Out of the Basement! An accessible, safe and visible Queer Space on campus.

La Trobe Univerity claims three things, to be an accessible University where students with needs will be catered to, an inclusive University where all Cultures, Sexualities and Gender identities are celebrated and a safe University that seeks to make sure all Students are protected. However, Queer Students have been excluded from these three pillars.

The Queer Space is located in the basement of Union Hall far out from the centre of the University. Access is limited, with only four entry points-two of these via stairways, one via a steep uneven road and finally, and lastly, an elevator that requires card access. Accessibility is at the heart of this issue, raising concerns about the reliance on an elevator to be used during emergencies, and the safety risks posed by the uneven road.

The space has been labelled as a "dungeon", rhetoric shared by Queer students underscoring its non-inclusive and disconnected nature to the wider community. Poor quality furnishings, absence of Security cameras, and the University's neglect has left students feeling abandoned.

During a period of rising Anti-Queer violence, the vulnerability Queer La Trobians is amplified. They face not only the physiological effects of how the community has been treated but furthermore the real possibility of physical assaults in a location far from the safety of the interior of campus.

The La Trobe Student Union firmly supports the LGBTQIA+ and Gender Diverse La Trobian Community, recognising that these conditions are belittling and that this must change!!

La Trobe University can do better and should do better. Join us in signing our petition now to support a more accessible, central and secure Queer Space at La Trobe and support the LGBTQIA+ and Gender Diverse community at La Trobe.