On a recent weekday in Thomas Hunter Hall 105, fingers interlaced, twisted, and untangled themselves. Toes thumped against the green carpet and knees bounced up and down. Cookie crumbs tumbled to the ground and steam protruded from a water kettle.
The words that came out of the students’ were like the beats of a song, matching the cadence of the clock’s second hand ticking by: LGBTQ. Queer. Coming out. Having pride. Telling my story.
At Spill Ur Guts, Hunter College students are able to express themselves in a safe space among peers in a tea session curated and managed by the Queer Student Union (QSU) throughout the spring semester. The club offers weekly meetings for students that identify as Queer or are allies to the community, to speak their experiences, build a community, and give support while having afternoon snacks and tea.
In the beginning, the sessions were called Spill the Tea, a term that describes the act of sharing gossip or revealing personal information.
But the name changed as the talks grew into a confession session.
“I noticed a lot of people tearing (during the Spill Ur Guts session), but not crying,” said Litzy Antonio, the QSU President. “It’s scary, I grew up religious-Catholic- and it wasn’t until four years ago that I came out to my friends. But still not at home.”
Spill Ur Guts offers hot tea such as hibiscus raspberry, orange peach, and green tea alongside cookies donated by an undisclosed Hunter staff member that supports the club.
When the club runs out of tea, juice is substituted in. Spill Ur Guts sessions alternate every week on Mondays and Tuesdays.
For QSU, it is important that it creates a space that is respectful and safe to talk about topics and experiences that can be vulnerable and personal.
“We usually save the more serious top towards the mid or end of the semester,” said Annabel Savarese, a sophomore Psychology major and QSU Secretary. “Sometimes we talk about fun stuff. We will wait until people feel more comfortable and safe with one another.”
The Queer Student Union club was revitalized in the fall semester of 2023, as the current club managers felt that Hunter was missing a community for students to interact and engage with one another.
Savarese and Antonio both worked in the administration office in USG when the two talked about reviving the club after the pandemic.
At first, Antonio said she was skeptical, because she knew it would be a lot of work to create and organize a club. But when Savarese, who had prior experience running a Queer student organization in high school, also felt the same way, the two decided to make a go of it.
Everyone managing the club are new members, but the club is still in contact with the former members that ran the club prior to the pandemic.
QSU’s email list has around 200 students but their online Discord group is a lot more active. Although the in-person meeting usually attracts around 20 students, the online group chats allow more people to interact with their community, which includes many sophomore students and transfer students.
Besides the weekly discussion sessions, the group is currently waiting for approval to do a food drive and pride prep rally, which might include making tie dye T-shirts.
QSU wants to apply for more money next year to do all the events they envision to do. Building a bond and community is not just having having conversations, but doing events and activities that could also give back to the greater Hunter College community and people outside the campus.
“Our events and the club are open for everybody, as long as people are respectful, they are welcome to share their perspective even if they are an ally,” said Savarese. “Don’t invalidate or assume you know. Allies are welcomed to come to support a friend or general support. Also they could also be on their own journey.”
