Jae DosSantos is a junior from East Providence, Rhode Island, double majoring in Political Science and Gender and Women’s Studies. They have been working on an Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Workshop, they hope to turn this into a campaign, that focuses on queer relationships due to the lack of resources and information. They are also the president of the Sexuality and Gender Association (SAGA).
Jae’s passion project surrounding IPV in queer relationships started when they took Feminists in Action and had to create a hypothetical workshop, where they found out that IPV is more prevalent in LGBTQ relationships, and that very few people learn about queer IPV. The LGBTQ+ community is more vulnerable due to the lack of talk and information surrounding the subject. They have started researching the student population, as well as all potential resources among URI staff (the counseling center, health services, campus security, and faculty). They hope to inspire this topic to be talked about more on campus.
“I think I was born to be a GWS major. From a young age I have always been passionate about social issues, I was that annoying kid in class that challenged the teacher and always wanted to have debates. I have a defiant spirit and love critical thinking which made GWS just perfect for me. I think what’s most important is that GWS excites me.”
Jae is the President of SAGA, which is a student organization focused on being a safe space for LGBTQ+ students to learn about LGBTQ+ liberation, highlight queer activists who are not talked about enough, and empowering and supporting members of the club. Jae says, “…I think that SAGA is more important now than ever before. Queer students need to know that no matter how hard the media and government is trying to put us back in the closet, we can always count on our community to be there to uplift us and to be a shoulder to cry on when it’s all just too much.”
As for Jae’s education here at URI, the reason they chose GWS is because the subject matter is so crucial. They feel they were born to major in GWS, as they have a defiant spirit and are passionate when it comes to social justice. They are excited about the subject matter, and love critical thinking. They state that this world needs more people to teach and promote diversity, but also to point out discrepancies. Jae states that since they want to work in politics, it is important all their work is intersectional and helps liberate marginalized communities. As they put it, it “…leaves you daydreaming about the work that’s waiting for you on the other side of the graduation stage.” Their favorite GWS class has been Queer Studies with Dr. Priety Kumar, and Jae would recommend it to every student.