Rainbow Lounge Opens Doors to Welcome Students

Students, faculty, and staff members celebrated the grand opening of the Rainbow Lounge at UTA Central Library Friday, Feb. 10. The lounge was created through a collaboration between UTA Libraries and the LGBTQ+ Program. 

Josh Mackrill, UTA’s LGBTQ+ Program Coordinator, stated the lounge provides a place for LBGTQ+ students and ally students to support one another while building community. 

“I think that one of the biggest things that we have seen after COVID is that our students want to find community, and they need to find community,” Josh said. “It is cool that we have this kind of relationship on the third floor, with the Safe Space Lounge right next door, creating optimal space for inclusion.” 

The lounge provides space for students to study and is home to the libraries LBGTQ+ book collection along with resources that students can access. In the future, the lounge will be home to student-created art that will decorate the walls. 

During the week, the lounge will host several support groups for LGBTQ+ students. One of these groups is Prism: LGBTQ+ Community Conversations. This group will meet from 1-2 p.m. every Monday to discuss all topics related to the community. 

Another support group is the Queer and Trans People of Color, which meets from Noon to 1 p.m. each Tuesday. This support group will share issues, challenges and success stories. To help students and to be a listening ear, Josh will be holding office hours in the space from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. every Thursday. 

“We are excited to have this partnership with the library and work to create inclusive spaces because we know -how much the library is a resource of knowledge,” Josh said. 

Jessica Sanchez, Director of Student Advocacy Services, shared Josh’s feelings about the space and what it means for the UTA community. She noted that the lounge is proof that when “offices come together and build partnerships,” it not only creates more space for students but creates a stronger community.  

For more information about the Rainbow Lounge or the services provided by UTA’s LGBTQ+ Program, people can email Josh at joshua.mackrill@uta.edu. The Rainbow Lounge is located on the third floor in room 318 at the UTA Central Library.