Students from universities across the South joined in frank discussions about ethics, safety, discrimination and empowerment in the queer community at the 10th annual Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning and Supporters conference at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette campus this weekend.
Against the backdrop of ULL’s moss-covered cypress trees and alligator swamp, the “Walk-a-Mile” conference featured keynote speaker Michael Dumed, openly-gay owner of the catering service A La Carte, the Miss U La La Drag Pageant, and workshops focusing on various aspects of queer advocacy and education.
LSU alumna and founding co-chair of Spectrum Alliance Christina LaFleur said the conference raised questions about ethics and morality within the community, including stereotypes of promiscuity and disease among gay men and the discrimination of state sodomy laws. LaFleur, who helped organize the conference at LSU in 2001, attended with her partner, Crystal Guillory.
The purpose of the conference was education, friendship and fun, said Mike Elmore, a conference organizer and assistant adviser for ULL’s Pride Society. About 40 students attended the conference.
The conference organizers reached out to LSU students and Spectrum Alliance members. They traveled to the University campus earlier in the spring to pass out registration forms and encourage attendance.
The “Walk-a-Mile” title encourages heterosexuals to walk a mile in a non-heterosexual’s shoes before judging or discriminating against them, Elmore said. This weekend marked the third time ULL students hosted the conference.
Although the turnout disappointed the organizers, they proclaimed it a success.
Keith Dorwick, a ULL English professor, said the conference allowed students and community members to discuss issues important to their identities.
“It’s difficult to be queer in our culture,” Dorwick said. “This is an opportunity for people to more or less be safe.”
Dorwick, who led the ethics workshop, said his talks focused on how members of the queer community should behave.
“How do we behave well? How do we treat one another well?” Dorwick asked. “That’s the question of ethics.”
Representatives from Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays conducted workshops as well.
Courtney Sharp, board member of the New Orleans PFLAG chapter, said their mission is to support education and advocacy for queer students by attending conferences and panel discussions.
Sharp led the workshop titled “Gender Identity” which focused on vocabulary and definitions of transgendered people. The workshop highlighted differences between cross-dressers, transsexuals and what Sharp called “people’s attempts to reconcile identity with their bodies.”
Kerry Henry, a former student at ULL and member of the Christian organization Chi Alpha, said the conference organizers’ intention was to educate people and try to clear misconceptions.
“The whole point of the conference is not to bombard the campus with gay people,” Henry said. “It’s like a religion; you can’t condemn it without knowing anything about it.”
Henry said he hoped heterosexuals who attended the conference learned enough to make their own decisions.
“People think gay-ism is a cult,” Henry said. “But it’s a way of living.”