An ad hoc committee formed by Vice President of Student Affairs Juan Gonzalez met for eight weeks this summer to discuss issues facing gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students at Georgetown. The committee submitted a report to the Office of Student Affairs in early August strongly recommending the University hire an administrator to deal solely with issues raised by GLBT students, as well as to establish a permanent committee to discuss GLBT issues.
The committee was formed by Gonzalez after a student shared her personal experiences at Georgetown with him. “It was her encouragement that I audit how students are treated and that we look at the environment for gay and lesbian students,” Gonzalez said.
The committee was composed of administrators and students, including Director of Housing Services Shirley Menendez, Associate Dean of Students Bethany Marlowe and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Anne Sullivan.
In the report submitted to the Office of Student Affairs, the committee made recommendations for a GLBT resource center and a GLBT living space on campus. Other suggestions included changes in Resident Assistant training to incorporate GLBT issues. It was also proposed that at least 10 rooms be kept vacant in the future Southwest Quadrangle dormitory for students, including GLBT students, who have difficulty finding new roommates after serious problems in previously-assigned living arrangements.
A tutorial designed for students and faculty to plan for the proposed GLBT resource center will meet during the Fall semester. Professors Ed Ingebretsen of the English department and Suzanna Walters of the sociology department will work with a group of students to research GLBT resource centers at other universities and submit a proposal for a similar center at Georgetown based on their research. This class will take place regardless of whether the proposal for the center is approved.
With the support of the committee, the Georgetown Counseling and Psychiatric Services has already hired a counselor with prior experience dealing with GLBT issues.
Director of Special Programs Ellen Nelson van Bever, a member of the committee, said that the committee was able to look into services for GLBT students already established at Georgetown.
Nelson van Bever added that the committee was also able to focus on what changes could take place immediately. These changes included a scene dealing with GLBT issues added into the “Politically Incorrect” skits during this year’s New Student Orientation, as well as an information session and open house for GLBT students during Welcome Week.
GU Pride Co-President and Voice staff member Joe McFadden (CAS ‘02), who was a alsomember of the committee, said that the recommendations for the administrative position to deal with GLBT issues and the establishment of a standing GLBT committee were almost unanimously supported by the committee members.
Gonzalez said that his initial reaction to the recommendations was that they needed serious consideration and further discussion. “I treat this with a great deal of seriousness … There are tugs on how the University shold deal with this topic,” he said.
McFadden met with Gonzalez on Aug. 21 to discuss the contents of the report. He said that Gonzalez expressed his concerns over the recommendations.
“His initial reaction was that there are a significant number of concerns over how Georgetown could implement the ideas [presented in the report],” McFadden said. “He said that there was potential for significant conflict between Georgetown’s Catholic identity and some of the recommendations.”
McFadden said that he did not feel that the conflict between the University’s Catholic identity and the recommendations was irreconcilable.
“I want to work with Dr. Gonzalez to mediate these conflicts and make it work to adhere to Georgetown’s Catholic identity,” McFadden said. “I feel that we can create a safe community for GLBT students and keep Georgetown’s Catholic identity … we can work it out, but I can see that it’s going to take time and effort.”
McFadden said that he and other GU Pride members will continue to push for the approval of the proposals. “The recommendations are necessary because depression, feelings of isolation and delayed adolescence need to be addressed in a serious way during college years .” McFadden said.
“We’re not going to back down simply because we’ve encountered resistance from school,” he said.
