Q&A with the Students for Reproductive Freedom (SRF)
What is your favorite thing about your club’s work or activities?
Our discussions at meetings and events are always a convergence of many different ideas and perspectives, and we really try to learn from each other and bring in voices from off-campus organizations in the local Boston community as well.
How have you been transitioning your club activities to online?
We have been working on a transition to online activities since March, when BU made the transition to remote learning. The process has not been easy but has definitely pushed us to be more creative and find new ways to connect with our community and find new ways to organize around issues that are important to our organization.
What would you say to people thinking about joining the club?
SRF is a very laid-back and welcoming environment. We are never concerned with who is coming at what level of consistency, so there is no wrong time to join in on our meetings or events! We want to get to know our community members and learn about who you are and what you’re passionate about in the world of reproductive justice.
What are some of your club’s goals in the near future?
We are very excited to be in the process of establishing an emergency contraception vending machine in the lower level of the George Sherman Union. Having emergency contraception that is both geographically and financially accessible on campus will be a big step in making reproductive health resources more available to students. When individuals have the ability to control their reproductive health, their quality of life and ability to maintain their well-being improves.
Spring 2021 E-Board Applications
We are happy to announce that applications for the Spring 2021 E-Board are now open! Applications can be viewed here:
Coordinators: https://forms.gle/jhpEdbofBbpjFBeS6
Treasurer & Secretary: https://forms.gle/xqiGN8ZghgZcRspC6
Co-Director applications are open to those who have previously served on the e-Board. These applications will be open for one week, until January 3rd, after which a voting period will commence.
Thank you for participating and being a part of our community!
We’re on Discord!
We are now on Discord! You can join our server by clicking this link: https://discord.gg/F8TqphUnqt. If you're not familiar with Discord, we have created a short and helpful guide for using the app here. By joining the chat server, you'll be able to stay in touch with members of our CGSA community by chatting, staying updated on the CGSA's activities throughout the summer, and maybe even participating in virtual movie nights or other casual events. Anyone in the BU community committed to the CGSA's mission of activism & inclusivity can join, even if you're not yet familiar with the Center! We're excited for you to join!
Apply to our coordinating board for Fall 2020!
Applications for our Fall 2020 coordinating board are now open!
General Positions
Event Coordinator - Organizes and plans programming to engage and educate the BU community.
Marketing Coordinator - Creates promotional materials for events, maintains social media, and updates the website.
Public Outreach Coordinator - Fosters connections with other organizations at BU and the Greater Boston Area to create community and collaborate.
Student Organization Coordinator - Creates community between the different student organizations that meet with a Center and serves as an open channel to hear their needs and concerns.
Space Coordinator - Handles the logistics of keeping the space stocked, well-kept, and improving facilities.
Volunteer Coordinator - Recruits volunteers and oversees their training, tasks, and engagement with the CGSA
Health and Education Coordinator - Works to recruit and improve health resources available to people accessing the Center and collaborate with SARP to plan Sexual Assault Awareness Week
Click here to apply for general positions!
Secretary & Treasurer
The role of the secretary includes filling out forms for events through Engage and corresponding with SAO in regards to events. The role of the treasurer also includes extensive use of Engage, but in terms of our finances. They are also responsible for fundraising initiatives and advising the board on SAO protocols when necessary. Experience in using Engage is recommended!
Click here to apply for the position of secretary or treasurer!
Co-Director
This role involves creating the agendas for the meetings, meeting with administration and other groups, working on initiatives to make the campus more inclusive, and ensuring the organization and success of the Center and its members. Prior experience on the Eboard is preferred and prior engagement with the CGSA is required.
Changing your name in BU systems
Display names on Zoom are based on your legal name in the BU directory. Considering this, if you'd like to change your name on Zoom, it's a good time to review ways to change your name in BU systems.
A guide for how to do this is here on Google Docs.
COVID-19 Updates
Hello all,
The current situation surrounding the COVID-19 virus is causing hardships for everyone, especially students. We hope you are all taking care of yourselves and your loved ones as best as you are able during these stressful times.
Until April 13th, we will not be hosting any club meetings in our space. We will also no longer be open during our regular hours.
However, we would like to mention that the CGSA is currently available as a storage space for small items for those who need a place to put things on-campus. If you are interested in storing items in the CGSA, please reply to this email with your request and your specific item(s) so that we are able to keep track of your things, and a coordinating board member will get back to you. If you have any other needs in the space, please also do not hesitate to reach out.
As a student resource center, the CGSA is here for you. We would like to get a better sense of struggles that students are currently experiencing at this time. Additionally, as a resource center, we are in a unique position of being able to communicate student concerns to BU administration. To this end, we have created a survey that has two purposes:
1) to compile student concerns about online classes, on-campus living, storage, or anything else related to the outbreak and present them to the administration,
and
2) to ask if there any resources that the CGSA coordinating board can ourselves offer at this time or requests that we may fulfill.
The link to the survey is here. Please fill it out if you are able to, and especially if you have any concerns. We are asking that you record your responses to this survey by March 17th.
If you have any requests you are not comfortable sharing on the survey, you can email us directly.
Again, we hope that you are all taking care of yourselves during this time. Current helpful resources include the BU Today FAQ about coronavirus and the CDC webpage about this virus.
Best Regards,
The CGSA E-board
Trans Survival Guide: BU Edition
There's now an easily-accessible online guide that lists important information for anyone who's trans at BU. Check it out for instructions to change your name on multiple platforms, healthcare, and other Boston-area resources.
Anarchist Bookfair
Since 2014, the Anarchist Bookfair has taken place at Boston University. They provided access to revolutionary books and access to workshops on how to make change and participate in activism. This year the Anarchist Bookfair had to be canceled due to security fees that were charged to the group by Boston University. Below is our official statement on this issue.
We hope that this will foster conversations that create greater transparency in how free speech can be practiced at Boston University, the limitations of this, and what Boston University constitutes as free speech.
Come Volunteer for the CGSA!
Welcome back to campus, everyone! We hope your September is going well and that you're settling into your class schedule. The CGSA is up and running, and that means we are looking for volunteers like you! We are a resource center run for and by students, and we rely on volunteers to create and maintain a welcoming environment for all who use the space. Some of the duties of our volunteer team include organizing the space, participating in events held by the CGSA, and running the front desk while our space is open. If you are interested in joining our community, please fill out this form, and feel free to reach out to our volunteer coordinator, Lily Bryant, at lrbryant@bu.edu.
Have a wonderful semester, and we hope to see you at the CGSA!
All-Gender Bathrooms
We have been working with BU to help bring more All-Gender bathrooms to campus and we are happy to say that many have been created and many more will be created. They will truly help increase the safety and sense of belonging of students of all gender. In the meantime, here is an updated map to help you find All-Gender Bathrooms on campus. Enjoy the rest of your summer!
About Us
Welcome to the website for the Center for Gender, Sexuality, and Activism at BU! We are a fully student-run space, committed to fostering a safe environment for people of all genders and sexualities.
Our Groups
Check out the groups that meet in the Center and learn how you can get involved!
