During our previous in-class discussion, we explored and, more importantly, challenged Orne’s assertion that the increasing acceptance of gays—a process Orne characterizes as assimilation—has transformed Boystown and individuals’ relationship with the gayborhood, arguing “Boystown is a place for people to visit and consume, rather than live.” The parochial scope of Orne’s argument, however, neglects the experiences of marginalized queer communities excluded from the rebranded gayborhood. Assimilation has allotted only certain groups, primarily White gay men, the privilege of residential freedom; therefore, the manifestation of safe spaces, away from the hateful eyes of society, remains essential for disenfranchised members of the queer community.
Luckily, Queer Pop-ups act as vehicles for safety and self-expression for marginalized queer communities. The construction of ephemeral safe spaces, a process that requires organizers consider the historical injustices against the marginalized communities they wish to serve, provides visibility and representation for queer people excluded from mainstream gay and lesbian settings.
My Expert Question considers the extent to which the placemaking techniques utilized by organizers to create inclusive Queer Pop-ups can be adopted to make permanent queer spaces more inclusive, ultimately questioning the degree to which places can truly be inclusive; a question that was then mapped onto campus life at Bowdoin. Are there any places on campus that are truly inclusive? A question that then led to the distinction between diverse and integrated. Although Bowdoin is statistically diverse, the ways in which different groups interact and occupy (or avoid) different spaces on campus suggest Bowdoin is not fully integrated. This is evident in the dynamic ability of places on campus where certain groups of people feel welcomed in a particular space on campus at a certain time, while uncomfortable during others due to certain groups’ ability to reappropriate space and produce its meaning, engaging in spatial capital.
In the end, our discussion concluded spaces can be inclusive only to a certain extent despite the best of intentions. Inclusive spaces are characterized by their ability to make invited members feel welcome, a construction that requires the exclusion of groups that may discomfort the members the space hopes to accept. Additionally, permanent spaces may inevitably develop established norms, a phenomenon that some may find familiar and friendly, while others may feel uncomfortable disrupting said norms. For now, ephemeral Queer Pop-ups and dynamic safe spaces on campus will have to do.
Your question hits a major problem that I think we all can see on Bowdoin’s campus, the appropriation of space by certain groups of people. And I would agree that there are no places on campus that are truly all inclusive, but I do believe that there are certain places that are close and some that can be at certain times. I believe that Thorne is the closest fixated/non-changing inclusive space that we have on campus. This is because anyone can in almost any place, apart from the distinction that the seats closest to the windows are for athletes. But the majority of seats within Thorne do not “belong” to any one group of people at any given time. An example of a truly inclusive space would be the recent visit of “Puppies in Smith”, where for 2 hours or so Smith was home to visiting golden retriever puppies. This is related a lot to the inclusivity that we see within queer pop-ups, and the likelihood that this type of event will not be a frequent occurrence allows for its ability to be a truly inclusive space for those given hours.
If diversity of thought, thus interests, exists within a community, it seems that inclusive spaces become impossible to achieve. Because, by catering to a majority in the name of efficiency, the corresponding associated minority groups will inevitably be represented to a lesser degree. The issue then becomes a question of Bowdoin’s ability to consistently provide accessible options as an institution.
Considering this framework, inclusive spaces at Bowdoin can be created by producing multiple environments that cater to people’s shared interests, but through diverse means. The entire student body shares the primary role of a student at Bowdoin, thus, also shares the interest of studying. As an institution, I think Bowdoin does a great job at creating inclusive study spaces, such as HL, by providing table space in areas varying in noise, traffic, lighting, space, density, and location which satisfies student’s diverse and everchanging preferences involved with the practice.
Unfortunately, there is some truth to the questions that you ask. In my opinion, there are no truly “inclusive” spaces at Bowdoin, or probably any other campus. There is the famous hockey table at Moulton, the sports team tables on the side of Thorne, the poc room in Smith Union, and similar spaces. Yes, Bowdoin is statistically diverse. However, students choose to place themselves in environments where they feel most comfortable. This results in spaces that are somewhat exclusive. Spaces that promote integration are HL and the union. These spaces could be further integrated, and I agree with Ben’s point that the only truly integrated space would be Smith Union with puppies.
Love, in response to your question regarding the ability for permanent queer spaces to adopt the structures of ephemeral pop-ups and become more inclusive. I wonder if the use of specific places to take on certain identities for a limited time rather than choosing particular spaces in the city to become the places in which these identities take form gives the LGBTQ community more agency over the city as a whole. Though it is essential, I think that it is difficult to compare this city structure with a place like Bowdoin; the small population of Bowdoin eliminates the ability for anonymity that the city and these pop-up events provide. However, I do think that Bowdoin’s club structure in which affinity groups are organized on campus and then pair with other clubs to make temporary spaces in different clubs is an example of Bowdoin groups using pop-up culture. Specifically, I am thinking of times when groups like LASO, Af Am, and SWAG pair with the outing club to go on a trip. Though the outing club remains a relatively exclusive club, these groups demonstrate ephemeral space-making.
Love, the discussion of queer pop-ups and Bowdoin raises a lot of interesting ideas. One could argue that the queer pop-ups which exist here are different than queer pop-ups in cities.
Besides casually organized social events, most other queer events, like BOC trips, dinners, Outober, etc., are hosted by SWAG at 24 College – an institutionalized space. The SWAG Center has permanency on campus and in many ways is restricted to the norms of the college, Maine, etc. While it does play an essential role on campus, it is also interesting to note the ways in which SWAG institutionalizes the idea of queer pop-ups hosted by students. Because of its responsibilities to the college, this may limit the ways in which queer expressions appear on campus.
And yet, SWAG still provides the resources required to host certain events on campus – resources that not all students readily have. This paradox highlights another interesting point about queer pop-ups: even though they may cater to disenfranchised communities, those who organize them often must have access to certain resources and privileges in the first place.
The idea of pop ups and spatial capital is incredibly interesting and supports the idea that spatial capital isn’t permanent and the idea of inclusivity within these spaces. Within our own campus, I feel like there are many spaces that are intended to be inclusive for certain groups but there are very few completely inclusive spaces on campus. Does knowing that the place you feel comfortable in is only temporary impact the ability to become attached to this space? The potential for limiting comfort because of temporarily claiming the space is something to consider when introducing pop ups in a community.