The American River College Pride Center is holding a weekly virtual event, Communi-Tea Tuesdays, as a way to help create a space for LGBTQ+ students to talk and share their experiences while they are away from campus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alejandra Fernadez Garcia, pride program specialist at ARC, said this event was created to help students feel more comfortable with the online transition and allow them to express themselves in ways they may not be able to at home or work.

“Communi-Tea Tuesdays is an ARC Pride Center virtual space for LGBTQIA+ students to interact with Pride Center staff and be in community,” Fernadez Garcia said in an email to the Current. “We are navigating a pandemic and we realize many students may not be in spaces where their identities are affirmed. It’s important to stay connected and engaged with each other.”

“Tea” is a slang term that refers to someone’s truth, many people say “Spill your tea” or “Share your tea”, meaning express your thoughts and feelings in a meaningful way to your peers.

“We invite [folks] to share their tea,” Fernadez Garcia said. “Think of it as a virtual Pride Center space where we can talk about music, books, art, social justice, identity, pop culture, etc.”

Communi-Tea Tuesdays will continue every week from 3-4 p.m. as long as the college is in remote operations according to Fernadez Garcia. As the ARC Pride Center is currently the only such center in the Los Rios Community College District, it welcomes all LGBTQ+ students from across the district to attend, according to Fernadez Garcia.

Follow the ARC Pride Center @arcpridecenter on Instagram and Facebook for updates and more information on future events.