In Preakness 202, every Tuesday during common hour, people from all different backgrounds meet, their differences drawing them together.

The Intersectional Queer Association, IQA for short, is a club dedicated to exploring and discussing not just queer identities, but other identities, like race, religion, and social backgrounds, that make people special.

“People are all multi-faceted and have multiple identities that makes us unique,” said Matt Diaz, a senior and the president of the club. “Intersectionality talks about the different marginalizations and oppressions that people face that are not just about their LGBT identities but the other identities that intersect with them.

At each meeting, the members start off with an icebreaker to get to know each other better. They then move onto talking about different issues in the world.

“Half of it is informing and half of it is creating that safe community that people want to come back to,” said Vice President Katie Stoerger.

The club is also dedicated to programming different events that raise awareness. Most recently, they had artist Julio Salgado give a lecture on his experience as a queer and undocumented immigrant. They also sponsored several events during LGBTQ+ celebration week. They hope to host more events in the upcoming semesters.

“The informing people is a really important part because, as Julio Salgado said, you only see the LGBT community in the news when it’s a tragedy. By informing people, it normalizes us as public figures that can and should be seen in the media and that we exist outside of the little bubble we have,” Nate Reilly, the secretary, said.

The overall goal of IQA is to create a safe space that supports all diverse backgrounds brings light to the LGBT community. The club wants to create an area where people could feel welcome to express themselves and feel included.

“In my high school, we never had something like this,” Reilly said, gesturing to his fellow members. “You were always alone in this type of situation, no matter what your identity was. Here, we’re bringing to light all of our intersectional identities.”

“We’re really cool people with a lot to offer,” PR chair Paula Ruiz said. “We’re a fun time.”

People can follow IQA on Instagram @iqa.wpu and be on the lookout

for their future events.