The West Campus Diversity Committee held a forum Tuesday night in the Bragaw Activity Room to discuss questions concerning the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.

Laura Bauerband, a senior in business management, Madeline Goss, a transgender senior in computer science, and Bryan Mathis, a junior in business management were the three scholars of the GLBT community featured in the forum’s panel.

The trio answered questions from the audience concerning their personal lives and the GLBT community. The questions included inquiries about their religious beliefs, their parents’ reaction to their sexual preferences, what it was like growing up “different,” how they have reacted to hatred and if Raleigh and N.C. State is a comfortable environment for them.

All three agreed that the University is less than open to the idea of having GLBT people on campus.

“In my classes, I never bring [my sexual orientation] up unless someone else brings it up,” Bauerband, who is a lesbian, said. “I avoid talking about it. Inside the College of Management, [talking about issues with my sexual orientation] has been the biggest struggle. No professor is that willing to talk to me about it, but Talley Student Affairs is always willing to talk. It just depends on where you are on campus.”

Goss, who is legally named James Matthew Goss, said that though the University is not as friendly to the GLBT community as other, more progressive universities, people at NCSU are less opposed to them than they were a decade ago.

“Twelve years ago [when I first started attending], State was a very dangerous place. Today…it’s a lot more progressive,” Goss said.

Both Bauerband and Mathis said that the installation of the GLBT Center in Talley Student Center has been useful in providing assistance to the GLBT community.

“In the beginning, there was a lot of hostility because it received a lot of attention,” Bauerband said. “The fact is that the center is not as big of a deal as people thought it was.”

Mathis, who is gay, said he believes the GLBT Center has been a big aid to students.

“[The center] has had a positive impact,” Mathis said. “It’s a good resource, not just to people who are gay, but to people who have friends that are gay. It’s a resource for the entire N.C. State community.”

Goss said that the University has made steps to be more GLBT friendly. She said she has been advocating for the installation of unisex bathrooms on campus.

“I talked to [University officials] and they agreed to convert two bathrooms to unisex bathrooms in Talley [Student Center],” Goss said. “There’s a verbal agreement that on campus, in all new construction, there will be one unisex bathroom

Jonathan Merlini, a junior in mathematics and member of the West Campus Diversity Committee, hosted the forum and sponsors events that teaches people about diversity.

“One of the goals we have…is to educate people about the different aspects of diversity,” Jonathan said. “Talking about [GLBT] people is important. NCSU might need more events and learn more about [GLBT] and what it means.”