As co-chair in charge of activism in Spectrum (SMU’s student-led LGBT organization), I feel it is important to make sure that our campus is made aware of issues facing the LGBT community.
When I accepted this position, I decided that my mission was to educate members of the SMU student body, within and without the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community, about LGBT issues in the hope that a deeper understanding of this community would help bring an end to the discrimination faced by LGBT individuals.
Although I have fought hard, I hit a brick wall in the weeks before spring break. Along with co-president of Spectrum, and other members of our organization, we requested a re-evaluation of the finance committee’s earlier refusal to allocate funding for programming that would greatly benefit not only students of SMU, but also students at nearby institutions.
Spectrum planned a lecture/workshop and solo performance piece by transgender activist JAC Stringer.
When we first presented our programming, finance committee’s denial of funding was accompanied by suggestions to seek a local speaker.
While in theory a local speaker would be great, there are none in the DFW area, that focus on college life, and certainly none who are solo performance artists with subject matter about transgender issues.
In our presentation, I drew attention to these facts but was highly concerned that although Spectrum’s co-president, Harvey, and I were informative and clear in our presentation, the importance of a local speaker was yet again listed among the reasons for turning us down.
However, new arguments accompanied their hesitance: they feared this event would not attract members outside of Spectrum, that they have “already allocated $6,000 to Spectrum,” and that Stringer is, most strikingly, “not appropriate” for SMU.
Since when has a concern that students outside of a specific organization (Spectrum in this case) will not attend been a deciding factor?
Organizations like Pulse have never been required to make sure that the Jewish, Muslim, and other non-Christian students come to their events.
What makes our student-run, university-affiliated organization any different? Nonetheless, we have always encouraged all SMU students to come to our events, and they often do.
Also, if they believe they have given us a ridiculously high amount of money already, I implore you to look at the budgets for organizations like College Hispanic American Students (CHAS) and the Assosiation of Black Students (ABS), which are substantially higher than $6,000.
These organizations are very similar to ours in their missions. Where Spectrum’s mission is to increase campus awareness of LGBT issues and end homophobia, student organizations like CHAS and ABS work to increase campus awareness of racial issues and end racism.
How are their organizations any more important than ours if all of us are fighting to end discrimination?
Don’t get me wrong, these wonderful organizations deserved that funding; we just ask to have the same opportunity.
Lastly, how is a speaker who works to end the discrimination faced by the transgender community inappropriate for our university?
Stringer discusses the various identities that fall under the transgender category and highlights, “the cultural concept of normalcy and how it affects members of the queer… trans, and genderqueer [communities].”
In what ‘appropriate’ ways does this university currently address the issues facing transgender students?
In my four years here, we have never had an event centered on transgender issues. This is incredibly disturbing as it is evidence of a marginalization and erasure of the “T” within “LGBT” at SMU.
I want all of our members-including people not affiliated with Spectrum or SMU-to know that we are here for them and refuse to let their voices go unheard.
Currently, transgendered individuals often face a great deal more discrimination and as a minority group face the highest murder rate.
I can only hope that in bringing issues, such as these faced by transgender students to the forefront, we can help to end this violence and discrimination. However, this is impossible if proper education provided by people such as JAC Stringer is avoided.
Alex is a senior majoring in English.
