Sonoma State University has many different clubs and groups on campus that you may not be aware of. Of course there’s Greek life and a variety of well-known clubs like JUMP, but one group that might not be on everyone’s radar is the Trans and Gender Questioning group. This student-ran organization was founded by student Carly Solberg about a year ago.

While it’s not officially a club, the Trans and Gender Questioning group consider themselves a small branch of the Queer Straight Alliance, or QSA, on campus. Students get together every Monday from 3 – 4 p.m. to discuss the experiences they’ve gone through or encounters they’ve had as members of the LGBTQ community. 

When asked how this group was founded, Carly Solberg stated how they took this group under their wing and made it into what it is today.

“At first, we were going to CAPS together but we found that it was difficult to find a time where everyone could meet at the same time a counselor was available, so I decided to take it into my own hands.” Solberg said. 

Solberg’s extremely relieved with the group and proud of what it’s become. Solberg and their fellow group members have grown very close, as sharing their personal experiences with each other really helps them get to know each other on a deeper, meaningful level. Whether someone has gone through something hurtful, wants to share their coming out story, or has exciting news about changing their name, this group provides a great sense of support and community towards one another. 

For privacy reasons, this group doesn’t advertise their events to the public, however they are proud to announce that they are having a game night on Friday, Nov. 9. At this event, they plan to meet up and talk as usual, but some fun board games will be included. For anyone interested in going, you can email Carly Solberg at [email protected] and they would be happy to provide you with more information about the event. 

While Solberg doesn’t know if they will turn Trans and Gender Questioning into an official club. They don’t think it’s a huge deal to have that title.

“We don’t feel as though we need a club advisor or anything…we like where our group is going and we still get together every week to talk and support each other, which is all you really need for a group to be successful. We provide a safe space for students to share their stories and I think that’s the most important thing.” Solberg stated.

For those who don’t know, October is LGBTQ History Month. This has been in place since 1994, when Rodney Wilson, a high school teacher from Missouri, believed that we should dedicate a month to the celebration and teaching of gay and lesbian history. Many teachers and community leaders were on board with this idea, so it was born and set in stone. 

October was selected to be the month because National Coming Out Day, on Oct. 11, was already an existing tradition. It was also selected because school is in session during this month, so it provided teachers a month to educate students about the LGBTQ community and celebrate the achievements of 31 icons every year, according to the LGBT History Month website.