All are welcomed.
Three simple words that have stood as the backbone for a club that includes all just as the rainbow includes all colors; The Alliance.
“The motto of the Alliance is to be an all-inclusive; include all students, all walks of life, and all are welcomed,” said Dan Kiesecker, the current club president.
“It was created to be an all-inclusive title,” he said. “The idea that whether you’re gay, whether you’re bisexual, whether you’re lesbian, straight, asexual, or gender queer, there’s so many different types of individual expressions of sexuality. But regardless of that, you can be an ally in the Alliance.”
SFCC has had a longtime dedication to being an inclusive and tolerant community, welcoming and establishing the club in 1999.
Meetings are held in building 24, room 325, every Friday at 1:00pm. They are also held every first and third Tuesday at 3:30pm. The last Friday of each month is game day.
“You shouldn’t feel scared to join,” said Lauren Grosse, a current member of the club. “It’s good to have some form of a support group.”
The Alliance provides a safe space referred to as “The Loft” for those who feel uncomfortable both on and off campus. The Loft is located in building 24 across from room 325 where the teacher’s offices are located. With rainbow colored cones standing tall atop the loft’s walls, it’s hard to miss.
“We provide a safe haven from the discrimination or the rejection that people feel in the Spokane area and on campus as well,” said Kiesecker.
If needed, you can talk with the club representatives, advisors, or just hang out with friends in the space.
The Alliance takes part in helping as well as educating the students of SFCC.
“We try to raise awareness of the LGBT community in Spokane,” said Kiesecker. “We’re a very student activism focused club, we’ve done STD awareness campaigns, we’ve worked with Planned Parenthood, Spokane Aids Network, and many different groups like that in the past.”
According to the SFCC website the average age of students on campus is 18 to 26. Kiesecker said that this is also the current age range for STD transmissions. The club is focused on raising health awareness and providing resources for people in need.
“The ultimate message that I always want to send, and that everyone in the club agrees with is our motto, all are welcomed,” said Kiesecker. “We’re not a limited, exclusivist kind of group. We’re very inclusive, and we want everybody who believes in human rights for everybody and for all humans. So anybody who is willing to stand with their fellow students and support human rights is extremely welcomed in this club.”
Members agree that no one should ever feel scared, intimidated, or discriminated when joining a club.
Jonathan Shumate, who at the time was attending his first Alliance club meeting, was asked what his thoughts were of the club and their goals.