In the mid-month of June, students of the Pride Center at De Anza College noticed a condom, which was provided as a free resource for safe sex, appeared to be intentionally damaged. After reviewing the basket of condoms available to the students, more condoms were found with similar punctures.

Jamie Pelusi, faculty coordinator of the Pride Center was made aware of the incident in the week of June 10.

The Pride Center opened in 2022 and has since provided a safe and inclusive space open to all students. In addition, it connects students in the LGBTQ+ community with support programs offered by the County of Santa Clara such as the Q Corner; and distributes gender affirming clothes and footwear, art supplies, food and personal hygiene resources such as toothpaste, shampoo and menstrual products.

“Our resources are geared towards LGBTQ+,” Pelusi said. “But we have resources and support for any student at De Anza.”

The contraceptive devices, along with menstrual products and Narcan are strategically placed behind the entrance of the Pride Center, but before entering the greater community space to ensure students have privacy when retrieving the resources.

Pelusi’s office door is usually open so she can oversee who enters the first doors of the Pride Center.

“Now I feel like I have to be a little more vigilant,” Pelusi said. “It’s difficult because I have my own work to do, or I’m in meetings about sensitive topics and have to shut the door.”

Pelusi does not plan on moving the stand of resources to the main Pride Center room and also decided not to report the incident to De Anza College.

“I can report it,” Pelusi said. “But it’s difficult if I don’t know who’s (destroying condoms).”

Rowan Schmieder-Frank, 19, biology major, was not surprised by the incident.

“People are weird about sex already,” Schmieder-Frank said. “And I think people are more weird about queer sex. I can’t figure out what the rationale behind tampering with free condoms is unless you’re trying to spread STDs or get people pregnant.”

Luciana Cotlear, 19, biology major, wasn’t aware the condoms had been tampered with but said a report should be made to De Anza College and the contraceptive devices should be moved inside the Pride Center community space.

“Prior to the incident there would be no reason to (move the resources),” Cotlear said. “People that use the Pride Center would know where it is, which is the main people that would be using them.”

Internal reports of this nature are reviewed by a group of faculty, but due to privacy concerns, they are not made public to the greater student body.

“I think covering (it in) La Voz is more powerful than me reporting it,” Pelusi said.