Massey needs rainbow rooms!
Trash-talking university on social media is practically a favourite pastime among students nowadays. The fees are too high. The food in the halls is shit. The parking is impossible. The complaints are endless, and most of them are totally valid. However, a recent anonymous post on Massey Confessions, a popular Facebook group, has sparked some thought and deliberation among the University staff and students. The post read:
Transferred from Auck Uni and gotta say, so disappointed. At Auck Uni, we had a women’s space and a queer space and so far Massey is a total letdown when it comes to things like this.
For the most part, this statement runs true. Massey University is severely lacking in the ‘women and queer space’ department and could definitely do with an inclusivity boost if it wants to maintain that “diverse, supportive and active community” status the website claims it has. Auckland University has a cultural space, a women’s space and a Hineahuone/Māori student common room. Otago University also has a queer space. Massey University has…
Well, it does have some things. If you’re an LGBTQI+ student looking for some support, Massey will (hopefully) provide. We have a variety of groups and systems readily available to all students, with the ‘Massey Pride’ and ‘UniQ’ groups being the main two.
Massey Pride was founded in 2016 and is a “judgement-free, supportive, all-inclusive group for the rainbow community at Massey Albany”. The group began under the title UniQ and then changed to Massey Pride, however last year the UniQ group was brought back to life and has been running alongside Massey Pride as a separate but wholly connected entity.
“UniQ was essentially on life support. It existed but was not doing anything,” says Massey Pride Administrator, Elizabeth Jane. Now, the group is back up and running, and always looking for new members.
“Since semester one last year we have run several rainbow teas, but we have taken a huge hit from [Covid-19] in terms of being able to hold events,” she says.
To bypass the barricade of Covid-1sts 9, the Massey Pride group has set up a Discord server. This server is an online space in which the LGBTQI+ community can seek support, advice and social interaction with like-minded people.
“We also have the Massey Pride and UniQ Facebook and Instagram,” Elizabeth says.
Without the block aid of Covid-19, the UniQ group works to provide events and meetings where rainbow students can “hang out, watch movies, toast marshmallows, and have fun,” the UniQ Executive writes.
“We usually meet weekly in town, at cafes, the movies, a flat etc. We have BBQs, Singstar, camping trips, pride week on campus and more. Meetings are advertised on our Facebook group and on our anonymous email loop. Public trips out with us are of course optional, so there is no pressure to attend our meetings. You can pick and choose!”
These groups pride themselves on being highly supportive and welcoming to all students, but the question still remains: Is Massey University doing enough to support its rainbow students?
“I’m trans and I always feel so abnormal compared to everybody else when I’m on campus. I have friends around me that I can talk to and get advice from, but I’ve received no support from the University itself. To me, it feels like the LGBTQI+ community is a sort-of burden to the University,” says one Massey student.
“I’ve joined in with nearly every Pride Week event and have attended lots of pride rallies, and have found such a supportive and welcoming community through that. Any rainbow student can get in touch with the pride groups and receive a world of support. I feel the University could definitely do more to promote these groups though because I’m sure there are a lot of people that just don’t know or are too scared to reach out,” says student Raja Murray.
“Pride groups need a specific space on campus, ideally a rainbow room, which is a space that is specifically accepting and welcoming as opposed to a generalised ‘we can accept anyone’ room,” says Elizabeth.
Having a specific space on campus for rainbow students will help them to “develop a sense of belonging. Some students feel that because of our differences, not all general invitations apply or are safe for us. A rainbow room reinforces the idea that the campus and university organisations are supportive and welcoming.”
“Specific Massey lecturers have supported the rainbow group hugely, but they do so individually and not from a staff/policy point of view. There are no changing rooms at the gyms for non-binary people, and only a few of the old buildings have unisex toilets,” says Elizabeth.
As far as Massey University goes in regards to creating a supportive and welcoming environment for rainbow students, it’s basically thanks to the students and some individual staff members and administrators that we have these support groups. If you or someone you know wants to join in with the Massey Pride and UniQ group, don’t hesitate to get in touch!
Link to Discord: https://discord.com/invite/eRa6mbv5p4