Greetings, Gayhounds & Friends!

Welcome to Volume 2 of The Gayhound! We’ve officially made it to week 4 of the semester. How we holding up? I know for me, it’s been a rollercoaster.

The chaos, violence, and division of the world alongside the love and connection I’ve felt amongst queer folks and close friends have felt a bit like whiplash. Navigating family dynamics brought to light in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s death has been difficult and heartbreaking. Watching 250+ students dance, cheer, and light up McGuire with queer joy during drag bingo was energizing and healing.

Amidst it all, I know that we need to continue to cultivate these connections of care, celebration, and authenticity. If you’re having a hard time finding those connections, reach out – send me an email, schedule a time to meet, pop by the Thrive Center, or take a break in the Pride Resource Room - whatever it takes, whatever you need, we’re here to offer exactly that.

Check out all that’s in this issue of The Gayhound. It’s full of so many opportunities for connection, especially our upcoming inaugural Queer Spirituality Retreat at the Loyola Retreat Center (registration closes tomorrow!). Let’s get out of the city, up into the mountains, and spend some time in community.

We’re here for you. We’re here for each other.

With gratitude,
Pat & the Thrive Center team


Pat Cassidy (he/him)
Director, LGBTQ+ Student Services
Thrive Center for Student Success
pjcassidy@loyola.edu / 410-617-2112
Schedule a time to connect with me!

In Today's Issue

1. Flourish Recap
2. Health & Wellness Corner
3. Campus Spotlight
4. Upcoming LGBTQ+ Campus Events
5. Upcoming LGBTQ+ Local Events
6. Campus Partner Events
7. Connect With Us

Time Flies!

The very first Flourish pre-fall is in the books! Flourish allows incoming first years to live OUT their strong truths well lived. We focus on themes of reflection, activism, community, history, queer joy and more🌈

Check out the LGBTQ+ Student Services Instagram to see our 'scrapbook' and learn more about what we did! @loyolalgbtq

Thank you to all of our lovely first years who joined us for the program, our outstanding Flourish Fellows for keeping us on track, and the ever supportive on and off campus partners that made this pre-fall so special! See you all around campus!

Meet Dennis Velez (He/Him/His)
Director, Student Success Coaching

Where do you call home?
Born and raised in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and I now call Baltimore City home. 

What motivates you in your work? / What are you proudest of in your time here?
I am motivated by the students I work with. I want to ensure they grow and develop while they are entrusted to my care, and I'm motivated by how passionate and driven they are. They motivate me to be a better person. I'm proudest of the relationships I've been able to build over the years, whether that's with students, faculty or administrators. I'm proud of the community I've cultivated during my time here.

What is student success coaching in the Thrive Center?
Student Success Coaching is the holistic support we provide to students to ensure their well-being, growth, and development. We are dedicated to meeting students where they are and are committed to helping them achieve success, both in and out of the classroom. Specific support centers around early academic intervention, connecting students to key resources, providing ongoing coaching, and creating programs and initiatives rooted in student success. 

More Info and registration here

TransMaryland's monthly Trans/Action info sessions are held on the first Thursday of the month (on holidays they will move to the 2nd Thursday of the month). Learn about their work, hear how federal and local news affects you, and learn what actions you can take!

Free brand new documentary screening about Baltimore's Black, queer aestetic.
Put on by BeMoreRooted.

Saturday, October 11 · 7 - 9:30pm EDT

Parkway Theatre

5 West North Avenue Baltimore, MD 21201

Register Here!

Baltimore Blaq Pride is throughout all of October! Check out their variety of events here and on Blaq Equity's Facebook

Greedy Reads is hosting a queer book club event! The book is "Compound Fracture” by Andrew Joseph White. Here is a symposis of the book: 

"A queer Appalachian thriller that pulls no punches—following a trans autistic teen who's drawn into the generational struggle between the rural poor and those who exploit them.

On the night Miles Abernathy—sixteen-year-old socialist and proud West Virginian—comes out as trans to his parents, he sneaks off to a party, carrying evidence that may finally turn the tide of the blood feud plaguing Twist Creek: Photos that prove the county’s Sheriff Davies was responsible for the so-called “accident” that injured his dad, killed others, and crushed their grassroots efforts to unseat him.

The feud began a hundred years ago when Miles’s great-great-grandfather, Saint Abernathy, incited a miners’ rebellion that ended with a public execution at the hands of law enforcement. Now, Miles becomes the feud’s latest victim as the sheriff’s son and his friends sniff out the evidence, follow him through the woods, and beat him nearly to death.

In the hospital, the ghost of a soot-covered man hovers over Miles’s bedside while Sheriff Davies threatens Miles into silence. But when Miles accidently kills one of the boys who hurt him, he learns of other folks in Twist Creek who want out from under the sheriff’s heel. To free their families from this cycle of cruelty, they’re willing to put everything on the line—is Miles?

A visceral, unabashedly political page-turner that won’t let you go until you’ve reached the end, Compound Fracture is not for the faint of heart, but it is for every reader who's ready to fight for a better world. Hand this story to teens pushing for radical change.

Compound Fracture is available for purchase at greedyreads.com."

Event info:

Thursday, October 9 · 7 - 8pm EDT

Greedy Reads Fells Point

1744 Aliceanna Street Baltimore, MD 21231

Register Here!

Events

There are so many different ways to connect with us!

• Follow us on Instagram @loyolalgbtq
• Pop by our office: 3rd Floor Student Center - Office Suite 315
• Reach out by email: pjcassidy@loyola.edu
• Schedule a time to meet with Pat (he/him; Director of LGBTQ+ Student Services): Pat Cassidy's Bookings Calendar