When I say luxury, hot tub and gay, what is the first thing that comes to mind? DING DING DING, you guessed it! Queer retreat! Also known as the best weekend of the semester for those of us who identify as Queer. The Queer retreat is a biannual weekend getaway put on by The Dub for queer identifying students on campus.
This weekend is designed for students to be able to get away from campus and go to a safe space where one can be unabashedly themselves and make connections with people who identify similarly to them. Not to mention the added bonus of basking in the luxury of off campus housing (thanks geeb).
A day in the life of a queer retreater started with a DELICIOUS homemade breakfast in the form of crepes (it’s okay to be jealous). After breakfast, the retreater could lounge on our lake side porch (one of them I should say) until it was time for yoga. After being rejuvenated and revitalized, the Queer re- treater may spend time on the dock with friends, awaiting lunch. After, the retreaters congregate in the living room for card games and quality community time. A little more luxury here, little more leisure there, and dinner was served. Promptly afterwards, the retreaters craft with copious amounts of mod podge and look at that, it’s already movie time. Then it’s time for, dare I say, the best part in any individual’s day – hot tub time. A beautiful way to round out an already perfect day in the life of a Queer retreater.
Now for some more serious take aways on our little excursion. For some of you fellow SLUdents reading, the term “safe space” may either be an unfamiliar one, or the importance of a safe space may be unknown to you.
Allow me to explain; in relation to the Queer identifying people, a safe space is an environment in which an individual is not made to feel ostracized. It is a place where they can exist without worry of being harassed or discriminated against because of their identity. This individual does not need to project a different identity in the name of safety and can instead, just exist and be at peace with themselves. The importance of creating a safe space like this should be incredibly clear – for feel- ing safe and at ease in every environment one occupies should be a right.
Unfortunately, this is not always the reality for a lot of Queer people. Many Queer students on campus come from homes or communities (or both) where their identity is completely and utterly rejected. Being made to exist in this type of place can not only be in- validating but also detrimental to the health of an individual, in both a physical and metaphysical way.
So, you may be asking yourself, “how do I create a safe space for my queer friends?” The answer is simple. With kindness, acceptance and most of all, Dub luv.