In February, Student Government amended the equal opportunity nondiscrimination clause to include gender identity and expression. Although the bill did not pass unanimously, the clause’s success shows LSU is becoming a friendly environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning students.
A study released last month suggests gay and lesbian professors fight an uphill battle, facing discrimination on college campuses.
The Journal of Applied Social Psychology presented 545 undergraduate students at the University of Houston-Downtown with syllabi for a course on human sexuality.
Syllabi described the same topics and included biographies for hypothetical professors, hinting at sexual orientation and political views.
The study concluded students incorrectly view gay and lesbian professors as politically biased — seeing gay men as extremely conservative and lesbian women as liberal.
The study did not conclude gay or lesbian professors were viewed as more or less competent than others.
Elaine Maccio, assistant professor of social work, said she has never been openly discriminated against.
“Discrimination isn’t always obvious,” she said. “There are students that are not taking my class because I am gay, but I will never know about that. Discrimination normally occurs as a way to oppress, but students aren’t in the position to do that with faculty and staff members.”
Maccio noted the difference between discrimination and prejudice.
“There are absolutely prejudices on campus,” she said. “Discrimination is an act, while prejudice is a belief.”
Ferrari Howell agreed there are prejudices toward professors.
“Anybody, whether they are gay, transgender or lesbian, faces discrimination,” said the political communication sophomore. “It’s not verbalized as much because your grade depends on [discretion] when it is your professor. But secretly students do talk about it.”
Sam Wheelock, sports administration senior, expressed a similar sentiment.
“Most students would discriminate against gay, lesbian or transgender professors just because of stereotype, but in the end they are your professor. They would be teaching you in the same way any other professor would,” he said.
Matthew Patterson, a member of the LSU LGBTQ club Spectrum, said there have been many incidents on campus sparked by people’s sexual orientations or gender identities.
“Female staff members have been told to wear skirts instead of pants to look more feminine,” said the physics graduate student. “Professors have referred to transgender students as ‘it.'”
He said LSU fosters a negative, discriminatory environment.
“LSU is a large, Southern university. It is not as tight knit of a community as where I attended undergraduate school,” he said. “LGBTQ groups just don’t get as much support.”
Spectrum and Patterson have advocated for Louisiana House Bill 112 for this reason.
According to Patterson, Louisiana already has a state law to stop bullying. But the current law does not address harrassment on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression in primary and high schools.
East Baton Rouge Parish, along with five other parishes, does not have a law protecting against any form of bullying.
HB 112 was initially written with a section that outlawed bullying of LGBTQ students. It was amended to outlaw bullying of any kind. The bill did not pass.
“Conservative political groups do not want to recognize gay, lesbian, transgender or bisexual groups even exist,” Patterson said. “They will take away rights of others to make sure that happens. That’s just how it works here.”
 
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Contact Laura Furr at [email protected]