After struggling to gain and keep members last semester, UMKC’s Pride Alliance club outlined their new agenda with plans to increase membership and visibility.
The LGBTQIA+ organization offers safe spaces to queer students.
President Francesca Makuch and Vice President Sam Justice shared their determination to grow the group.
“Without a goal in mind, it is difficult to get members passionate to proceed with a club,” Makuch said. “I want members to find their time is worth it in this club, and I believe that may have been the issue previously.”
The alliance experienced additional challenges that intensified after the COVID-19 pandemic, including issues retaining staff, lack of advertisement and lackluster event planning.
“Pride Alliance has fallen to the wayside as other LGBTQIA+ organizations have stepped to the forefront,” Justice said.
The club highlighted their goals to take action by making its presence seen and heard with planning more community-based events, such as charity and volunteer opportunities in collaboration with other organizations.
The alliance hopes that reaching out to collaborate with other clubs and councils larger than theirs will help make a beneficial change by giving them better access to possible funding and membership.
“For our first event, we collaborated with [UMKC Sexuality and Gender Alliance Council] to have Jan-Queer-Ary,” said Makuch. “We could not have had the support without the help of the council.”
According to Justice, the alliance intends to connect with the greater Kansas City LGBTQIA+ community and help members make connections to utilize during and after their duration at UMKC. They also want to create a welcoming environment for LGBTQIA+ youth in the Kansas City area, especially those who may have not had support before.
“Growing up, I did not have LGBT representation. I lived in a smaller town where it was shunned to be LGBT,” Makuch said. “I believe that the comfort I could have had from seeing someone like me would have aided in my growth and comfort in myself.”
To keep up with the Pride Alliance, join their Roo Groups.
