GU Pride has declared this week Pride Week in an effort to raise awareness of issues faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning students and faculty.
GU Pride co-president Jamaal Young (SFS ‘03) says the organization is aiming to attract a large and diverse group of participants by planning a range of activities throughout the week. GU Pride is also seeking to send the message that the club is a viable resource, one that should be used more frequently by students in need of support, Young said.
GU Pride co-President Karane Williams (CAS ‘05) said that Pride Week is the innovation of members of GU Pride’s new board, which was selected recently. According to Williams, the group hopes to use this week as a starting point for future events, as well as to raise the awareness of everyone on campus.
“We need people who will help us create a stir, talk to the administration, to create a more open campus where everyone feels comfortable regardless of sexual orientation,” Williams said.
Young stated that the situation of LGBTQ individuals at Georgetown is incomparable to other colleges and universities.
“Discrimination and homophobia on this campus would take on a decidedly different form because we are a Jesuit university,” he said. “It seems almost okay for some Catholics to be open about their homophobia for professor to make homophobic comments.” Young noted that at many state universities that are not private schools like Georgetown, it is illegal to discriminate against LGBTQ individuals.
The most visible event this week is the Pride Parade, which will make its way through campus today replete with costumes, music and posters. It will be a small-scale version of what one might see in a gay pride parade in any city across the nation, according to Young.
Wednesday was a Day of Silence, organized by Amnesty International and supported by GU Pride and similar organizations around the world. Participants remained mute to symbolize the lives of those living with the oppression that comes of being an LGBTQ individual in an unsympathetic society, Young said.
Williams said that the premise of the Day of Silence is especially applicable to this university because Georgetown’s environment in general is “not welcoming or encouraging of LGBTQ issues.” One concern, which arose during the faulty panel held Tuesday night, is that there are many Georgetown faculty members who choose not to come out in this community for fear of a conservative reaction.
LGBTQ Georgetown alumni who spoke with Williams recently expressed concern that the University has become increasingly conservative over the years. For example, Georgetown remains unwilling to implement a resource center for LGBTQ students, Williams said.
Young says there are many people, both LGBTQ individuals and straight allies, who do not go to GU Pride meetings but do attend events. He stated that the events are important to allow these individuals to feel as though they are part of a community.
Pride Week continues with an alumni panel organized for Friday evening at 7 p.m. in the Copley formal lounge. Alumni from GU Pride will speak about their experiences being openly LGBTQ both during and after their time at Georgetown.
In addition to the parade today, the film But I’m a Cheerleader will be shown this evening.
