The Women and LGBT Center hosted a Coffee Chat with Alumni discussion with Margaret Irwin today at the Women’s and LGBT center at Hughes-Trigg. She spoke of her experience while attending SMU in the 1980s and her life after graduation.

Irwin graduated from SMU in 1984. While she attended SMU, students didn’t identify themselves as open or out. Nobody talked about being gay, lesbian or bisexual. Irwin was a walk-on on the basketball team and said that none of the players would speak about who was gay and who was bisexual, as the general population of the school didn’t accept it.

Irwin spoke to the group about her experience in the ’80s after graduation. She moved to Los Angeles and started working in the theater community.

Irwin spoke to the group about her experience in the ’80s after graduation. She moved to Los Angeles and started working in the theater community. During this time, testing positive for HIV was a death sentence. She lost countless friends and coworkers to the disease.

“When I got up to a dozen friends in four years, I stopped counting,” she said.

After telling her personal story, she opened the discussion up to the group to talk about their experiences at SMU.

Members of the group spoke about how they feel that the general attitude of the students is more apathetic then accepting to the LGBT community.

“It’s not homophobic, it’s homo-apathetic,” said Peter Ngo, a biology and creative advertising major.

Angela Uno described the general student attitude on campus as one where students think if it isn’t their problem then it’s not their issue. She felt that most people on campus are accepting but not going to act.

“I’m accepting, but I’m not going to go out of my way to do anything,” Uno said bout the attitude of most students. .

At the end of the discussion Irwin challenged the group to keep working and to work to break down the last of the barriers on the campus.

The Women and LGBT center has more information and organizations to join for students interested. The center in on the third floor of the Hughes-Trigg building.