Nestled in the corner of American River College’s Unite Center is the ever-open door of the campus’ Pride Center. Emblazoned with colorful flags and supportive phrases for the LGBT+ community, the Pride Center is a haven of safety, support and guidance for students who identify with the community. With two couches always available in her office for any student looking for a listening ear or a place to work quietly, there’s one woman at the Pride Center keeping the lights on.
Liz Geisser, the student support assistant and classified Employee President and the Pride Center’s only full-time classified employee, has been in her position since April 2023. She offers a sense of stability and structure to a resource only three tumultuous years old. Prior to the Pride Center, Geisser worked in ARC’s Writing Across the Curriculum and Reading Across the Disciplines programs, which are also at ARC.
Since opening in 2019, the Pride Center has faced trials and tribulations. Relocation, closure during the pandemic when it was still growing, a full turnover of organizers and staff, targeted acts of vandalism, such as people tearing down posters advertising the Pride Center and its events and groups from off campus coming to protest equality and safe spaces for students have all served as hurdles for the Pride Center to reach what it has today.
According to Geisser, it has been an uphill battle for big and little things the center needs, especially with the number of hats she’s been putting on in her role. Between community outreach with programs in downtown Sacramento, trying to connect and unite the Pride Centers across the Los Rios campuses and being on several committees and employee trainings that focus on safe spaces for ARC, it’s little wonder that Geisser finds her 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. days jam-packed. And then, of course, there’s the students.
“I prioritize my students first, they’re the reason I’m here,” Geisser said.
If there’s a need for someone to talk to, a place to feel safe while studying or working on homework or just hanging out, Geisser and her cluster of couches is the pillar supporting that need.
“I was homeless during most of the summer and Liz kept the door open,” said one student who asked to remain anonymous. “The Pride Center is a chill place to be, a good place to escape, and Liz makes it really welcoming.”
From the Pride Center only being open one day a week, to closing for the pandemic and then trying to make an online space that just wasn’t the same, Geisser says their biggest hurdle now is advertising and getting the word out since most people don’t know the Pride Center—or even the Unite Center that serves other minority communities where it’s housed—exists.
“It’s a hallmark of the Pride Center and the Unite Center, that students who don’t always fit what society considers normal have somewhere they don’t have to worry about external stressors,” said Corey Winfield, the Unite Center’s main clerk. “It’s priceless, having this space that shows the intersectional [spaces] of minorities and Liz has been holding that space down. She makes sure not only the students are taken care of, but the Classified workers too.”
The Pride Center often hosts events with speakers, art activities, dances, a special graduation for LGBT+ students and general safe spaces for students to hang out and socialize. A full calendar can be found on the ARC website for the Pride Center but getting the word out apart from that has been difficult according to Geisser.
However, her efforts haven’t been in vain for the students who benefit and for the campus’ impression of the space overall, as she noted more positive feelings towards the Pride Center this year.
“I would like to provide [students] what I wanted but didn’t have when I was in college. I want students to see someone who has some of the same characteristics as them, existing and successful,” Geisser said with deep emotion in her voice.
That is just one of the many goals she says she has for the future. Another is just spreading knowledge and awareness, especially to help educate those who are simply unaware of what might be considered harmful.
“One thing I’ve learned […] is more people are completely oblivious than are malicious, people just don’t realize what they’re saying or what they’re doing in most cases,” Geisser said. “More harm comes from people that have a good heart and have no intention of causing harm than from people who are actually trying to cause harm.”
There’s more than just learning from the community that others can do to help, she says. Another is just showing up with a set of empty hands and a willingness to listen. There’s a quickly growing community of LGBT+ students and still only one woman with an open door. As the Pride Center grows, so too will the need to learn, cooperate and blossom as a larger community.
“Always choose to be kind. If you do that, everything else will follow,” Geisser offers as advice at every commencement and convocation, which is the best advice she says she has to offer to anyone.
