The Lionel Cantú Queer Resource Center envisions a UC Santa Cruz campus that connects, retains, and sustains Queer and Trans students, staff, faculty, and alumni. We envision communities where Queer and Trans people are fully liberated, valued, and celebrated.
The Cantú Queer Center helps students thrive personally, socially, and academically through our commitment of holistic support and advocacy for and with the LGBTQIA2S+ community at UC Santa Cruz. In addition to helping individuals, we provide insight and support to the entire campus and community by providing essential resources and education through programming, workshops, and critical dialogues.
Through donor contributions, the Cantú has been able to provide students with basic needs resources like:
- Free gender-affirming gear for trans, non-binary, and gender-questioning students
- Free food from our food pantry for all hungry students
- Free sexual and menstrual health supplies
- Emergency grants that help students experiencing financial hardships such as struggling to pay rent, utilities, food, school supplies, and other expenses
It is this last item that our Spring Give campaign is focusing on. As a community, we have made a lot of progress, and there are resources available today that five years ago were just dreams. Despite political and social victories, queer and trans people continue to experience prejudice and rejection. Students share that they are not able to come out and/or be out due to fear of being cut off from their families and communities of support. Tragically, this fear is a lived reality for many within our community, causing these students to experience higher levels of stress due to loss of support, connection, and financial stability. In an area where accessing basic needs is already challenging, additional stressors tax and drain the well-being of queer and trans students who are disproportionately more vulnerable to financial struggles, including covering basic expenses such as housing, food, transportation, etc.
Please join us in continuing this urgently needed resource and reminding our students that they are not alone—found/chosen family is here at UCSC. We appreciate your support—today and every day!
Contributions of all sizes and amounts are needed, welcomed, and celebrated. Every cent and dollar counts and makes a huge difference in being able to reduce stress caused by financial challenges.
Connect with us on Instagram to learn more about our programs and resources.
Again, thank you for the support and solidarity!
Queerfully,
The Lionel Cantú Queer Resource Center Team
