FREE HIV/STI Testing!!!

HEY ALL QSA'ers! 
So sorry about the extremely short notice, BUT (if you didn't know already) tomorrow there will be FREE yeah that is EXACTLY what I said FREE HIV/STI testing from 9-4 in the SAC Ballroom! 

Everyone should definitely take advantage of this event! You all should regularly get tested and this is an opportunity to have it done for FREE!!!

http://www.facebook.com/events/182819721853757/

Queer Texas Conference 2012

Hello all LGBTQA'ers! 

I just wanted to go ahead and let you all know that I have just posted the link to this year's Queer Texas Conference!!!

WHOOOO X-D

The theme for this year's conference will be "Embracing Your Identities"

Check out the tab for information! HOWEVER, more detailed and updated information will soon follow! QTC is an amazing event and I really look forward to everyone participating. You will NOT want to miss this year's!

<3 :) <3

Austin PRIDE 2012

ATTENTION ALL LGBTQA'S!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just to make sure that everyone knows! Today, Saturday, August 22 is Austin PRIDE! I apologize if you didnt know about it before now. The first event of the day has already happened (PRIDE 5K Rainbow Run), BUT!! The other two events have not yet happened. I have listed below description of the two remaining main events for Austin PRIDE 2012. Go forth and express your pride!

Austin Pride's 2nd Event: PRIDE FESTIVAL 
Saturday, September 22nd 11am-6pm
Fiesta Gardens, 2101 Jesse E Segovia St.

The 2012 Austin PRIDE Festival will be held Saturday, September 22nd from 11am to 6pm at Fiesta Gardens on the beautiful, shady shores of Lady Bird Lake! Each year the PRIDE Festival keeps growing and this year should be no exception with a Carnival Atmosphere! In addition to the rocking DJs and entertainers on the main stage, the 2012 PRIDE Festival will feature a second stage of DJs, unlimited carnival themed games and activities, free photo booths, face painting, balloon twisters, drinks, carnival foods, and over 100 booths featuring local businesses and non-profits that support Austin's LGBTQ community!

Austin Pride's 3rd Event: PRIDE PARADE!!!! X-D
Saturday, September 22nd 8pm
Downtown Austin

The biggest event of Austin PRIDE, the 2012 Austin PRIDE Parade returns as an evening event with a new route!! This year, entries will line up at the Capitol and proudly march down Congress Avenue and through the 4th Street Warehouse District. Special pre-Parade entertainment by DJ C-Rail and a special mid-Parade booty shakin' dance party will all occur on Congress Avenue outside the Paramount Theatre. A celebration of our entire LGBTQ community, the Parade will feature a Carnival Atmosphere with a variety of entries, grand floats, spectacular pageantry, and fun! 

UT'S Queer Student Alliance will be organizing groups to bus down so definitely let us know if you would like to not go alone and instead go with the KOOLIEST people....in the world....ever....forever. :P 

If you all have any questions at all feel free to contact:
Dillon Mathers Kent Kasischke
dillonmathers@yahoo.com kennon.kasischke@gmail.com
512.869.9593 936.232.2023
QSA Public Relations QSA Director

INVITE YO KIDS, INVITE YO WIFE, AND INVITE YO HUSBAND BECAUSE THEY.....ALL WANNA HAVE A GOOD TIME OUT THERE :P

QSA Updates!!

Hey QSAers,

Thank you again for a great first meeting. If you couldn't attend then stay tuned, for the powerpoint slides covering our presentation shall follow shortly!

UPDATES:

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 20th at 8PM I wanted to get all of those who are interested in the QSA Subcommittees together to discuss how they will run, be organized, and also to allow everyone to get to know each other a little better. Remember the topics will be: Competitive Insurance Benefits ( previously Domestic Partnership Benefits) and Gender-Inclusive Housing (GIH). We will be meeting in the SAC (right outside the SG office 2.102) and find a place to sit down, talk, and discuss aspects of the semester.


SATURDAY: Austin Pride 2012
Check out our FB event at: https://www.facebook.com/events/366535096757400/
Join QSA as we venture downtown for the parade Saturday night. There will be a lot of other organizations (GBSA, AMSA, etc etc) which will be going down as well,but if you do not have a group yet we would love for you to join us. Updates on that will be mainly seen on the FB group and event so please stay up to date there. If you have any further questions, contact me directly.


NEXT WEEK: 9/24-9/28 is Suicide Prevention Week
I am very happy to announce Suicide Prevention Week which is a combined effort of The Center of Mental and Health Services, Tejas Club, Student Government, and a plethora of other great organization and sponsors. To give you some statistics of why this is relevant issue: 

- Suicide attempts by LGB youth and questioning youth are 4 to 6 times more likely to result in injury, poisoning, or overdose that requires treatment from a doctor or nurse, compared to their straight peers. (2011, CDC, “Sexual Identity, Sex of Sexual Contacts, and Health-Risk Behaviors Among Students in Grades 9-12: Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance”)

 - LGB youth are 4 times more likely, and questioning youth are 3 times more likely, to attempt suicide as their straight peers. (2011, CDC, “Sexual Identity, Sex of Sexual Contacts, and Health-Risk Behaviors Among Students in Grades 9-12: Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance”

 - LGB youth who come from highly rejecting families are up to 8 times as likely to have attempted suicide as LGB peers who reported no or low levels of family rejection. (2010, Family Acceptance Project™ “Family Acceptance in Adolescence and the Health of LGBT Young Adults”)

 - Nearly half of young transgender people have seriously thought about taking their lives and one quarter report having made a suicide attempt (2007 , The American Association of Suicidology, Grossman, D’Augelli, “Transgender Youth and Life-Threatening Behaviors”)

- Overall 36.5% of LGB and 33.2% of Transgender youth have attempted suicide.

Please support UT's efforts in helping these individuals and providing proper education to our University as a whole.
Full list of events at: https://www.facebook.com/events/239432242845532/

QSA's First General Meeting of the 2012-2013 School Year!!!

HEY AGAIN Y'ALL!!!

I know each and every single one of you have been looking forward to this day for SUCH a LOOOOOONG time! On Wednesday September 12th from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM, your very own Queer Students Alliance will be holding it's first general meeting of the year! WHOOO! That's right! Get excited! X-D The Executive Board for QSA has been hard at work putting everything together for a great year and we are really excited for y'all to begin experiencing it!!

Here are the deets for the meeting: 

>We will be introducing and describing all the members of the Executive Board (become friends with those kool kats :P) 

>Participating in an ice breaker activity to get everyone a little settled in and loosened up.

>FREE FOOD AND DRINKS!!! (THAT'S RIGHT I SAID FREEEE!!)

>Presenting our upcoming social events

>Presentations from a few other great student organizations

>Main discussion

>Wrap-up

>Closing mingling (can you use two -ing words in a row? Just did!)

Make sure you obviously yourself, but do not forget to bring all of your friends! Also, don't forget that QSA invites anyone and everyone to these meetings, allies are most certainly welcomed!!

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, then please feel free to shoot Dillon Mathers or Kent Kasischke a message on Facebook or just post in this event page! 

To stay up to date with all of the current events and information make sure to utilize these resources:

Here is QSA's official group page

http://www.facebook.com/groups/texasqsa/

Follow us on Twitter! 

@texasqsa

I better see you there! If I don't, then you are definitely going to wish that you would have gone!!! :) <3