The recent proposal that was passed through Student Senate involving the creation of a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender center among campus says that diversity is desirable in and of itself. It is time that members of the student body stop trying to oppose the creation of a diverse campus and learn to make the campus welcoming for everyone.
The many misconceptions that many students seem to have about the new LGBT center is that the money will be coming from student fees, it will have a new building and it will only serve as a place for them to “hook up.” It has not been decided exactly where the funds for the center will come from but there is a good chance none of it will come from student fees. The African American Cultural Center, the WomenÕs Center and the office of Disability Resources for Students are not funded by student fees, so why would it be different with the LGBT center?
Ã’Frankly, I have no idea where the notion that a LGBT center would be funded by student fees originated. There was never any mention in the proposal or in any of the discussions that led up to it that this would be the case. We proposed that the center be funded jointly by Academic Affairs and Student Affairs, which only means funds controlled through the Vice Chancellor for student affairs, Tom Stafford, and that doesnÕt suggest student fees to me,” Dr. Bill Swallow, a statistics professor as well as a member of the Diversity Council and author of the proposal for the center, said.
The tuition that you and other students pay covers about one-third of the cost of your education. Two-thirds are provided by outside sources, such as grants and appropriations. Just because money is coming from Student Affairs does not mean it is coming from student fees. The proposal asked for one large room and two connecting offices, hardly the new building that some students accused it of asking for. The start up costs are minimal for the physical needs of the center. The main cost comes from the director’s salary, as well as one administrative assistant (the center needs a director just like every other center on this campus.)
Another popular argument among students is that they donÕt want to pay for people to go “hook up.” The mission of the LGBT center is to educate the broader community about LGBT issues, serve as an advocate and to help improve the campus climate overall. Extensive research, shown in the proposal for the LGBT center, shows that homosexuals are much more likely to have depression and commit suicide, as well as be the victim of hate crimes and taunts. A survey of the community showed a decent percentage of gay males on campus did not even feel physically safe. The center would seek to be a resource for those who do not feel safe on campus, as well as help to bring the LGBT community and their allies together.
IÕve heard many students say if this minority gets a center then every minority will want one. I agree completely with Swallow — Ã’If any group can make a persuasive case — for example, that they canÕt safely introduce their partner as their partner, or that they fear being physically assaulted for no reason other than they are perceived to be a member of that group — then I would wholeheartedly support their having a center.Ó
IÕve also heard “if they get a center, where is the straight center?” Well NCSU is the center, the whole institution has a climate that is welcoming to straights, as well as conducive to our learning.
In the Princeton Review‘s ranking of 361 campuses’ climates toward the gay community, we ranked 17th from the bottom on the list of friendly campuses. NCSU has a bad reputation in the gay community as being unfriendly towards this community, and we do not want our University to be unwelcoming to anyone. To be considered a world-class institution and be looked at internationally as a place where it is important to study, we need to make sure that we are not putting off a certain subset of the population. Swallow, who also presented the proposal to the Student Senate, says aptly that Ã’To not have an LGBT center is to live in the past, not something any world-class institution can afford to do.Ó
It has been proven that there is a University constituency in need of this service (if you have doubts, actually read the proposal and you will see extensive research to support this.) So it is not a waste of funding to provide a resource for this constituency, just like we would for any other. Sadly, it seems as if the argument about funding is more of a cover-up for homophobia for many, and this also reinforces the need of an LGBT center to help educate the entire University.
The strong negative response that this center has received from many students only further reinforces the fact that we obviously need an LGBT center. Funds go to help a wide variety of students, and it is not feasible to pick and choose to only help fund certain organizations and centers that you agree with. The only way to ensure that groups you do agree with and participate in get funding is by allowing those that you donÕt necessarily agree with to also have funding.
I think everyone could benefit from the LGBT center, and the broader campus climate that it will help to create. Providing a resource for a group that has proven its need for a special center should not have such opposition from the student body. The community needs to stop being so judgmental, and learn to live and let live.
E-mail Amy at viewpoint@technicianonline.com.