UNC Must Recognize LGBT Needs

UNC may be a more gay-friendly place than it was 10 years ago, but it still needs to institutionalize support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

Remarkably, UNC is the only school in U.S. News & World Report's top five public universities that does not have an LGBT resource center.

Although the provost's Task Force on LGBT Relations aims to have a resource center soon, student organizations continue to carry most of the responsibility of ensuring that LGBT students, faculty and staff feel supported.

The University's dependence on student groups serving the needs of LGBT community members is problematic as student organizations cyclically gain and lose momentum. During leadership transitions in these student groups, LGBT students, faculty and staff have few places to turn for support in the University's administration.

In the past few weeks, gaps in institutionalized support for LGBT faculty, staff and students have inspired formation of campus groups like the GLBT-Straight Alliance and Campus Y's SPECTRUM committee. Leaders in the LGBT community seem optimistic that this resurgence of LGBT activism will strengthen the community and perhaps convince South Building to institutionalize support for the community.

SPECTRUM is dedicated to advocating awareness of LGBT issues to all members of the UNC community. The recently formed Campus Y committee is focusing on education and outreach.

Alice Newton, co-chairwoman of the recently formed GLBT-Straight Alliance, said the alliance encourages support from students who wanted to show their support for LGBT peers, but didn't feel comfortable joining the Queer Network for Change, which is known for radical politics.

Newton hopes that through activism, increased publicity and community building between LGBT organizations and other campus groups, more students will openly support the LGBT community. The alliance also aims to increase participation in Safe Zone, a four-hour program that trains campus leaders awareness and support of LGBT concerns.

Yet Glenn Grossman, co-chairman of Carolina Alternative Meeting of Professional and Graduate Students, said his primary concern is the continual social isolation of LGBT students. Grossman said high levels of substance abuse and depression persist among LGBT students due to feeling alienated.

Grossman said he hopes the University addresses the diversity of student needs that these new groups represent. "Student organizations are an important component of the University environment, but there are certain needs that cannot be adequately responded to without administrative investment," Grossman said.

Many people on campus desire a stronger LGBT community, but it is difficult without administrative investment. Creating an LGBT resource center would provide a stable source of information and support for LGBT students, faculty and staff, and more importantly, signify long-overdue acceptance.

Let's change the rules about how UNC supports LGBT people to hopefully bring about more acceptance. UNC should be a Safe Zone for all.

Columnist Katy Nelson can be reached at knelson@email.unc.edu.