The Queer Community Building Circle held a meeting involving a guest speaker in room 139 at the Reed Library on Oct. 2, 2026, at 12:30-2 p.m.

They had a guest speaker from Alternative Horizon, Liza Williams, come in to talk about her organization, what she does in town and how she helps to bridge the gap between what happens on campus and what happens out in Durango, Leah Dworkin, the co-leader of the Queer Community Building Circle, said.  

Alternative Horizons is a domestic violence organization located in Durango, Liza Williams, the volunteer services advocate for Alternative Horizons, said. 

Alternative Horizons services La Plata County, San Juan County and Silverton, she said.

“All of our services are free, confidential, and voluntary,” Williams said.

She wanted to make it a priority to let the LGBTQ+ community on campus know that Alternative  Horizons is safe for them, supports them, and cares about what happens to them, Williams said.

“We provide therapeutic services, support groups, civil legal assistance, advocacy, safety planning, access to the Address Confidentiality Program, and court accompaniment,” Williams  said.  

Today’s meeting also involved questions about how students, faculty, and staff are impacted by certain groups on campus and how they can use what’s in their control to make change, Dworkin  said.  

Having a space like this that blends casualness with some intentionality helps students feel like they can come and show up in whatever ways they need to, Dworkin said. 

Events like this give LGBTQ+ people a place where they can meet other queer people and feel human and valid, Aurora , a Fort Lewis College student, said.  

It’s nice to have the choice to go to an event that is low-stakes with food, where students can just hang out and talk, Finn Provost, a Fort Lewis College Student, said.

Queer Community Building Circle in their weekly meeting.