Page 58 of You've Got a Place Here, Too
Their posters and table attract a fair amount of curiosity, and in some cases, outright scorn. Blue and Cyrus prepare the members for this, reminding them to brace for backlash, an inevitability of being more visible. But the overwhelming response is one of acceptance, and at best, gratitude. The sign-up sheet is filled, necessitating pages ripped out of notebooks in order to keep capturing names. Prospective members want to discuss the historic October march, they want to talk Stonewall and Marsha P. Johnson and Harvey Milk’s demise, and resources on campus for gay or questioning students who don’t know where to turn.
“That’s us,” Blue declares proudly, over and over. “We’re building it, right now.”
And when a shy freshman approaches Neese, having recognized her from multiple library visits, she zeroes in on the hand that she doesn’t feel like removing from Audrey’s, eyes flicking between the two of them in surprised understanding.
“Hi there.” Neese smiles as Audrey lifts her other palm in greeting, bracelets clicking. “Are you interested in joining LSA?”
This story is based on a real person, Chi Hughes, co-founder of the first openly LGBTQ+ student organization at an HBCU. I’m honored to pay homage to her pioneering spirit, and I hope to always have the audacity and the vision to dream bigger than the world I’m currently living in. When we reached out to Chi to make her aware of the story in this collection, she shared that she was told by the Howard University student president that Black gay students were “another spoke in the wheel of genocide. But,” she continued, “love always seeks itself and prevails, as did LSA.”
I’m grateful to be Black and gay and alive right now, when we once again desperately need love—and courage—to prevail. Thank you, Chi, for showing us that it’s possible.
—Carla Bruce
Romantic Studies
Nicola Yoon
Romantic Studies (Bachelor of Arts)
A major in Romantic Studies prepares graduates to confront all manner of vexations related to finding and maintaining romantic relationships. While the coursework is sometimes rigorous and perplexing, the successful candidate will find deep and enduring joy.
Degree Requirements
(Full descriptions can be found on individual course pages.)
PHL 003: Classical Conundrums: Avoiding Romantic Entanglements
ROM 002: Overcoming Terrible First Dates
ROM L04: Laboratory: Introduction to Successful Dating
PHL 007: Classical Conundrums: Determining Whether or Not You Are in Love
HRT 005: How to Break a Heart, Your Own and Someone Else’s
HRT 009: Heartbreak Stages and Meaning
