With only seven members in the fall semester of the 2011/12 school year, and even fewer in the spring semester, the future of Mills’ LGBTQ* club Mouthing Off! was looking bleak. But with an insurgence of new first-year members, lots of advertising, and enthusiastic new leaders, Mouthing Off! has become one of the better-known clubs on campus this year.
Sophomore and Campanil staff member Natalie Meier and first-year Skylar Crownover, the president and vice president respectively of Mouthing Off!, have brought new life to the club. There now are 40 active members, and, because of all the new members, annual traditions like the Drag Dance in the fall and the Fetish Ball in the spring were once again the buzz on campus.
“There was simply no one to put on the Fetish Ball last year,” Meier said. “This year, we prepared months in advance for it, and it was a huge success. We had about 150 people show up and two rope bondage performers, both of whom performed for about 45 minutes.”
As for next year, Mouthing Off! plans to host the Drag Dance and Fetish Ball again. Meier also expressed hopes to work with other clubs on campus, such as the Black Women’s Collective (BWC), to host collaborative events with them.
Mouthing Off! has also hosted guest speakers such as bisexual educator Robyn Ochs and porn star Jiz Lee. They are planning on hosting more LGBTQ* speakers and performers next year.
Mouthing Off! started around 2001 and will continue next year.
“It’s pretty awesome and I’m really proud to be part of an organization that students care about,” Meier said.
Mouthing Off! meets on Thursdays at 7pm in the Bender room in Carnegie Hall. They welcome students who are LGBTQ* identified, straight allies, or none of the above to come together and facilitate dialogue and action around the LGBTQ* community. (taken from Mouthing Off’s! mission statement)
For more information, check Mouthing Off!’s Facebook page: facebook.com/pages/Mouthing-Off
