EACH JUNE, RAINBOW colors become a familiar sight as Pride Month celebrates the stories and identities of the LGBTQIA+ community. Yet once the celebrations come to a close, belonging continues to take shape in quieter ways. It grows through familiar conversations after meetings, friendships formed over shared responsibilities, and communities where students are welcomed as they are.

For many LGBTQIA+ Bedans, that sense of belonging is found within the student organizations they choose to become part of. Rooted in the Benedictine values of community, respect, and hospitality, student organizations show that inclusion extends beyond Pride Month. It is practiced through the everyday experiences that make students feel they belong.     

Finding a place to call home

For John Gerald Samonte, the External Vice President (EVP) of San Beda Economics Society (SBES), joining student organizations marked the beginning of finding a community he felt understood during college. Organizations are spaces where he found what he described as “genuine connections and a sense of belonging.”

Samonte recalled that being part of SBES allowed him to become more comfortable embracing his identity. He described the organization as a community where members are encouraged to be themselves, regardless of their backgrounds or experiences. “You feel seen, valued, and accepted, which is something that has made my experience in SBES truly meaningful.”

That sense of belonging resonated with Samantha Pascual, the second-year level representative from the Psychology Society of San Beda University (PSSBU), who believes organizations become meaningful when students know they have a space where they can freely express themselves. “Our main goal is to have a community where anyone can express what they truly want to be,” to have an environment where individuals feel accepted, valued, and empowered to embrace their identities.

Support that continues beyond pride

For Enzo Ochoa, the outgoing president of the Bedan Business Spectrum (BBS), creating an inclusive organization begins with cultivating a community where students know they have people they can rely on throughout the year. “I think it’s very important to have a support system in the University, especially in a Catholic university so that everyone feels supported and safe in the community.” he expresses.

For him, leadership also means putting advocacy into practice through the way members interact with one another. “It’s really making projects, but more than that, it’s embodying the advocacy,” this belief became personal after publicly coming out during Pride Month of this year. Among the first people who reached out to him were fellow BBS members, affirming the support he had already found within the organization.

Entering unfamiliar grounds and searching for somewhere to feel the sense of belonging can be terrifying for many, Samantha hopes that students who are still searching for where they are accepted can encounter that same sense of community within organizations. “I know that everyone will have a place in the Bedan community because everything will always fall into place.” she said in full trust.

Comfort found in quiet acceptance

For Rave Salonga, belonging did not arrive through one defining moment. Joining the PSSBU as a freshman meant entering an unfamiliar environment while still navigating his own identity. At the time, Rave described himself as someone who was not yet comfortable openly expressing his gender. 

Through the organization’s welcoming environment, slowly, a new perspective was found and the confidence of being open about who Rave is arose. 

“Accepted naman nila ako since they are very welcoming and they also guided me the entire year,” Salonga shared. For him, acceptance was not defined by a single grand gesture. Instead, it came through the consistent actions of people who included him, respected his identity, and made him feel that he belonged.

Even moments outside official organizational responsibilities, such as being invited and included as a freshman, became reminders that he was valued as part of the community. Having experienced the impact of being welcomed, Salonga believes that creating spaces where students can openly share their stories can also help others who are still learning to embrace themselves.

Building community through everyday belonging

For one anonymous member of the BBS, acceptance was not built through a single initiative or formal celebration. Instead, it was found through everyday interactions that made inclusivity feel natural. 

Surrounded by individuals from different backgrounds, schools, and degree programs, the student found a space where differences were valued and where members were united by a shared purpose in BBS where authenticity was met with acceptance rather than judgement. “They didn’t treat my identity as a taboo topic or something to tiptoe around,” the student shared. 

Over time, these connections grew beyond organizational responsibilities. Friendships developed into mentorships, and fellow members became a support system that provided guidance, encouragement, and a sense of family. “LGBTQIA+ students don’t need a single, designated month to feel seen; they need an environment that supports them every single day,” the student reflected.

Though their journeys differ, these Bedans arrived at the same realization: belonging is built through everyday acts of inclusion, acceptance, and genuine community. Beyond Pride Month, their stories reflect how student organizations continue to cultivate respect, hospitality, and understanding throughout the year. 

By bringing these stories to light, the role of student organizations in cultivating spaces where every Bedan can grow, connect, and belong becomes more apparent, building an environment that goes beyond the colors of a rainbow.