Summary

This is a history of the University of Alabama's GLBTQ student organization from 1983-2007. 

The University of Alabama’s queer undergraduate student organization changed its name 7 times since its foundation in 1983. My research seeks to discover what prompted the changes and what these changes reveal about the evolving identity of the queer student organization.

There is no governing body that controls or sets guidelines for the language of the LGBTQ+ community, so language changes and adoptions often happen at the insistence of the people who identify with that language. This is why diverse leadership and open communication is so important in queer organizations.

At the heart of my analysis sits the recognition that sharing language and naming oneself are two central parts of the queer experience. They are part of the discovery and acceptance of identity and community. Following linguistic shifts, then, is an important part of examining our own queer communities on campus, locally, and nationally.

Summary