Hi! I'm Ronny. Something's been bothering me for a while since I started school this year. My University doesn't have an LGTB club. In fact it doesn't support homosexuality at all even though it claims to be diverse and loving of all. It's a small private Catholic school (and I know you're probably thinking "hello red flags") but I was told before I enrolled in the school that it was a place of diversity (and it was the only place I could get a 4 year degree in my major that was close to home.) I kind of expected that in the back of my mind it actually wouldn't be diverse, but I don't like to always assume the worst. I was looking forward to all this diversity they spoke of and was sure there would be a place I could finally go to talk to people like me and everything and there is nothing, at least nothing positive. The idea to start one of my own is in the back of my mind, but there are two reasons why I am apprehensive about it. One is that I actually got a taste of how non accepting the school is. A friend of mine, who is also a lesbian but not totally out, wanted to arrange a documentary for a movie night about a hate crime against a transgender girl and the Catholics, the nuns, the priest all went nuts. They felt like my friend would be "promoting homosexuality." As one girl so helpfully explained to me "Catholics are accepting of it, they just believe the people should be celebate, like you can be gay but you can't act on it." So that's why they didn't want her to show the movie, they felt she would be going against that idea. So anyway, there were tons of arguments and finally my friend got to show the movie but it was monitored by two trusted "spies" for the Catholics. So anyway, seeing how much of an uproar there was over one movie (and it's still on-going) and learning how most of the school feels about homosexuality in general makes me not want to even bring it up. I haven't been out long and I'm not even out to all of my immediate family yet, so there's just some honest fear there. The second thing is, I'm a first year and just got through my first semester and so I just keep thinking all the stress of constantly fighting these people plus trying to make it through school with good grades would kill me (figuratively-hopefully.) At the same time with that first reason, I feel guilty because I know this isn't really right and I guess I'm feeling some kind of obligation to not act so closeted and do something for my community. (Honestly, I don't even feel comfortable calling it my community yet because I have never been exposed or a part of LGTB culture.) Like I feel like I'm being selfish or "acting straight" because I'm not putting myself out there and standing up for what I believe in. I don't know it's all just really strange and hard to get a handle on right now. I don't know what the point of this post orginally was. I just wanted to get that off my chest and get some feedback from people who might actually get what I'm saying. Thanks for taking the time to read this, sorry it's so long. :icon_bigg
My school went through something really similar. I go to a small private Christian university ran by the UCC, and my GSA president went through a really hard battle to get one established on campus four years ago. Some professors called him a terrorist and other things, but now the GSA is the biggest club on campus. If you really want to create one I think you should start a petition among the students and find some professors that would be willing to sponsor it, and then take that to the Dean or the board of advisers or however your school is run. You're going to have to cover all of your bases. You don't have to be a martyr for the cause or anything though. You don't even have to come out to be a part of the LGBT community. You could just pretend to be an ally until you're able to be yourself more openly, that's totally fine. Another thing to keep in mind though, because this is a private religious school, they're allowed to kick you out for any reason they want. You wouldn't be the first lesbian expelled from a catholic school because of her sexuality.
A terrorist? Jeez, that's so extreme. I'm glad it was successful at your school. Because it's always in the back of my mind, when I'm ready I might start the process of establishing a GSA at my school. It seriously needs one. So far even people who have claimed to be open minded, have said the most close minded things. I think that comes from just not being educated about certain stuff. You're right, I really don't want to be the first lesbian to be expelled. That would truly suck. For right now I'm just going to focus on school. But I'll make sure to be careful if/when I pursue the issue. Thanks
