WSU students bring intersectional club to campus

New group hopes to create a safe space for LGBTQ+ community

Members+of+U.T.O.P.I.A+Eastern+Washington%2C+San+Francisco%2C+Seattle+and+Portland+at+the+Queer+Trans+Pacific+Islander+Healing+and+Self-Determination+Retreat+Sept.+14+in+Sandy%2C+OR.

COURTESY OF MANUFANUA THOMAS

Members of U.T.O.P.I.A Eastern Washington, San Francisco, Seattle and Portland at the Queer Trans Pacific Islander Healing and Self-Determination Retreat Sept. 14 in Sandy, OR.

KHADIJAH BUTLER, Evergreen reporter
October 8, 2019

Two WSU graduate students started a club to increase the visibility of LGBTQ+ Pacific Islanders in the Pullman community.

Jeremiah Sataraka, WSU Ph.D. student, said LGBTQ+ identities in the Pacific Islander community are rarely talked about despite having a deep and rich background.

He said existing clubs on campus focus on cultural identity but rarely discuss LGBTQ+ identity. Sataraka said the United Territories of Pacific Islanders’ Alliance Eastern Washington hopes to bring awareness of how intersectionality exists within the community.

Sataraka and Manufanua Thomas, co-chair and adviser of U.T.O.P.I.A Eastern Washington,  started discussing how to bring U.T.O.P.I.A to Pullman after attending the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance conference in Las Vegas this past summer.

U.T.O.P.I.A began in March 1998 in San Francisco. Its mission was to promote, support, educate and increase awareness of LGBTQ+ Pacific Islanders, according to its website. Since then, the club has expanded to Seattle and Portland, Oregon.

Sataraka and Thomas attended a Queer Trans-Pacific Islander Healing and Self-Determination retreat last month and met with the founders of U.T.O.P.I.A from each city.

He wants to create a space where everyone can feel welcome, Sataraka said, including those that might not identify as LGBTQ+ but are “down for the cause.”

He said they also hope to increase the community of queer islanders and allies and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.

The group is excited for the possibilities that will become available, he said. Sataraka said they would like to collaborate with other cultural clubs such as the Asian Pacific American Student Coalition as they move forward.

Sataraka said he hopes the club will grow into something bigger, through workshops and social events.

“We’re hoping it’ll stay beyond our time,” he said.

Thomas said the club is still in the organizing stage and does not have an official meeting time, but will be updated on their Facebook page.

Sataraka said they will host a community potluck at 6 p.m. on Oct. 25 but are still determining a location.