SPECTRUM finds common ground at Southeast Regional Unity Conference
Members of SPECTRUM, Elon University’s queer-straight alliance, gathered to discuss the commonalities that bind individuals within their community together at this year’s Southeast Regional Unity Conference. “A conference such as Unity brings together multiple schools and a variety of different people to show us that there are many people, specifically in the southeast, that can support one another and bond with one another,” said Kevin Moore, president of SPECTRUM. The conference, which was held March 30 to April 1, focused on the ways the diverse identities within the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer communities intersect to form one larger identity. The conference took place at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and gave members of LGBTIQ communities from a variety of schools an opportunity to interact and network. “I got the chance to work with many other schools from different states, and now have developed plans and ideas on how our (schools) can work together towards a goal of equality for everyone,” Moore said. In addition to learning about how LGBTIQ organizations function on campuses other than Elon’s, networking allows members of SPECTRUM to develop important contacts, according to Raafe Purnsley. “So many of the ideas, so many of the speakers and programs we bring back to campus come from the conference,” Purnsley said. Attending the conference has always compelled SPECTRUM to make some important changes, according to Purnsley.
