Last Thursday’s Technician article “University Leaders Discuss Misconceptions of LGBT” definitely cleared up some of the large misconceptions around campus about the changes to the LGBT Center on campus. The article points out that the cost will not come from an increase in student fees, but rather from Talley Student Center’s budget. The article also clarifies that no new center will be built, but rather an enlargement of the current center in Talley will take place, and that two new positions will be created and filled with a graduate student in counseling and a full-time director.
The time has come, however, to clear up some other misconceptions about why many students and people on campus still don’t support the center. Religion can’t factor into this debate because not everyone holds the same religious views, but many students are simply skeptical about the benefits of expanding the center when other things on campus are vying for more money as well.
As students at a public university, we all must work with limited resources. We get a little bit of money from the state of North Carolina and a little bit of money from tuition and fees, and that’s it. The fact remains that the LGBT center with the proposed increase in funding will take away funding from other parts of campus. Increasing the LGBT center’s funding will take money away from everyone and give it to just a few. The University and Student Government can shuffle loose change and manipulate the budget all they want to, but the reality is that the money still has to come from somewhere.
Why should a center that by definition appeals to “2,000 – 3,000” students (per Dr. Tom Stafford’s estimates) get more money when things that benefit everyone are going to be reduced to fund it? Campus needs a place for the discussion of sexual orientation, and that is a fact. Many students struggle with sexuality issues during their years in college, so why are only a few being helped? Without increasing the scope of this center, why should it get more money, regardless of where the money comes from?
How about changing the name and larger intent of this place to the SLGBT center — an acronym for straight, lesbian, gay, bi, and transgender? For that matter, why not put the “S” in the back so as to make the center seem more geared towards helping the original audience. Here’s an even better solution — change the name completely to “Sexual Orientation Counseling Center” so as to reflect that anyone can be helped by the center, not just those groups smallest in number on campus.
At a public university, everyone deserves to feel at home everywhere. This applies to the whole gamut of sexual feeling — lesbian, gay, straight, bi, transgender, lonely, awkward, depressed, asexual, confused, mad, etc. Why should this center’s potential be limited to just four types of people who make up a minority on campus?
What do you think of Zach’s proposals? E-mail us and let your voice be heard at [email protected].
