LGBTQ+ Student Center Provides Safe Haven

The City College of New York (CCNY) created an LGBTQ+ Student Center in its North Academic Center (NAC) to give queer students a place where they feel comfortable. “It’s really important to have spaces where people can come by and explore this part of their identity,” said Jake Nill, the center’s program manager.  Nill is a CCNY alumnus who graduated in 2019. He wanted to create the center to fill the social gap that he noticed on campus while he attended the college.

Bright decorations and flyers fill the room and there are tables and chairs where students can sit and talk. There are contraceptives in a bowl on the front desk for anyone to take. Students float in to hang out, eat their lunch, or access the counseling or STD testing.

Adina Fiber, a senior, has used the center since it opened in 2021. “It’s a really great place to build a community. Lots of people make great friends here. Sometimes I just stop in here to say hello,” she said.

Experiences like these are exactly what the center aims for. Nill wants to foster a community that can come together in the daylight. He thinks that queer-friendly places should not be relegated only to clubs and nightlife in the dark. “Jake does a great job of making a space for those who might not want to go to the club, or to people who simply don’t like it. I like knowing that there’s a community right here on campus that I don’t have to stay out late or spend money on to be a part of it,” Fiber added.

Being out on campus is an issue that can have a major impact on the lives of LGBTQ+ youth.  “It’s really important to have spaces where people can come by and explore this part of their identity. And we’re not just talking about gender identity, sexual identity. It’s also just your likes and dislikes. I think that’s a really important aspect of this issue,” Nill said.

May Nicol, a junior at City College, says she struggled to feel comfortable with her identity. She didn’t have an outlet to express herself. “I felt like I couldn’t talk about my identity with anyone, not at home or on campus,” Nicol says. “But when I found the student center, I was able to talk more openly about myself and find people I related to. It was like a weight off my shoulders.”

Jake Nill encourages that openness and for him, the center is more than a physical space. The attitudes and support also make it welcoming to queer students. “What space is in what in that space makes it affirming, safe, loving, and who is able to uphold that? Rules, boundaries, and guidance within those spaces are important too,” he said.

These safe havens have increased on New York City college campuses in recent years. In addition to the City College center, there are seven other LBGTQ+ centers at CUNY schools.

But because these gathering places are new many students don’t know about them yet. “If you ask anyone, at a CUNY School, if they are aware of initiatives or programming, you’re gonna get very different answers. Some students say they feel super affirmed. Another person might be facing an issue alone. It’s a stark difference that we have among our students. We’re trying to break that barrier,” Nill said.

To get attention, The City College LGBTQ+ Student Center creates regular events on campus and promotes them.  It puts flyers around campus, sends emails, and posts on its Instagram account.

Nill hopes the promotion helps to establish relationships with faculty and students. “If you’re part of a certain department or study, you’re kind of stuck in one building, one wing or one department. You can be out of the loop as to what’s going on at the center. This issue is something we’ve really taken to heart with our events, programs, and initiatives.” Nill said.

So far, attendance at many events is low, but Nill feels the publicity still helps. “Of course not everyone can make every event. We don’t expect that. We just want to let people know if you need us, we are here.”

You can find the LGBTQ+ Student Center in the North Academic Center, Room 101B.