Now is a confusing and exciting time in Macalester’s Queer Union. This year has so far started off a little differenlyt than the last two years. With five minutes before the Wednesday night meeting time, thirty people are already crowded into a classroom in Old Main. There is socializing, nervous energy and relatively few familiar faces. QU’s first meeting attracted ninety people into a hazardously stuffed room. Our faces were red and sweaty.

With half the initial group returning the following week, this is the most “diverse” active body of Queer Unioners that we have ever seen in our two and some years at Macalester. There is a surge of energy coming and moving in multiple directions. Compared to last year’s group of tight-knit politically-minded queers, this year’s Union is brimming with controversy, opinions, points-of-view and multiple backgrounds.

The first-years don’t just come to listen—they make our strong-minded dyke co-chairs look meek. There has also been a dramatic leap in Macalester’s ally population—they’re coming out of the cracks everywhere and making their support known. In addition to these new, loud voices, QU has roped in some of Macalester’s most notorious queers whose faces have not usually graced our meetings. Now that’s a motherfuckin’ community!

Amidst the heated conversation of the last two meetings, it has become apparent that we’re not just having a QU dance and Coming Out Week. This year the queer theory-lovin ‘fags and dykes’ are getting out of Coffee News and are ready to rock this campus—with the help of a few new friends. With a less academic and a more tangible and action-oriented focus this year, QU is both moving forward with last year’s agenda yet staying open to new ideas. The theme and driving force this year is community and collaboration; we are not satisfied with QU events reaching only 45 people, and so we are networking like crazy to attract people of the Macalester community who do not necessarily tend to devote their time to sexual politics.

So what does the downfall of the elitist QU empire mean to Macalester at large? Here’s just some of the things we have in store:

“Trembling before G-d”—screening and discussion with the film maker, Oct. 8, 7 p.m.

‘QU Dance’ and Coming Out Week, TBA.

Discussion groups/Speakers, TBA.

Work with Health Services and Residential Life on GLBT issues.

Queer Cabaret, Nov. 22.

And this is just the beginning. We are in the initial stages of forming relationships with people all over campus based on common interests and needs that we hope will result in future programming to reach even more of the Macalester campus. Check us out on Wednesday nights at 10. We are a little nomadic these days – this week at the C-house, next week who knows where.