Below the noise and crowd in the UWM Union food court lies a small haven, the LGBTQ+ Resource Center or QRC. Director Ariana Myers joyfully referred to this refuge as Gay Rivendell, an oasis for UWM LGBTQ+ students and allies to find solace and community together. “A perfect house, whether you like food or sleep, or story-telling or singing, or just sitting and thinking best, or a pleasant mixture of them all.” -J.R.R. Tolkien (1991). Like the Rivendell of Tolkien, The LGBTQ+ Resource Center is populated by wonderous beings and endless beauty. It is a place of peace in a world that often is not. It is a place that easily asks your pronouns, where you can have a vigorous round of friendly debate a la “Is it a soup, salad, or sandwich?”, and has an abundance of empathy and kindness. And for the Fall of 2023, I had the honor of being their academic intern. 

The space evokes comfort and safety. Information on community resources, center programming, and safer sex supplies are easily accessible. A treasure trove of queer books rests on shelves as references for papers or as imaginative escapes from homework. A cutout of Pedro Pascal watches over all who enter. Free LGBTQ+ flag, pronoun, and seasonal buttons are always available, lovingly made by the staff. Laughter is common here. And, friendships happen with ease.  

The guardians of the space, the staff of the LGBTQ+ Resource Center, are fellow students who welcome others to the space and plan LGBTQ+ supporting programming. From GAYme nights, Queer Karaoke, and a Found Family Dinner. They plan, design, coordinate, and imagine, all while they take on the rigors of being students themselves. In talking with the staff of the LGBTQ+ Resource Center about their experiences, they shared that working there is one of the best jobs they could imagine and that they have the best coworkers and bosses. That the work they do is special. These wonderful humans are the living pillars of the culture of this place.  

The UW-Milwaukee campus does not always feel safe to queer folx. There were anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-Trans events and voices advocating for conversion therapy on our campus this past semester. The wider world reflects these continued attacks on queerness. Director Ariana Myers and Assistant Director Chelsey Tennis stand against this tide. They both counter hateful phobic messaging by offering education to those who seek to be allies to this community, solace and visibility to queer students, and a strong message of resistance to the hateful rhetoric. Ariana ensures that the administration hears the voices of students who inhabit the resource center and curates an environment of safety within the space. In their LGBTQ+ trainings around campus, Chelsey graciously offers an entry point in queer competency for UWM students and faculty, while unwaveringly requiring respect and dignity for the queer community. After learning so much from Ariana and Chelsey’s leadership, I left my internship a wiser, inspired, and overall better human.   

In the QRC, a phenomenon that I have never experienced before occurs often, and in short, is magical. The QRC is full of inside jokes. And instead of feeling left out, the inhabitants of the center are quick to bring you in. Belonging happens so quickly, often before you’ve learned other’s names.  

When asked what the QRC feels like to its inhabitants, they gave me these words: Safe, cozy, non-judgmental, freeing, and welcoming. A new friend from the center said, “It’s a place where it’s comfortable enough to be silly, with people who will listen, people ready to jest with you.” Another new friend from the center added, “Yes, it’s a place where we can be queer. But it’s not only about being gay; it goes way beyond that.” That the foundations of connection thrive here.  

I have long believed that accepting differences in others is the bare minimum we humans can offer each other. The real goal ought to be the welcoming and celebration of differences. With quiet humility, the QRC excels at this. This refuge shows us all that there is another way, especially during these times when difference is rejected or willfully ignored. The LGBTQ+ Resource Center, QRC, or Gay Rivendell will always have my gratitude and admiration. And a piece of my heart.  

 References 

Tolkien, J. R. R. (1991). The fellowship of the ring. HarperCollins.