The University of Alabama’s Queer Student Association held its 10th annual Shantay, UA! event in the Student Center on Friday. The milestone event brought together students for a night of fun and friendship.
Gabrielle Gunter, the QSA’s director of community engagement, was excited that this year marks the 10th anniversary of Shantay, UA!
“It’s a way to kick off the year, and it actually started out as a pretty small event. It’s gotten bigger in the past few years,” Gunter said, adding that the event drew in nearly 200 students last year.
The QSA hosted a wide range of organizations at the event. Groups like West Alabama Women’s Center Healthcare and Planned Parenthood Generation Action informed students of resources available to them regarding women’s and sexual healthcare, while others such as Druid City Pride and the UA chapter of the NAACP let students know of ways that they can get involved.
“We like having nonprofits and clubs that align with our values,” Gunter said.
The mix of organizations reflects the QSA’s focus on community support. Lilith Burton, who was tabling with URGE, said that she liked seeing a variety of organizations present at and supporting the event, including a church.
The keynote speaker for the event was Travis Jackson, an Iraqi war veteran, political organizer and activist for marginalized communities. Jackson gave a speech that he titled “The Fierceness of Your Queerness” before he led the room in several affirming repeat-after-me chants.
“I am not a phase,” Jackson said to the crowd, which they repeated. “To make a social difference, you must be socially different.”
The event closed out with performances from K-Pop dance cover groups K-POC! and HALLYUA, as well as local drag queens Ophelia Foxx and Jayda Sin, who have both performed at Shantay, UA! in the past.
The QSA, which has been present and active on campus for over 40 years now, has served as a home for students seeking advocacy and belonging.
“I haven’t really gotten involved until this year,” Burton said. “Shantay, UA! is a way to have fun and find people that you can vibe with.”
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