Students at Genesee Community College are raising funds to support the college’s first and only LGBTQ+ scholarships.
Kate Trombley is the director of the Adult Education Center as well as the adviser for the Sexuality and Gender Alliance at GCC. She says students in that group saw a need to help LGBTQ+ students in rural areas attend college.
She said one scholarship would be specifically for emergency funding.
"So if someone who is LGBTQ has an emergency, gets a flat tire, we can pay for their tire to make sure they can continue to go to school,” Trombley said. “Or say there's a health need, someone doesn’t have health insurance, we're helping them to get health insurance," Trombley said.
The other scholarship will be specifically for school: tuition, books, supplies and more.
Trombley said there currently are very limited resources for people in Genesee County who identify as LGBTQ+, and places like Rochester and Buffalo can be too far, especially if transportation is already a barrier.
"Transportation is limited, for any individual that needs mental health counseling, or may need a diagnosis to start to transition, as an individual who would identify as transgender," she said.
More education is also needed in rural areas, she said, and the students are also starting the process to become a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and create a community center for anyone in the area who may need that space and resources.
She talked about some of the other obstacles that rural LGBTQ+ students face.
"Specifically for students who are really riding what I call a ‘dual line.’ They live in duality every day,” Trombley said. “They feel as though they have to come out to receive the services that they need, which then can put them in danger of hate crimes or put them in situations that are uncomfortable."
The school is also hosting a drag show March 30, with all proceeds going toward the scholarships.