Spectrum, the University’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning student organization, has held several events throughout the school year promoting equal opportunity for all faculty and students as well as the members of the surrounding community.
Spectrum is currently collaborating with Capital City Alliance, Louisiana Trans Advocates and several other groups to encourage the passing of House Bill 112, the safe schools bill.
According to Kat Barry, Spectrum president and English senior, the bill would “explicitly establish that ‘race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, physical characteristic, political persuasion, mental disability, or physical disability’ are unacceptable as motivation for student-on-student bullying in Louisiana public schools.”
Spectrum’s support of the bill, which hopes to include the addition of gender identity and gender expression, conveys the organization’s continued commitment to anti-LGBTQ bullying awareness.
Spectrum also hosted the Louisiana Academic Queer Conference on April 9 with the support of the Office of Multicultural Affairs LGBTQ Project and the College of Education Department of Higher Education Administration.
More than 100 students from LSU and other state universities assembled for “educational workshops on topics ranging from coming out to transgender inclusion,” Barry said.
Spectrum, alongside other local organizations, participated April 13 in the annual “Day of Silence,” which was sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network.
Students took vows of silence that day to raise awareness about anti-LGBTQ bullying and harassment in schools.
“The experience shows you how valuable your voice really is,” Barry told The Daily Reveille on April 13. “It makes you realize you are obligated to use that voice every other day of the year.”
On Feb. 23, Student Government passed the equal opportunity nondiscrimination clause to include gender identity and gender expression, and although the bill did not pass unanimously like many thought it would, the passing of the clause signifies the University’s progress toward becoming a more LGBTQ-friendly environment.
“We all dress and act in ways that are perceived as gendered, even if we make the conscious choice to be as ambiguous as possible,” Matthew Patterson, physics graduate student and member of the political activism committee, said to The Daily Reveille on Feb. 22. “Adding protection to gender identity and expression is good for everyone, whether they’ve ever had to worry about this or not.”
On Nov. 18, 2010, Spectrum, the LSU Safe Space Campaign and the Metropolitan Community Church organized a Transgender Remembrance Day where community members gathered to remember the transgender lives lost because of transphobic violence.
“It’s so hard. All these folks died just because of who they are,” said Bruce Parker, a Safe Space coordinator in the Office of Multicultural Affairs and a faculty adviser to Spectrum. “Transgender people are here at LSU, and they need resources.”
According to Parker, the University has at least 16 transgender students, but he said he believes there are more.
On Nov. 10, about 175 people crowded inside the McKernan Auditorium in the Paul M. Hebert Law Center for a town hall meeting, which was a direct response to the recent suicides of the LGBTQ teens across the country, to speak about the prevention of anti-LGBTQ bullying and suicide.
“The number of LGBTQ-related suicides this year is consistent with past years. Unfortunately, these are the usual numbers,” Parker said.
Anti-LGBTQ bullying has come to the national forefront, and schools are realizing something needs to be done about bullying, said Elaine Maccio, the event moderator and assistant professor at the School of Social Work.
“It’s safe to say this is happening at LSU as well,” Maccio said to The Daily Reveille on Nov. 10. “Before we become tomorrow’s front page, let’s address this and try to prevent bullying and suicide now.”