On May 6, 2023, UCLA’s Association of Chinese Americans hosted its 34th annual Chinese American Culture Night. The three-hour production featured performances by several Chinese cultural clubs and its main show, “lead me to the lilies.” As we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month throughout the month of May and anticipate Pride Month in June, “lead me to the lilies” beautifully portrays certain nuances of the queer, second-generation Asian American experience.
Visibility and Representation: A Look Into the UCLA Pride Softball Game and an Interview with Coach Kirk Walker
On April 8, 2023, UCLA softball had its annual Pride Game against the Oregon State Beavers. I attended the game to see how Pride was celebrated and also sat down with Head Coach Kirk Walker, the first out D1 coach in the country. He also co-founded the Equality Coaching Alliance and the LGBT Sports Coalition to promote inclusion in sports. Walker received a kinesiology degree from UCLA in 1988, then began his softball coaching career immediately after. He is also a skilled athlete in men’s fastpitch softball and has won two national titles playing as a pitcher. With Walker, the Bruins have made it to seven NCAA Championships and 17 Women’s College World Series.
Why is it So Hard to Access All-Gender Bathrooms in UCLA Dorm Housing?
To get access to the all-gender bathroom in on-campus housing with communal bathrooms (residence halls with classic or deluxe room types), a resident must contact their RA for a link to a request form. After filling out the request, the resident must then wait one to three business days for an email from the Residential Life (ResLife) Assistant Director that confirms that a key for the all-gender bathroom is ready for pick up. Finally, the resident must go to the front desk and pick up the key card.
Fair Contracts Now: The Largest Strike In Academic History
Chants such as this one have echoed across campus since Nov. 14, the first official day of the UAW strike. The turnout was amazing, with graduate students, undergraduate students, and even some faculty showing up for the largest strike in University of California and U.S. history…
Queer Spaces in Outdoor Places: An Examination and Reflection of Green Space Inequities in Los Angeles
Today’s discussions of environmental science almost always touch on environmental justice and inequities, and for good reason. Green space (any space covered in trees, grass, or shrubbery) is extremely beneficial to communities in more ways than one. Research shows us that access to parks and green space is a significant health factor and has been linked to increased general health, lower mortality, and healthier babies because green space reduces air pollution, encourages healthier practices like exercising and sleeping, and relieves stress. Outdoor spaces are important in many other ways, too.
CommUnity with UCLA Health at LA Pride 2022: Interview with Carl Barrett and My Experience
Graphic by UCLA Health With LA Pride happening this weekend, it’s that time again to take a look at the event’s sponsors and how their sponsorship reflects their actions towards the LGBTQ+ community. Along with big names like Coca Cola,…
We Must Demand UCLA Continue Masking & Testing Protocols
Photo by Ashley Kenney/Daily Bruin Spending the last two years in the pandemic and trying to avoid getting sick with COVID-19 (or anything else, for that matter) has shown me a very scary cycle that the country goes through. When…
“We Get To Celebrate A Victory”: UC-AFT’s Successful Negotiation with the UC Admin
Image courtesy of UC AFT Instagram: @uc_aft In the early hours of Nov. 17, negotiators for UC-AFT, the union that represents our lecturers, came to a successful agreement with the University of California admin. The strike that was planned for…
We Are Not Disposable: The Disabled Student Union’s Protest for Remote Access
Photo by Rowan O’Bryan “UCLA ab-le-ist!” replaces the “fight-fight-fight” in the UCLA iconic 8-clap at last Friday’s Disabled Student Union (DSU) protest for remote instruction. Many wore white in solidarity. As we head into the second year with the coronavirus,…
LGBTQ+ Research Symposium Uplifts Underrepresented Scholarship
On Friday, April 26th, the UCLA LGBTQ Studies program will present its 6th annual Q Scholars Undergraduate Research Symposium entitled “Our Existence is Resistance: [Art]iculating our Lives, Identities, and Activism in the New Millennium.” The symposium offers a safe space…
