About 175 people crowded inside the McKernan Auditorium in the Paul M. Hebert Law Center on Wednesday night to speak about the prevention of anti-LGBTQ — Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer — bullying and suicide.
Elaine M. Maccio, the event moderator and assistant professor at the School of Social Work, facilitated questions for the panelists in the first hour.
The second hour was a brainstorming session among panelist and audience members on “how to address the problem of bullying, anti-gay or otherwise, on grade school and college campuses,” Maccio said.
The meeting opened with the names of the student suicides announced by Katrice Albert, a panelist participating in the discussion.
This meeting is a direct response to the recent suicides of gay teens.
Many organizations believe now is the time to act on anti-LBGTQ bullying while the media is concentrating on the issue, said Kat Barry, Spectrum president.
“The number of LGBTQ-related suicides this year is consistent with past years. Unfortunately, these are the usual numbers,” said Bruce Parker, Safe Space Campaign coordinator.
The panelists answering the audience’s questions included Katrice Albert, Vice Provost for Equality, Diversity and Community Outreach; Jennifer Curry, assistant professor of the School of Counseling; Tyler Mallet, high school social studies teacher; Roland Mitchell, assistant professor of Higher Education Administration; and Wesley Ware, founder and coordinator of BreakOUT!.
Questions spanned from how grammar school teachers should deal with bullying to budget cut effects on LGBTQ groups and alliances on campus.
Many students seemed concerned about how administration will deal with bullying and the safety of the LGBTQ students from elementary school through college.
Anti-LGBTQ bullying has come to the national forefront. Schools are realizing something needs to be done about bullying, Maccio said.
“It’s safe to say this is happening at LSU as well,” Maccio said. “Before we become tomorrow’s front page, let’s address this and try to prevent bullying and suicide now.”
The town hall meeting was built on the efforts of an Oct. 7 event hosted by Spectrum and Safe Space Campaign, Barry said.
The room in the African-American Cultural Center was full, and it became “very moving when the room was opened up for discussion,” Barry said.
Students shared their personal experiences, and the room was full of energy, Parker said.
“So many people felt so passionately about this issue we had to continue to address this problem in the town hall meeting,” Barry said.
Curry said she is encouraged by the number of organizations participating in the meeting.
“There are so many organizations in Baton Rouge now that support LGBTQ rights. It highlights how many people are invested in working against this problem,” Curry said.
The event was sponsored by Capital City Alliance, the LSU Office of Multicultural Affairs, Safe Space Campaign, Spectrum, LSU OUTlaw, LSU School of Social Work, LSU Women’s and Gender Studies and LSU Women’s Center, Parker said.
 
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Contact Kate Mabry at [email protected]