times, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and unable to help as an individual. However, it is important to remember that simply showing up and supporting peers is helpful.
When asked for advice to queer youth and others targeted by the executive orders, Minneci responded “I would say that it’s important to know what’s happening, but it’s also important to take a breath and use your fear, your anger, your disappointment, and find people to channel that energy.”
“Find [a] community to channel that energy into something that will help either you or the people around you. The things that show up on the news every day that are scary and confusing and surprising, anytime that fear overtakes you, turn around and find someone in your community and wrap that energy around them. In turn, that energy will come right back to you.”
“This is a moment where we can’t hide… If you feel like you need to hide, do so within your community. Do so with people who can show you love, who can help put things in perspective, and who can show you ways to fight back.”
