By ALLY FRIEDMAN ’15
MANAGING EDITOR
In August, the University began implementing a grant from the New York State Department of Health that calls for a stronger network of services and resources for LGBTQ students on campus. Since then, plenty of faculty, staff, and department offices have undergone “cultural competency” training and organizers have hosted events like “Coming Out Day” and a recent drag show. The grant proposal is titled Saints Activists for Equity (SAFE): Creating a Healthy and Inclusive St. Lawrence Community, and its project timeline spans from August 2014 to June 2015.
Kathleen Buckley, University Chaplain, who co-chairs the SAFE advisory committee with Dr. Danielle Egan, says “SLU is renewing our efforts in positive ways to ensure we do some of our best work around issues related to sexuality and gender, and I’m encouraged by that.” Despite the progress undertaken by this grant and by student organizations like SAGA (Sexuality and Gender Activists), there remains a marked void of “ally” involvement on campus.
According to Jon Roux ’15 “three years ago there were no ally trainings, and I had no idea where to turn to as a freshman for a gay community…While we are making pretty huge leaps, campus is severely uncomfortable having diffficult dialogue about sexuality.” Roux explains that as an openly gay student at SLU, “you will still have a drunk person come up to you and try to make fun of you,” despite the fact that there seems to be a larger presence of LGBTQ activism on campus.
Roux is not the only SLU student who has experienced harassment based on his sexual orientation. “One time I was at Java and I was making out with a lovely lady, and a guy was trying to pull us apart, “ says Alana Chesney ’18. DJ Ambrosino ’16, who identifies as sexually fluid, recalls being turned away at a party because the hosts “said they only wanted someone who will hook up with boys.”
With regard to LGBTQ discrimination at SLU, Emily Smith ’17 asserts, “The ‘fetishization’ of lesbianism and the male gaze are a big problem on this campus.” Says Ambrosino, “I’ve ripped phones out of people’s hands after they started taking pictures of me kissing my girlfriend.”
For many students who identify as LGBTQ, the use of “fag” is a ubiquitous reminder of an apathetic ally culture at SLU. “When you go to your first hockey game and people are chanting homophobic slurs at the other team… as a SLU freshman you are hearing that is not okay to be gay or have sex with men,” says Michael Nichols ’15. Chants like “Bend Over,” “[Player X] has two dads,” and even “SLUts” perpetuate certain stigmas around sexuality. Nichols asks, “Why is there this sense that there is something lesser about being gay or somewhere on the spectrum and why are there so many bystanders?”
Of 45 SLU students surveyed, only two said they would not identify themselves as an ally, that is, a supporter of LGBTQ rights and individuals. However, students who considered themselves allies often added that they need more education on issues of sexuality and gender. Says Julie Davis ’17, “I’m not against [LGBTQ rights] at all, but I don’t know enough about the subject.”
Davis’ sentiment was echoed by myriad other SLU students. Most seem unaccustomed to thinking and speaking about gender and sexuality with reference to a spectrum or to non-binary categories. When asked to define the term “pansexual,” only one of 45 students ventured a response. The vast majority of SLU students counted off four or five when asked how many gender and sexual identities might exist. Roux says, “I don’t think students are aware of identities beyond the binaries… We’re comfortable with being lesbian or gay and not much else.”
Some students expressed that while they would like to learn more about sexuality, they would not feel totally comfortable participating in LGBTQ activism on this campus. Alida Rogers ’17, believes she would attend a SAGA meeting if invited by a friend, but says, “I might feel ignorant at a SAGA meeting.” Says Anastasia Catozella ’18, “I didn’t know until my friend told me that anyone could go to SAGA meetings… I thought it was just for people who aren’t straight.”
As a member of SAGA, Chesney agrees that other SLU students are hesitant to attend meetings. “We want allies and this isn’t just about people getting together and being gay,” says Chesney. Ambrosino, President of SAGA, says some SLU students believe “if you attend SAGA people will think you’re gay… that’s the biggest misconception of SAGA and people are afraid to come because of that.”
Are SLUdents standing up for LGBTQ rights outside of SAGA? Andrew Bourne ’15 says, “I would like to think that I would step in to defend someone being bullied.” Although most students agree that they “would like to think” of themselves as vocal allies, some recounted instances where they acted as bystanders.
“I have seen people being bullied and I didn’t step in as completely as I should have,” says Ross McMullan ’16. He adds, “it is difficult with a group mentality when one person’s meaningless joke gets tossed around and sounds more malicious than it is.” Certainly, being an ally is about more than just confronting bullies. Kyle MacDonald ’16 says, “I think a lot of stuff happens behind people’s backs… Friends make jokes when they notice someone who dresses differently or has different sexual preferences.”
According to Robert Ryan ’18, “the word ‘fag’ is commonly used [at SLU]… It’s something I’ve grown up saying and I know it’s not good.” Many others admitted to using “fag,” or keeping quiet when their friends did. “I don’t stop my friends from using the word fag because I don’t want to cause a problem,” says Hannah Farnham ’18.
From daily conversations to serious instances of harassment, the consensus is that SLU students can do more to be allies to their LGBTQ peers. Perhaps students are genuinely indifferent to issues of sexual identity, or perhaps there is an education gap in progressive terminology and social norms on this campus. Regardless, says Buckley, “SLU is part of an inescapable social culture, but we must be diligent at keeping the conversation alive and understand how important allies are to LGBTQ lives.”