Though a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender center is not finalized, discussion of such a center heated back up over the summer between students and administrators.
Disputes over the creation and funding of an LGBT center took place in December at a town-hall style meeting held by Student Government. A variety of opinions were on display and no headway toward the creation of the center was made.
Over the summer, students were upset over comments Deb Luckadoo, the Talley Student Center’s director of activities, made in Independent Weekly , about how it is hard for students to disengage from their backgrounds — such as that of Southern Baptists.
“It’s unfortunate that members of the administration are advocating in the name of tolerance, then making comments that seems like there’s not a tolerance for other groups,” James Hankins, a senior in political science, said.
Luckadoo contends though that it was not intolerance, it’s that the University cannot make decisions based on religious preferences.
“On a public campus, we have an obligation to help students become as successful as we possibly can,” she said. “To do that, you have to eliminate barriers. If there are religious views that oppose, that’s fine, but it can’t be a part of our decision making.”
Other students said they realize that a middle-ground may be hard to come by.
“It’s such a touchy subject that someone’s going to get offended,” David Foxx, student body treasurer and a senior in political science, said.
Hankins said there seemed to be intolerance on multiple fronts at December’s meeting.
“A lot of students who were at the meeting had concerns about the center and how it was going to be paid for,” Hankins said. “You have to show tolerance and acceptance of other people’s opinions — you can’t call them out on their views.”
Luckadoo was one of the administrators at the meeting in December, and said students came to her afterward expressing their support of the center.
“I felt like we answered every question posed to us,” Luckadoo said. “It did reveal that there is a polarization on the issue. People may have gotten the feeling that there were more opposed because those in favor didn’t speak up, they came up afterwards.”
Others contend that some school leaders were silenced though.
“At the meeting, administrators were pushing for the Center, but there were no dissenting voices from the administration, even though there may be some there,” Hankins said. “I don’t feel they were fairly represented.”
Nothing has been put in place yet for the center, as the school is still seeking funding, according to Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Tom Stafford. Some students though are asking for more discussion before anything is confirmed.
“The best thing to alleviate things is more dialogue,” Foxx said. “I don’t know why you wouldn’t have another town hall meeting, because you have to talk to students like they’re adults.”
According to Luckadoo, no one has invited her to another town-hall style meeting about the topic.
But the lack of meetings does not sit well with students such as Brittany Farrell, a senior in economics.
“From what the administration has told us and the press and what has been projected does not reflect that there has been an open and honest discussion about the issue,” Farrell said.
