LGBT students split on campus experiences

On Sept. 14 the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network released their analytical report on 10 years of research in regards to harassment in schools. This research stretched from 1999 to 2009, with a survey done each year to record how the lives of students in schools were changing. According to their 2009 survey, 84.6 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students reported being verbally harassed in school because of their sexual orientation.

Also included in the survey, 72.4 percent of students said they were subjected to hearing homophobic remarks, such as faggot or dyke, frequently or often at school.

“It’s important to know that this statistic affects all students, not just LGBT students,” Co-Vice President of Pride Alliance Grace Nichols said. “Three-fourths of all students. . . are getting the message that this type of language is okay, and a message like that can have a much larger impact on our campus. It creates an environment that is not helping us progress as a society or a college as a whole.”

One of the biggest problems LGBT students can face at GCSU is being denied acceptance to certain groups based on their sexual orientation.

“I’ve been denied membership to organizations because I’m gay,” junior rhetoric major Jay Parker said. “The Wesley Foundation, for example. Even though I’m a religious person who shares the same beliefs that they do, I can do nothing more than attend their meetings. They don’t allow openly gay people to serve or hold office in their organization.”

Director of the Wesley Foundation Matt Martin sheds some light on the issue.

“When it comes to choosing leadership, we can’t choose someone who is openly gay because it goes against the teachings of the United Methodist Church,” Martin said.

There are definitely two sides to the story when it comes to LGBT students here at GCSU.

One side feels that they have been harassed at some point in their college careers, while others have trouble finding fault with staff or students.

“I haven’t been at GCSU very long (because I transferred in), but I haven’t encountered any discrimination,” said junior political science major Michael Wedincamp. “The students and faculty here seem to be fairly amenable.”

Jay Fickle, a sophomore mass communication major, had a similar outlook.

“There was one time where a girl said something about me being gay while she was intoxicated, but it was a situation where we had just began to get argumentative,” Fickle said. “Overall, I feel like everyone on campus is very accepting, which is great considering the fact that we go to a small Southern school in a very small, historic Southern city.”

Overall, the GLSEN results do not seem to be as prevalent at GCSU. Many LGBT students have had a positive experience at GCSU.

“However,” Nichols said, “it’s still up to us as students to ensure the fact that these positive experiences continue, and that the negative experiences continue to decline.”

To learn more about how you can support the LGBT community at GCSU, Pride (People Respecting Individual’s Diversity and Equality) meetings are held every Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Maxwell Student Union Lounge Room.

Posted by ConnorJohnson on Oct 1 2010. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.