Queer Student Resilience Fundraiser

“Strong com­mu­ni­ties are born out of indi­vid­u­als being their best selves.”  

Leanne Betasamosake Simpson

Greetings friends & fam!

On behalf of Augsburg’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, & Asexual (LGBTQIA+) Student Services, we would like to announce the Queer Student Resilience Campaign. 

Multicultural & LGBTQIA+ Student Services believe that when students have a greater understanding of self, they become empowered to reclaim* ownership of their education. We provide opportunities to deepen awareness and knowledge of identity, resilience and advocacy.  We work to develop servant leaders that will continue to transform our campus, local, and global communities.

Since we were established in 2003, LGBTQIA+ Student Services has worked to provide student support, visibility, community, and a sense of belonging.  Despite existing in our current form for only the last 17 years - queer and trans+ students have ALWAYS existed at Augsburg. 

LGBTQIA+ Lived Realities

2020 has thrown us all for a loop, and this year is no exception for LGBTQIA+ communities.  The reality is, queer and trans+ students continue to experience higher rates of physical violence, homelessness, food insecurity, mental health concerns, lack of access to competent healthcare, and so much more - than their cisgender & straight peers do.  Queer and trans+ students shouldn’t be surviving - they should be thriving. 

The Queer Student Resilience Fund

This fund is for the gay student - outed by their peers, and disowned by their family. The trans+ student who can’t afford to see a doctor to access hormone replacement therapy.  The gender non-conforming student fundraising to legally change their name and gender marker.  Or the asexual student seeking mental health therapy - from someone who validates asexuality, not diminishes it - and countless other examples of times students have been told they don't matter.  These are the very REAL, lived experiences Auggies face everyday - not to mention, the hardships of simply navigating college. 

We Need Your Help

The Augsburg Queer Student Resilience Campaign needs your support! Our goal is to raise $10,000.  These funds would go directly into the pockets of LGBTQIA+ students at Augsburg. Funds would be allocated in two parts: 1. Scholarships awarded at our annual LGBTQIA+ graduation ceremony -  Lavender Celebration, and 2. As emergency funds that would support LGBTQIA+ specific needs of feeling seen and living more authentically.

To our cisgender, straight, and white friends - this is for you!  

Please take this moment to make a difference.  Use your access & leverage your privilege to help dismantle the homophobic & transphobic systems that continue to silence and de-humanize LGBTQIA+ communities. 

With your support, you would be directly contributing to a student’s ability to succeed.  Everyone wants to show up in the world authentically and unapologetically - help make that a reality for all queer & trans+ Auggies. 

In resilience, 

Max & LGBTQIA+ Student Services 

Maxwell Poessnecker (he/they)

Director, LGBTQIA+ Student Services

Equity & Inclusion Initiatives Coordinator

[*access to education is a right, as it always has been.  However, due to the supremacist foundation that is rooted within higher education, education does not allow historically underserved students to take stake in their learning.  Reclaiming one's education is an act of radical resistance and self-love]

For a closed captioned version of our video, please visit YouTube.