The Union Program Council’s Ideas and Issues Committee, SpectrumAlliance and Safe Space sponsored a forum Thursday night forUniversity faculty and students to discuss what it is like to be”out” on campus.
Brandon Smith, a political science senior and co-chair of theIdeas and Issues committee, said the forum is part of a week-longprogram to promote diversity, awareness and inclusiveness oncampus.
Students wrote questions on index cards for a panel of five.
To kick off the night, each panelist told the story of theircoming out.
Danielle Wheeler, a mass communication senior and co-director ofpublic relations for Student Government, said coming out is a longprocess.
“First, you have to come out to yourself,” Wheeler said.
She said she came out to herself when she was 14, and came outto everyone else a year and a half ago.
“I haven’t had any negative reactions from my friends,” Wheelersaid. “Coming out has been an overall great experience.”
Crawford Leavoy, a political science and political communicationsophomore and co-director of minority affairs for SG, said comingout has been both scary and amazing at the same time.
Leavoy said one day when he was in the car with his boyfriend,his cell phone in his pocket called his house.
“We had a 15 minute conversation about what it was like to begay and it all got recorded on my answering machine,” Leavoy said.”That’s how my step-mom found out I was gay.”
Becca Hebert, a photography junior and co-chair of Spectrum,identifies herself as bisexual.
Hebert said she decided to come out when she started dating agirl.
“I was tired of being afraid of what people would think,” Hebertsaid. “I didn’t want to have to hide our relationship anymore.”
Hebert said her brother found out she was gay when he saw herpicture in the newspaper because she testified against the same sexmarriage ban.
“It was a funny way for him to find out, but he was verysupportive,” Hebert said.
Jason Meier, assistant director of Union programming, said hecame out to his parents in 1997.
Meier said at first he had to explain to his parents quite oftenthat being gay is not a phase, but they now have accepted it.
Meier said no one at work knew he was gay when they first methim.
“The whole staff is very supportive,” Meier said. “They allow meto express myself.”
Meier said he was most afraid to tell one of his good friends incollege that he was gay, but when he finally told her, she wasthrilled.
“She got really excited and couldn’t wait to go shopping,” Meiersaid.
The panelists also discussed what they thought of the campuscommunity and diversity on campus.
Meier said the University is tolerant of the LGBT community, butthat is not enough.
“We should be celebrating, but I don’t see that happeninganytime soon,” Meier said.
Leavoy said the campus climate is two-fold. He said theUniversity’s Flagship Agenda calls for diversity, and it ishappening slowly but surely.
Leavoy said students are not becoming more diverse.
“We promote diversity, but not in the right way,” Leavoy said.”Why can’t we fill a room for 200 people on a campus of 30,000students?”
Leavoy said it is important for people to educate themselves sothey can avoid stereotypes, and to also do something about it.
Meier said it is very offensive when people refer to things as”gay.” They are associating the term with something negative, hesaid.
Hebert suggested straight supporters call out people when theyuse the term in a negative way.
“That makes it more powerful and it challenges theirassumptions,” she said.
The panelists got a little more serious when they were asked ifbeing gay is a choice.
“Who would choose to be ostracized?” Meier asked. “We choose tobe gay just like you choose to be heterosexual.”
Wheeler said being gay is not a preference.
“I may be a lesbian, but first and foremost, I’m Danielle,”Wheeler said. “I didn’t choose to be this way, it’s just how Iam.”
Leavoy agreed with Wheeler and said he did not choose to begay.
He said it is frustrating that the LGBT community can not walkaround holding hands with their boyfriends or girlfriends likeeveryone else without getting malicious looks.
“If we could choose, don’t you think we would choose the otherway?” Leavoy asked.
Hebert said in the end, a person’s sexual orientation does notmatter.
“This is who I am,” she said. “And that’s the end of it.”