Column: Don’t write off the Deep South

While visiting my parents in Louisiana during winter break, I went to my parent’s church. Somewhat unexpectedly, the pastor began to talk about queer people.

She told us that in January there would be a conference held at the church challenging homophobia in Christian communities. She mentioned that the rally would take place the same weekend as a protest against a “horrible event” at Louisiana State University. I was shocked.

On Saturday, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal hosted the American Family Association at a rally called “The Response.” The massive prayer rally was held at LSU’s football stadium. It’s been speculated that Jindal’s going to run for president. Photo ops with the AFA could be part of that effort.

But my pastor’s attitude gave me hope. I had ignorantly assumed that southern churches weren’t taking action on inclusivity for queer people, and I’d assumed that there weren’t mass progressive protests in Louisiana. I thought I was doing a good job of staying in touch with other southern activists, but I was wrong.

The AFA is classified by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group. The group, of course, denies this label. But they blame homosexuality for Adolf Hitler and hurricanes, so I’m going to go with the SPLC on this one. Jindal’s presence was a slap in the face to the intelligence of Louisiana voters.

It’s easy at UNC to get sucked into our activist bubble and feel superior to other southern schools. Both of these things are dangerous. To effect real change, we need broad-based coalitions, and dismissing other schools as lost causes makes that difficult.

When I had lunch with Monique LeBlanc, a sophomore at LSU and president of its Feminists in Action club, she told me about the conservative culture in the state.

She told me about laws like Louisiana’s HB 305, which bans Planned Parenthood from teaching sex-ed in schools and prevents any Planned Parenthood volunteers or employees from teaching any health-related topic.

But mostly, she told me of the students and faculty who are swimming against the tide.

Staying in touch with other southern schools can help us learn new strategies for creating change. It’s time to get over the notion that schools below the Mason-Dixon line are devoid of meaningful activism or that UNC is somehow special in this regard.

When Jindal courted the AFA, throngs of protesters assembled outside. It was a massive show of love from the LSU community in the face of hatred. The protest was entirely organized by students.

Remembering struggles at other schools isn’t just about supporting their work — it’s also a reminder that we aren’t alone. The Board of Governors is forcing good people out of their jobs, and we still have buildings named after KKK leaders. It’s easy to feel hopeless, but we should zoom out and remind ourselves that we’re part of a larger network of southern activists demanding more of our administrations.