Cleaner LGBTQ Lounge Opened to All

Columbia’s once nationally symbolic and controversial LGBTQ lounge is more accessible to the entire student body than ever before.

Columbia has the oldest LGBTQ student group in the world. In 1967, the Columbia gay student organization—known then as the Student Homophile League—was officially recognized by the University, despite administrative opposition. By the spring of 1972, the Gay People at Columbia—descended from the SHL—fought for and attained a lounge in the basement of Furnald Hall.

After the 1996 renovation of Furnald, the Stephen Donaldson Lounge, as it is known, served as a janitor’s closet. In 2004, the lounge was reclaimed by students of the Columbia Queer Alliance. Despite the effort, the lounge has been neglected for years.

Last year, for example, a couch was found infested with fruit flies after someone spilled a bottle of juice and didn’t clean it up. Rat droppings, too, were found scattered around the room. Maintenance neither cleans the room nor takes out the garbage—the responsibility of cleanup lies with student groups.

On Nov. 11, an event took place that marked the opening of the lounge to all students as well as the inception of the Stephen Donaldson Lounge Committee, which was created to maintain the upkeep and cleanliness of the room. The event, which included music and food, attracted over 30 attendees.

The lounge is currently open from Sunday to Wednesday, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.

“This year the lounge is getting more diverse use than it ever has,” said Ryan Kasdin, CC ’09 and president of Everyone Allied Against Homophobia.

“By next semester, there should actually be a lot of new stuff happening with all of the queer groups collectively,” Bryan Reid, CC ’10, said.