Sacred documents have been a fixture of American inaugurations, big and small, for generations. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley was sworn in with her hand on the Bible, Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota on the Qur’an, and Rep. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona on the U.S. Constitution.
So it was only appropriate that when Jared Neeley was sworn in as president of Individuals Respecting Identities and Sexualities he did so with his hand on a copy of Lady Gaga’s "Joanne."
Five new IRIS board members took the oath of office with the bisexual pop star’s latest album Tuesday night at the Russell House Theater. The social advocacy organization converged for the ceremony as its final meeting of the fall semester.
The group came into being as the Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Straight Alliance at USC in 1983. Since then, members have sought to maintain awareness and open discussion of social issues facing the LGBTQ community among USC students and faculty alike.
Outgoing president Kaitlin McClamrock holds the utmost faith in IRIS’ new administration. She said the first big test for Neeley is Birdcage, USC’s annual drag show that is scheduled for this April. McClamrock said she believes Neeley can put together “an amazing show,” and that the board will bring fresh ideas and opinions to the table in the new year.
Before the swearing-in of new officials at Tuesday’s ceremony, McClamrock handed out a number of superlative awards to organization members. Neeley, a transfer student from Greenville Technical College, took home the Outstanding New Member award.
A third-year psychology student, Neeley said he hopes to reach more LGBTQ people of color at USC in his term as president of IRIS. Cultural factors among the black community, he said, discourage LGBTQ individuals from being open about their sexual identity.
When asked if he thought the LGBTQ community receives proper treatment in socially conservative South Carolina, Neeley said it doesn’t. But then he hardly sees the Palmetto State as an outlier.
“I don’t think it’s properly treated anywhere,” Neeley said. “As long as we stay together as a community and work with our allies, we can work to be treated better.”
Miles Joyner, a third-year history student, took home IRIS’s Community Impact Award. A transfer student from Midlands Technical College, Joyner was sworn in as logistics director for 2017.
In recent years, Joyner has worked with advocacy nonprofit BiNet USA and Biscuit, an online magazine for bisexual women based in the United Kingdom. With IRIS, they hope to establish a group for students who identify as bisexual or non-binary.
“Anything that is under the multi-attracted umbrella, I want them to have their own space,” Joyner said.
The night also featured IRIS’s Lavender Graduation, in which organization members in their final year of education were recognized. Alex George was among them.
George, a fourth-year environmental science student, began attending BGLSA meetings as a freshman, hoping to find friends at his new school. He was not disappointed.
“This represents all the friendships I’ve made and the support,” George said, referencing the lavender graduation cord dangling from his shoulders. “I came into my own in this community, so it’s really important to me.”