By Liv Barry
Outgoing Editor-in-Chief
Cheese boards, crafts, and feminist literature — the indicators of an idyllic afternoon in the sun were all present at the Encouraging Respect of All Sexualities’ Lesbian Visibility Day picnic, hosted on Friday, April 26 from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. on the Kent Green.
A lesbian pride flag greeted guests who entered the picnic from the western side of campus, waving hello to lesbians, bisexuals, and allies alike for a first-of-its-kind event for EROS.
The main draw of the evening was its food. In the middle of the Green, the club set up two tables laden with charcuterie — including salami, brie, mozzarella, and bite-sized pickles — for students to snack on. Additionally, EROS provided small wooden serving platters as plates which students could take home as souvenirs from the event.
EROS also laid out an array of picnic blankets, each stocked with non-fiction and poetry books by female authors and craft materials, like paint markers and garden pots, for attendees to explore once they were done with their food.
To soundtrack the event, the club’s executive board chose a playlist of songs by lesbian and bisexual artists, including Chappell Roan, MUNA, and Clairo.
Sophomores Bryson Ostrum and McKenna Smith said that they came out to the event to spend time with their friends and to “soak up the sun” of the warm afternoon.
“If EROS was doing it, we knew it was gonna be a fantastic turnout,” Smith said.
Sophomore EROS treasurer Mel Tuerk agreed with Smith, noting that the turnout was exciting for the club.
“As a very visible lesbian, I just think that it’s important to celebrate lesbianism in particular because it is such a unique facet of the LGBTQ community,” Tuerk said. “I feel like especially recently, there’s been a lot more love and support surrounding the lesbian community, and I wanted to use this as an opportunity to really celebrate lesbians on the Washington College campus.”
Senior EROS secretary Morgan Carlson said that the event was inspired by the “cottagecore” TikTok trend, which, according to Autostraddle, grew popular within LGBTQ+ sub-communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The movement encapsulates the “escape” of countryside living — cozy clothing, long afternoons spent in the sun, and most critically, according to the New York Times, a space in which women take the forefront by crafting their own goods and creating their own food.
“I wanted to have a Lesbian Day picnic because it always felt [the] cottagecore aesthetic, which feels near and dear to my sapphic heart,” Carlson said. “I just felt like it would be a great way to unify everyone…everyone loves food and friends.”
The event was the last of the year for EROS, who previously held a “Paint the Rainbow” craft night, “Ga(y)me” night, Valentine’s Day craft night, and queer mixer this semester.
Because the picnic was held on the heels of the organization’s executive board elections, the club also took the time to honor its incoming officers with an official announcement of the new board. The incumbent president, sophomore Lili Elgayar, will continue to hold the position; Tuerk will take the mantle as vice president; sophomore Teddy Nies will take Tuerk’s former spot as treasurer; junior Caroline Drupka will serve as secretary; sophomore Faith Poulton will be the new social media chair; and Carlson will act as the club’s senior advisor.
As they transition into the next year, EROS will continue to strive to cultivate fun, safe spaces for LGBTQ+ students and allies on campus.
Photo by Liv Barry
Photo Caption: The lesbian picnic event, held in honor of Lesbian Visibility Day, included free food, books, and music from queer artists.