The Q Center recently held their third fashion show, in part to promote the Q Boutique, which is currently accepting donations of formal wear for the Pink Prom it will be hosting on May 24.

The event started out with Amy Rider King and Chino Gonzales, the cofounders of the Q Center group, introducing themselves and the Q Boutique.

The Q Boutique started this past fall as a free clothing resource with a focus on gender affirmation for students who may not feel comfortable or have the means to go out shopping because they may be exploring their gender identity or transitioning, but the resource is open to anyone in the community.

The show itself was a brief performance put on by six students at Highline, who, afterwards, explained what fashion and clothing means to them. It was followed by Rider King and Gonzales speaking more on the upcoming events with the Q Center.

Chino Gonzales is an alumni of Highline, having attended in 2012, and now he serves as a cofounder of the Q Center, part of the LGBTQIA+ Task Force, and the advisor of Highline’s Q&A club. 

“I just felt like Des Moines was this weird area that was just sheltered,” he said when asked why he felt helping to establish all of this programming was important. “For some reason Des Moines felt like this area that just didn’t have anything, so I really wanted Highline to be that hub.”

He says that when he was young, there weren’t many places to go to meet other queer folks, and “I don’t want students to have to put themselves at risk just to find connection. I wanted Highline to have social events for students to meet each other and socialize and affirm each other and grow together, so that’s a huge part of it to me.”

“We’re all kind of in our own little pockets and circles, I refuse to believe that we’re not in this area, we’re here in this community, it’s just we haven’t made our space yet, we haven’t come together in a way that’s created enough programming,” siad Gonzales.

As for how people can get involved, he encourages people to go to the Q Center, which has hours on Mondays and Tuesdays from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. in Building 8, room 301. To socialize and meet others, there’s the Q&A club, and for faculty or staff members, there’s the LGBTQIA+ Task Force.

Gonzales wants to emphasize that these resources are for anyone who may be feeling alone or wishing to find spaces to meet others, and that it’s open to anyone – whether you identify as LGBTQ, are questioning, or just want to seek out some open-minded community on campus. He believes, “if we come together, that’s where the change happens.”

Being able to have an in-person space and host events geared towards the LGBTQ+ community at Highline has been a process years in the making, and the best way to support its growth is truly to simply show up, support the events, and affirm that these resources are valued. Gonzales said, “This is just a dream come true, to be here now.”

Aside from the Pink Prom later this month, another upcoming event the Q Center is hosting is a health and wellness workshop this Monday, May 6, with Planned Parenthood and Teen Clinic for anyone to get answers for any questions they may have about sexual health, as well as access to safe sex resources to be held in Building 8, room 301, from 1-3 p.m.