About TGG - Origins

Where Did We Come From - A Faerie Tale

Once upon a time, in a semester far, far, away, a lonely gay freshman wondered, "Where are all the boys at?" Well, perhaps that is overdoing it a bit...

In the spring of 2000 Mike Madecky was approached by a student wanting to know where to meet people. The answer, "let's invite people to come to a meeting." And through word of mouth, with the help of little blue informational cards, a meeting happened in March.

Just a few people showed up, but they had fun and shared some amazing stuff. Two hours later, they decided they would like to meet again, and they did. Again, only a few people, but the conversation was so compelling that it couldn't just die. Most of those original few left with the end of the school year, but a couple dedicated fellows stuck it out through the summer.

They brainstormed discussion ideas, decided on a mission for the group, and wrote a constitution so that the new group could become recognized in the fall. Once the name was decided on, there was only one thing left to do - make some more little blue cards!

As our membership grew and became more diverse, so, too did our mission at Wichita State, and our approach to it. By the fall of 2007, That Gay Group had expanded to the point that our executive board included student leaders focused on the group's social events, commitment to social justice, publicity planning, and--by the end of the semester--a pair of officers heading a queer diversity committee, tentatively named "Queer People of Color."

That Gay Group made its debut at Wichita State University nearly ten years ago, making us one of the longest-lived LGBTQ campus groups in the state! We look forward to the future with great anticipation, and hope that you'll be a part of it!