Hi everyone! My name is Josh Borland (he/him) and I’m the 2023 Queer* GSEA! There are many reasons that I went for this role, but I think the biggest reason for me was to learn and listen to those who are trailblazers in their gender and sexuality while also wanting to encourage, support and assist those who have only just come to terms or are questioning themselves on the fabulous journey of life.
Being a GSEA not only means getting to meet incredible people and hear amazing stories every day, but my favourite part would be hosting events for both queer* ressies and allies at Burg. This provides a fun and safe space that either raises awareness of queer* issues and days of significance or just finds a reason to celebrate being yourself.
Some of the core qualities of being a GSEA include approachability and a willingness to learn. People will have a lot of quirky, confronting and deep questions for you on often taboo topics, so being approachable allows people to feel comfortable talking and asking those questions. While everyone experiences gender and sexuality differently, particularly in the queer* community, there needs to be a willingness to always learn and hear different perspectives.
This year it has been my goal to continue pushing the community of Burgmann to be active allies, whether that be through celebrating days of significance such as Wear it Purple Day, or allowing safe queer* spaces such as queer* catch-ups or any other autonomous events that are held. I want people to realise that being an ally means more than tolerating us, it means actively participating, supporting and embracing the queer* community in day-to-day life.
The highlight of my role would have to be the FRIES event that myself, Mia and Hugh held in O-Week of this year. FRIES is a common acronym for consent (Freely given, Reversible, Informed, Enthusiastic, and Specific) and our event featured a DIY Loaded Fries station, where we promoted chats about consent and how to stay safe in Canberra, and invited other residents to share their stories from past years at College.
The role of GSEA is vital to the College’s culture, and it has been extremely special to be able to hold this role and be the spokesperson for such a diverse community. I love celebrating this community and have been honoured to be provided the platform to achieve things I never thought were possible thanks to the College and all of the support systems within it!
