Party hard on campus
It’s new and it’s queer. Out 2 Party is the University of Technology’s (UTS) only queer social group and its objective is to provide its patrons and friends with a queer-friendly environment on both the social and support front.
The group organises frequent social activities for members such as beach picnics, karaoke nights and regular clubbing events. There’s a big emphasis on fun, and membership is not restricted to queer-identifying people. In fact, if you’re under the age of 28, whatever your sexuality, you’re welcome. Queer is a state of mind, not a state of genitalia.
Out 2 Party president Daniel Belshaw is a part-time student at the UTS Gore Hill campus. We try to do a social event every fortnight or so, ranging from ice skating to movies, Belshaw said. The age limit for the group is 28 or younger. Because it’s fundamentally uni people, we want to keep it a community thing.
Social lifestyles, Out 2 Party believes, do not begin and end with Oxford Street. At Out 2 Party, yes, they do the gay scene club-wise, but they also try to do a lot more. It’s about discovering a university life of fun, fun, fun, with a queer-friendly approach, Daniel says. We’re a rather diverse bunch of boys and girls. Ranging from many different socio-economic and ethno-cultural backgrounds, we still have fundamental similarities. We’re all young, want to have fun and we’re all queer.
What’s more, thanks to university funding, the group is already spreading its wings. Shortly to be released is Sydney Survival Guide, a baby booklet chock-full of information designed to help young queers on the party scene. And if this booklet doesn’t answer people’s questions, Daniel says his door is always open.
Pretty much, we want to provide a space for people to meet others, to not be ashamed, he explains. We can be both a social and a support setting and whether you’re gay, bi, curious or just looking, you won’t get judged here.
Tomorrow night (Friday 19 April) Out 2 Party is holding a queer comedy film marathon. Members get two films plus a free barbecue dinner (vegetarian-friendly) -“ it’s $2 for non-members. The night kicks off at 6:30pm at the union theatrette with the second movie showing at the Glasshouse Bar at UTS on Broadway. In the near future, the group plans to have a harbour cruise, barbecue picnics and regular clubbing nights after meetings, which incidentally are held on the second Friday of each month at the Glasshouse Bar in the UTS Tower Building.
But there’s lots more on offer. For more information, go to www.out2party.cjb.net.
