Published: october 7th
When asked if the recognition of the Gay Straight Alliance was apparent in MSUM, Lacey Scheelk responded with a flat out and unhesitant “No.” In lieu of that response, freshmen, I pose this question to you: during your campus tours, did your guide make it a point to inform you of the GSA clubroom in the CMU? I’ll bet that most of you would say no. How many of you didn’t even know MSUM had a GSA club till you walked past it on your way to Kise? I’ll bet most of you would raise your hands. The sad fact is that GSA seems to reside in a dark little unknown corner of MSUM’s campus and members of said club are not at all pleased. Justin Barton heartily agrees with Lacey’s observation in saying that “those who are afraid to come out, or get involved would not be required to go out of their way to ask about GSA if its presence was made readily known from the start.”
As a bisexual and active GSA supporter since middle school, my college choice was strongly influenced by what type of community the campus presented. What is MSUM saying to the potential students of a minority community when the mention of the Rainbow Dragon room is sometimes completely avoided? I’ve noticed that people who walk into the room sometimes seem shocked when the find out just where they are and they end up walking right back out with a flustered or annoyed expression. This, in the words of a friend, is just “not cool.”
Perhaps as a freshman three years ago, I was a bit naive in my initial assumption that a tight knit community like Moorhead would not have issues with GSA comings and goings. Perhaps I was even naive in thinking that college would perhaps offer a better experience as a she-oriented individual than high school did. Apparently my assumptions were wrong. Now, I know that it is mostly up to the club itself to promote its events and purpose, but I feel that the general attitude towards gay people on MSUM is still one of misunderstanding. This makes me sad, but it also makes me want to do something. I’m not going the Lavender route and shouting, “Recruit, recruit, recruit,” in any way shape or form, but I’m going to express what I feel should be known as a common truth. The gay community is present here and we are not sitting out anymore. The time of assuming that being attracted to the same sex, or that being confused about gender identity is something to be ashamed of has passed.
Because this campus has a strong conservative presence and there have even been reports of harassment in the past, if I had not happened upon the rainbow flag in the CMU, I don’t think I would have considered enrolling. It is important for people, especially in this time of their lives when strong relationships can be built, to feel that they have a safe place to go and be heard. The GSA community faces enough problems as is, and in a place of higher learning these problems are nothing but a hindrance to progress. It is my humble opinion that to correct these injustices, MSUM’s GSA club should be a noteworthy point on Dragon Day guides’ itinerary. Conservatives may not like it, but we’re here and we’re queer and nothing they say (or don’t say in this case) is going to change it! Thank you for your time. Stay curious.
While I do think people are ill informed about the GSA club on campus, I also think there is a sort of exclusionary feel toward the Rainbow Room. I have felt a little bit as though I need an invitation to come and talk and hang out or whatever, since I'm not gay myself. I think this is often the emotion of the other students. I would maybe go so far as to say some people may just be intimidated because of a lack of knowledge or information about the GLBTQAI community on campus. Maybe part of making the GSA club more visible and accepted on campus is emphasizing that GSA is about giving voice to the voiceless and empowering those who have been systematically dis-empowered. This means anyone who has a strong conviction toward this line of thinking can join or get involved.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for your comment Timothy and sorry it took so long for me to respond. I understand where you're coming from and i really appreciate someone finally saying it. That's the reason I wanted to start up this column. So i'll extend a personal invitation to you to come hang out with us. We don't have allot of volunteers some days to open up the room, but we try to keep it open as many hours as we can. I do understand the idea that in there we can kind of look like our own little group and such, but we're trying to change that image and make it more inviting to others. We have meetings every Tuesday at 6pm, so please come join the group if you have the time. Also, if you have any ideas about how to get the word out, I'd love to hear things from your perspective ^^
ReplyDeleteOh, and on a side note Timothy, i was wondering if you would let me use your response in one of my upcoming articles because i think its worth sharing. I would email you the draft before it publishes and you can edit it if you like ^^ let me know.
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