The United Methodist Campus Ministry at The University of North Carolina Asheville creates a safe space for students of all backgrounds to come together to talk, play and eat through the Asheville Wesley Foundation. It doesn’t matter if you’re a member of the Methodist church or not; they encourage anyone and everyone to join.
Due to recent events in politics, 90 percent of LGBTQ+ youth said their well-being was negatively impacted, according to the Trevor Project’s 2024 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People.
“College is a hard time, especially right now, especially for students who are in the LGBTQ+ community,” said Campus Minister Joanna Capps.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 81 percent of the total reported on-campus hate crimes were motivated by race, sexual orientation or religion in 2021. The majority of the hate crimes consisted of intimidation, vandalism and simple assault.
“My belief is, God made everyone exactly the way they are,” Capps said. “God made people queer and that is a beautiful thing.”
According to Capps, the Wesley meetings are available for anyone who may want or need extra support and the members do their best to take care of one another.
“Anyone who would like to be a part of our community is welcome,” she said.
The 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health found LGBTQ clubs on campus, faith and spirituality and having a safe place to express their gender and sexuality were reported as sources of joy for LGBTQ youth, according to The Trevor Project.
“Spaces like these are very helpful because I know some people in the LGBTQ community don’t feel like they have a safe place, even at home,” UNCA Wesley Co-President River Haynes said.
Haynes said whether someone is a part of the community or not, Wesley accepts everybody who comes to the meetings.
“I, myself, am not religious but I go to Bible study just to talk about why I’m not religious and to get a clearer view on why some people are religious or not,” they said.
According to the Human Rights Campaign, 23 percent of LGBTQ+ youth wished they were not part of the LGBTQ+ community and 34 percent feel depressed when they think about their identity.
“If you’re feeling lonely or you feel like you need a space to come to, Wesley is definitely one of the groups on campus that I would say to immediately come check out,” Haynes said.
UNCA student Isabel Bernal said she joined Wesley for many reasons, including trauma, dilemmas and personal reasons.
According to The Trevor Project’s 2024 survey, of the 84 percent of LGBTQ+ youth who wanted mental health support, 50 percent were not able to get it.
“This group of people has helped tremendously in getting me through this time here in school,” Bernal said.
Bernal joined Wesley, despite not being religious, to understand the path life was taking her and learn new things about church and religion in a group that supports the LGBTQ community.
“Sometimes I do question why I joined this group and this journey; it’s a scary feeling,” she said. “It’s different, it’s real.”
According to the Asheville Wesley Foundation, their purpose is to be a part of each student’s journey during college, as it is a unique opportunity for personal growth.
“We are all learning from our mistakes and habits in our very own ways,” Bernal said. “I am here to learn, love, and grow as the woman, gay person that I am.”
