The LGBTQ community at USC has grown rapidly in recent years, and even after Columbia's Pride celebrations conclude, many students and organizations will remain involved.
One such student is fourth-year history student Miles Joyner. Joyner is the logistics director for IRIS and works with other organizations like the Harriet Hancock Center to help support LGBTQ students.
IRIS is one of USC's largest advocate groups for the LGBTQ community. In addition to its involvement in Famously Hot Pride, many of its members continue to advocate for their community.
“On campus we’re very much a support organization, so LGBTQ+ students and their allies can come to us and be in an environment where they are welcome to be themselves,” Joyner said.
This year, IRIS is focused on inviting more people of color, asexual individuals and transgender individuals in an attempt to create a more intersectional community. Along with this, they have recently pushed for more inclusive resources to the LGBTQ community as a way to create more representation and foster an environment of inclusion and acceptance.
"One thing IRIS has tried to do this year is reach out to a lot of outside non-profits in South Carolina," Joyner said. "Jared Neeley and I are working with Scott Vassa to help organize resources and to help mainly create resources for LGTBQ+ people that have experienced sexual and domestic violence and sexual assault."
Another student who has become heavily involved in LGBTQ advocacy is second-year computer science student Frances Dickson-Vandervelde. They are one of the executives of Trans Student Alliance, a group which primarily focuses on advocating for transgender rights at USC.
"We function as a sort of community of trans students," Dickson-Vandervelde said. "Our actual primary function is to serve as an activist group to help protect the rights of transgender people in South Carolina and Columbia."
As a new student organization, TSA has been heavily focused on organizing and participating in protests. One such protest was after the passing of the HB2 bathroom bill in North Carolina, an ultimately successful attempt to convince South Carolina not to pass a similar bill.
And TSA often works hand in hand with IRIS. They have a liaison for co-organizational activities as well as cross-advocacy between the two groups in an attempt to raise membership. As well as helping IRIS reach their goal of creating an intersectional community, the collaboration has helped bolster the community over the course of the TSA's short time as a club.