Members of the Rainbow Jaspers prepare for the Coming Out Dinner celebration.
ANGELINA PERSAUD / THE QUADRANGLE
By Laili Shahrestani and Angelina Persaud, Staff Writer and Managing Editor/News Editor
The Rainbow Jaspers held their annual Coming Out Dinner celebration on Oct. 10 to honor the LGBTQ+ community on campus and spread awareness about the Pride Center.
The Rainbow Jaspers have been hosting the dinner for several years now, however, the Pride Center itself has only been open since 2023. The Pride Center serves as an extension of the Rainbow Jaspers, and gives them an affiliated space to share resources and support with the LGBTQ+ community.
According to a press release about the Pride Center on manhattan.edu, the center serves as, “A gathering place and supportive environment for LGBTQ+ Jaspers…working on policy development, building an alumni network and operating as the central outward-facing institution for the LGBTQ+ campus community.”
Current president of the Rainbow Jaspers, Ashley Karlosky, spoke to The Quadrangle about why she came back to the dinner for the second time after having attended her first event as a freshman.
“It was really inspiring to see how open and honest people were with their stories,” Karlosky said. “And it also just confirmed for me that I like this community here, I want to get more involved with it. I think it’s so important, not only for me, but also for other students to see there’s such a big community here that is so willing to support you at the drop of a hat, we love you.”
The Coming Out Dinner celebration served as a safe space for individuals of the LGBTQ+ community to come together, and speak about their experiences freely. The Pride Center along with the Rainbow Jaspers are motivated to create an open environment for students to be true to themselves without any external judgment.
Grace Coutu, a sophomore and the social media manager of the Rainbow Jaspers, emphasized the importance of holding these types of events at Manhattan University, and developing an inclusive campus for the students.
“Things like this are really important, especially for freshmen and younger students,” Coutu said. “Because even though the LGBTQ+ community is obviously at a much better place than it ever has been, it’s still very difficult for students to work through that, especially if they come from unaccepting families.”
Aaron Schoepf, a junior and a current member of the Rainbow Jaspers, added on to the idea that events such as the Coming Out Dinner celebration allows for LGBTQ+ students to feel accepted and true to themselves. He highlighted how the Pride Club and Rainbow Jaspers create an area for students to embrace who they are openly and wholeheartedly.
“I think events like this are super important to let people know that there is a group on campus that is a safe space if they don’t feel comfortable for any other reason,” Schoepf said. “It is just a space where we can have events like these, and people can be like, ‘Oh, I don’t have to wear this mask’.”
Through the tradition of the annual Coming Out Dinner celebration, Karlosky spoke about how it acts as a way for LGBTQ+ students to reclaim their stories from their own personal lives, and share them with others who may have had similar experiences. She goes on to explain how events like these are empowering for many students, and bring support to anybody who may need it.
“A lot of people’s coming out stories are touchy subjects,” Karlosky said. “They’re not always the most fun, beautiful, accepting experiences and so being able to reclaim that and speak it out in a safe space with people that truly support you is almost like reclaiming your power back and your narrative on the story.”