A decade ago, on any given Friday at Goshen College, students, staff and faculty could be seen across campus wearing the same dark purple cotton T-shirt. The front carried a question in canary yellow Times New Roman font: “Where is my LGBTQ prof?” The five words hinted at a much larger policy discussion happening in GC Board of Directors meetings. Until 2015, a section of the GC Community Standards documents stated, “The Mennonite Church USA Confessions of Faith places intercourse within the convent of marriage between a woman and man, and therefore employees are expected to follow this understanding.” Simultaneously,...

By Eliza Alemán • October 9, 2025 • Features

The Goshen College Advocates’ fourth annual drag show took place in the Umble Center last Saturday. All students were welcomed by the Advocates affinity group to attend the free event and enjoy the performances. Four drag queens, Lily J. Extravaganza, Cherice Alexandria Samore, AfroDytee and Natosha Salad collaborated with Advocates to perform.  Cherice Alexandria Samore Sarah Miller, a senior music education major, has been attending since the first drag show and said, “It’s been fun to see it each year.” Miller described the performances as “stunning” and said that “Everyone did such an amazing job.” She also appreciated that events...

By Caoimhe Farrell • February 13, 2025 • Arts

   Earlier this year, music from Beyoncé to Lady Gaga filled the Umble Center for the annual drag show. Behind the music and glamor was a group working to make it happen. Advocates is an on-campus club that strives to create a safe community for LGBTQ+ individuals through events, advocacy work and education.  Leaders this year include Karen Guerrero, a senior social work major, Lydia Esh, a junior social work major, Drew Smoker, a senior engineering physics major and Aiden Schloneger, a senior environmental science major.  In 2022, Schloneger became president but recently passed the role onto Peace Muhagachi, a junior...

By Jakyra Green • March 21, 2024 • Features

Goshen College will be hosting its third annual drag show on Saturday, Feb. 3 in Umble Center. The event will be hosted by Advocates, GC’s LGBTQ+ proponent group, along with support from other affinity groups. Traditionally, the show includes spirited performances by local drag queens alongside students who volunteer to perform. The show is still in need of more student performers. To sign up, students can fill out the Google Form linked in the Jan. 19 Communicator, or send an email to advocates@goshen.edu. There will be a drag workshop before the show for those who are interested but inexperienced.   Leaders...

By Phil Witmer-Rich • January 25, 2024 • News

Advocates hosted a vigil at Schrock Plaza on Sunday, Nov. 20, in observance of the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance. Advocates is a Goshen College club whose mission is to educate and promote communication between LGBTQ and straight students, faculty and communities on campus. At the vigil, names of trans people murdered this year were read following a moment of silence. There was also a discussion on the importance of the day of remembrance. A prayer concluded the event.  Advocates leader, Aiden Schloneger, a junior environmental science major, expressed his disappointment at the lack of attendance: “We did not get...

By Mariela Esparza • December 1, 2022 • News