The Lounge

Commonly Asked Questions about the LGBTQ? Lounge:

• Where is it, and when is it Open?
• What does the Lounge do?
• What is IN the Lounge?
• How was the Lounge Founded?
• Why do we need a Lounge?
• Who is Welcome?
• Why isn't there a Heterosexual Lounge?

Where is it, and when is it open? [top]

The LGBTQ Lounge is located at the front of the B-Wing, in BV-334 (map). See our "Contact Us" page for complete contact information; see "opening hours" for times when the Lounge is open (it's open a lot more often than is indicated on the schedule; those are just the times when it's scheduled to be open).

What does the Lounge do? [top]

The LGBTQ Lounge has been empowered by Student Affairs and by a grant from the Council on Student Services to create opportunities for education, community-building, and visibility to the UTSC population with an explicit focus on those who have been marginalized due to their sexual orientation or gender? identities. We are an entirely student-run collective. The Lounge offers not only a positive environment, but a private one as well, as BV-334 is a closed-off and non-visible room for students to gather. The Lounge holds workshops & seminars on sexuality?, gender, or equity issues; coordinates with like-minded groups to organize events; provides comfortable and casual lunches to queers and allies, to promote conversation, mixing, and community; creates a safe and inclusive environment for LGBTQs/allies on campus; serves as a hub of social activity on campus at all hours of the day.

What is IN the Lounge? [top]

Through the dedication of our queer? student leaders from LGBTQ@UTSC, the Lounge is fully furnished with the following things:

• A Positive Space -- a safe space for those who have been marginalized due to their sexual or gender orientations or identities. While we can't guarantee an entirely positive space, we certainly try
• A fridge. We usually try to stock it with some pop or water for all, as well as chips or cookies. You're quite welcome to leave some food here for yourself for later
• Three nearby microwaves. A short walk will take you either to the Student Centre, next to the A&W, or to the Bladen Foyer, near the Tim Horton's.
• A kettle, cups, drink mixes, to make a drink. You can also bring your own preferred tea/fruit juices, or let us know and we can pick some up
• LGBTQ information and resources in the form of pamphlets, books (fiction, non-fiction, erotica, sexual health, politics, coming out?, etc.), magazines, newspapers, or referrals
• Study space. There's ample study space -- couches, tables and chairs, whatever suits your style best
• A place for students to gather. It's a comfortable, private and out-of-the-way place, perfect for intimate conversations about intimate things with your best friends. We also have a radio/cd player for some background music, and a computer, to check your e-mail or whatnot. If you have a laptop, we have a network connection that you can use.
• A free phone to make or receive local calls
• Confidentiality. If this is an important issue to you, please do TELL US about it so there's no confusion.

How was the Lounge Founded? [top]

Queer students felt that there was a serious lack of (1) queer community on campus and (2) safe, comfortable, and positive space for queers at UTSC. While heterosexuals feel relatively safe everywhere they go, we don't. It's most important for queers to feel safe and comfortable on our own campus and to be able to make friends, hang out, and be ourselves. As well, Allies need a place they can feel comfortable expressing their support. So thanks to the lobbying of some dedicated students from the Underground, and also LGBTQ@UTSC, there's now a great social and resource space on campus, dedicated to lesbian?, gay?, bisexual?, transgendered, transsexual?, two-spirited, intersexed?, questioning?, or queer students! Everyone is welcome, regardless of sexual or gender orientation or identity! The LGBTQ Lounge has been in operation since April-2003.

Why do we need a Lounge? [top]

We recognize that students sometimes feel homophobia?, exclusion, marginalization, and invisibility in a largely heterosexual-oriented world. To this end we endeavour to create and maintain our own communities and queer-specific spaces. Taking up space gives us a place where we see ourselves represented, where our issues are mainstreamed, and where we find others like us. It is an important part of our social, political?, historical, and sexual selves. The Lounge is here to provide a place for students to be themselves, or for their allies who wish to express their desire their support and interest. Here, you don't watch how you act or who's around and listening. Here, you be yourself, ask whatever questions you want, talk about whatever you want. We don't make assumptions about sexual orientation or gender identity, and disclosing these issues are entirely under your control?.

Who is Welcome? [top]

We welcome the entire range and scope of sexualities and gender identities, though our services, programming, and focus is explicitly on students who are marginalized due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. We fully welcome allies and anyone who can support an environment of equity and diversity. We welcome people of all cultures and ethnicities, and the Lounge is wheelchair accessible. UTSC has a very diverse student body, and the resources, media, and programming we have available reflect the different linguistic, cultural, religious and ability statuses of students.

Why isn't there a Heterosexual Lounge? [top]

We hear this criticism once in a while, usually from straight?-identified people who feel we have "special privileges" or are "granted too many rights". The argument usually describes the Lounge, or the Positive Space campaign, or any other queer- or gender-specific spaces, as discriminatory and exclusionary. We would argue instead that while it is discriminatory, because we do not target our services and programming to heterosexuals (though allies do participate in much that we do, from planning to running to taking part in events), it is a necessary measure to ensure that our marginalized communities have an opportunity to participate in safe, comfortable, and welcome atmospheres that is free from the subtle or overt influence? of a dominant culture. Such discrimination? on our part recognizes a historical lack of community and services which are queer-friendly and takes steps to rectify this lack of inclusion. Indeed, it was in the minds of the designers of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, section 15.2:

15.

(1) Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.

(2) Subsection (1) does not preclude any law, program or activity that has as its object the amelioration of conditions of disadvantaged individuals or groups including those that are disadvantaged because of race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.

Similarly, that sexual orientation is not included does not mean it isn't protected. It has been 'read into' the Charter on several cases across Canada and is supported in provincial versions of Human Rights Codes. We also wonder why we are not allowed to create our own communities, make decisions, develop politics, and socialize free from members of dominant cultures? It is often felt as a challenge to one's rights and freedoms, though we point out that membership in a dominant category (e.g. heterosexuality) already grants unearned privileges which we do not have access? to, including the right to create communities, make decisions, develop politics, and socialize without being criticized of 'sticking to your own kind' or 'infringing on others' rights'. We ask you to consider who has historically had the power? to identify, build, fund, staff, and attend student events and drop-in spaces, and who has not. Finally, we never turn individuals away from events or the Lounge. Nor do we ask about sexual orientation or gender identity. However, we ask that those who have heterosexual privilege respect our wishes to build LGBTQ-specific community with an LGBTQ-specific focus. We remind you that while heterosexuals feel comfortable about their sexual orientation wherever they go, that they never need to "come out" to family, that they belong to larger systems in society that expect and privilege? being heterosexual, we do not. To that end we ask that we be allowed to create some space for ourselves and that you support our efforts. There are many place for straight people to go and hang out, and far too few for queers.