Jamie Stears discovered Kaleidoscope, the gender and sexual diversity organization at Stetson, before they even enrolled in the university.

Stears was 17 at the time and attended Hatter Saturday, the university’s big event each spring for accepted and committed students. There, they met the Kaleidoscope president and other members who were tabling. Stears “felt instantly connected.”

“I already knew Stetson was the place for me. I felt so safe here. It was the only school I applied to, but Kaleidoscope really sweetened the deal. I knew from the moment I saw Kaleidoscope, I wanted to be a part of it,” said Stears ’26, an English major and Studio Art minor.

They became the group’s social media manager and served as president during the Fall 2024 semester, striving to help other students feel safe, too.

The members planned a slate of events during October as part of LGBTQ+ History Month and annual pride events like National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11. But Hurricane Milton upended many of those plans, including canceling Stetson’s Coming Out Day event.

Still, the heightened awareness in October was welcomed, especially given the challenges of learning about LGBTQIA+ history. 

“It’s usually footnotes at most about who was queer, but that’s negligible,” said Poena Grow, a sophomore History major and the group’s treasurer. “So, I think it’s very important that we have a queer history month to document and better understand them.”

Through Kaleidoscope, the members find not only a sense of belonging and joy at Stetson, but also a sense of purpose as they work to strengthen the queer community.

“For me, it’s not just belonging. We amplify the voices of our members,” said Skye Boyd, a Political Science major who will graduate in December.

“It’s a very nice and unique thing just because we can all come together and be ourselves. We can uplift each other’s voices,” said Boyd, who served as the group’s community liaison this semester. 

Those connections lie at the heart of the group, added Ann-Marie Willacker, Kaleidoscope’s staff advisor and Coordinator of Community Impact for the Center for Community Engagement.

“I think Kaleidoscope provides students with a way to connect with people who experience the world in the same way that they do, a place where they can share the troubles that they have, but they can also share the joy that they have with people who see the world in a similar way,”  Willacker said.

Learn more and connect with Kaleidoscope on Instagram or Engage.

-Stetson Today