History
Upon its creation, QSCC was named "The Association of GLBT Student Organizations and Their Friends" upon its inception in 1994 at the U of MN. The group was created by Dave McPartlin and founded by the President of the University Gay Community (Dave McPartlin), the co-presidents of the University Bisexual Community (Jage Miller and Jonas Ducat) and a co-facilitator of the University Lesbians (Susanna de Campos Salles) overseen by adviser Doug Halverson. The group was later renamed The Queer Student Cultural Center in 1998.
Approved by the Minnesota Student Association and then University President, Nils Hasselmo, and Vice-President of Student Affairs, Marvalene Hughes, the Association was one of the earlier student groups to get University funding to combat homophobia and tackle issues specific to LGBT students. The group was created to become a 'cultural center' but did not take the name until several years afterwards for fear that inclusion of the word 'culture' would prevent them from security minority status and University status.
The University Bi Community formed as an offshoot of the University Gay Community by Dave McPartlin in 1991, along with the University People of Color and University International Students as a way to reach the growing needs of the student population. Co-chaired leadership of the University Bi Community was taken on by Jage Miller and Jonas Ducat immediately after its inception.
In 1982, the University Gay Community and University Lesbians were formed as two separate groups from their predecessor group entitled "Fight Repression of Erotic Expression (FREE), founded by Koreen Phelps and Stephen Ihrig on May 18, 1969. This group began after the duo started teaching a free University course on the West Bank on The Homosexual Revolution, causing it to become the first queer student group in America.
In 1971, an original officer of FREE, Jack Baker, was the first openly gay man elected student body president at a major university. By winning this election he became the first openly gay man to win any public office in the U.S. In 1970, Jack Baker and Mike McConnell also became the first gay couple to seek legal marriage and were featured in Life magazine. Jack was also re-elected in 1972.
Read more about this topic: Queer Student Cultural Center
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