San Diego State’s queer community and allies gathered for an afternoon of self-care at the Pride Center on Friday, Oct. 25. The event, “Queer Crafternoon,” featured succulent planting and karaoke.
“Even if it isn’t your thing, it’s so nice and refreshing to sit in a space with other queer people,” Pride Center media team member and English junior Miles Reyes said. “Being in the Pride Center (replenishes) energy.”
Reyes said one of their goals is to organize more events like this for shyer members of the LGBTQ community. The introverted attendees weren’t comfortable commenting on the event.
“I’m trying to create more quiet events for introverted queer people,” Reyes said. “Some that don’t cause anxiety. I’m excited to be planning more.”
Pride Center peer educator and math education junior Christion Covington said the event was a nice contrast to ones previously organized by the center.
“I didn’t feel forced to talk,” Covington said. “I could just sit and be. The energy brought out the extrovert in me because there wasn’t the pressure that I had to interact with someone.”
The event began with an abundance of pots to paint and seeds to sow. There were several seeds to choose from including basil, mint, sage and dill. The table was also decked out with markers and coloring sheets.
One of the event’s main focuses was encouraging self-care, a practice that takes many forms depending on the person. Reyes said he’s in the middle of redefining self-care right now, but some of his favorite forms are watering his plants – Walt, Oscar and Zora – and holding their leaves like someone’s hands.
“I’m giving myself space to be frazzled and giving myself time and permission to be stressed,” he said. “Self-care is beyond the bounds of capitalism. I’m incorporating it into all aspects of my life.”
For others, self-care can be experimentation. Covington said if she’s stressed, she’ll try something new with her hair.
“For me, I’m defining self-care as whatever makes me feel emotion,” she said. “People try to define self-care for you, but for me, it’s sitting in my own feelings.”
Karaoke, or “queeraoke,” commenced after plant potting. The calm energy quickly shifted to an energetic atmosphere as people sang along and cheered for each other’s performances.
“I listen to so much rap lately,” Covington said. “A lot of rap is black voices and I’m trying to be more in tune with my blackness and not letting it stress me out.”
From Mario’s “Let Me Love You” to Little Mix’s “Black Magic,” people sang their hearts out and clapped along to the beats. There was enough energy to carry the event past it’s scheduled end time.
The turnout exceeded the Pride Center’s expectations, largely due to the media team’s flyers scattered around campus. Reyes said they were expecting around 30 participants, but the center ran out of pots to paint. 
“I’m so excited about how many people came out,” Reyes said. “I had a good time and (the pots) looked really cute.”
Covington said a big part of the Pride Center’s mission is to recognize those who differ from a cisnormative, heteronormative perspective.
“You are enough and I see you,” Covington said.
Juniper Perkins (they/them/their) is a sophomore studying journalism.
