For me, being queer on Georgetown’s campus is definitely something different. In the midst of all the collar-popping, affectionately-dubbed (or maybe not) Jane and Joe Hoyas, the intermittent gay man or woman is often a rarity. The sporadic outbursts of “faggot” and “that’s so gay” are unavoidable, but personally, I like to pick and choose my battles.
Queers at Georgetown need a safe haven. We live in the nation’s capital. Our school is known for teaching diplomacy to a diverse student body. It seems only natural that we would be tolerant of race, ethnicity, gender and religion. Why not sexual orientation as well?
There is a women’s center on campus. This is one of the most important resources for females at Georgetown. However, just as a woman must deal with issues that a man cannot understand, a gay individual must deal with issues that a straight person cannot. Our fight at Georgetown is for an LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual/Transgender, Questioning) resource center.
I hesitate to call it a fight, but in looking at our past, it strongly suggests conflict. The quest began some six or seven years ago, when a group of student advocates protested and even appeared on national television asking for the creation of a resource center. Despite the call to arms, these efforts fell short of a satisfactory outcome.
Today, we have an LGBTQ advisor. He is a part-time employee with a small office and a few books. His office is located behind several more intimidating desks in an unwelcoming passageway. Such a facility is far from adequate. Organized events and public faces in campus newspapers are the extent of action from our club-status gay organization, GU Pride.
We protested the Federal Marriage Amendment, we hold movie screenings, we collaborate with the AIDS Coalition on campus and we attempt to make our presence known. On a campus where even basic contraception is not sold, how can we get down to the dirty work that no one wants to publicize? How can we provide support for students dealing with the private struggle of confronting their sexuality? Until we tackle the challenge of bringing these issues out into the open, students will continue to suffer.
A student-run club is a healthy outlet for many ‘out’ students, yet as a gay man, I know that the hardest part of my story was not living everyday life, but was coming to terms with my sexuality. My only support system during that time period was my best friend.
Had I realized there were other people like me, people that go to Georgetown, people in positions of authority, people who knew what I dealt with and people who would have kept anything I said confidential, I would probably have taken advantage of it. Instead, I lay writhing on my floor for nights on end, crying and pulling my hair. Thankfully, that part of my struggle is over. I am out, happy, adjusted and have a boyfriend. I am content and fulfilled.
However, I know that many are not. How many people on Georgetown’s campus are dealing with it as this is being written? Health-testing, queer counseling, allies, peer mentors and a full-time staff and administration provide a much more effective and confidential way of dealing with the issues of queer Georgetown students. A center with an unobstructed entrance and its own building could nullify the fears of those who wish to remain ‘unseen,’ and push them to participate.
The Jesuit stance against an LGBTQ center is no longer applicable in this day and age. If we are to modernize and apply our Jesuit values to forming graduates who embody the archetypical “world citizen,” why do we wallow in archaic and hurtful attitudes? The gay community is diverse. We are a minority, but if we want to remain a campus known for graduating “whole people,” then why can we not help those who struggle to become whole?
Many of our fellow Jesuit institutions, such as Gonzaga University, have taken action and created queer support centers. If we still consider ourselves at the forefront of Jesuit education then we should follow suit. This is no longer a plea. It is a necessity. Tolerance is the first step. Acceptance is the next.
