LGBTQ at Tulane

In a recent “Tulane Talk,” a daily email/newsletter that informs the Tulane community of Tulane events and awards, it highlighted Drag Queen Bingo, a Bingo event hosted by a New Orleans drag queen promoting sexual and alcohol responsibility. I was shocked when I received the email because I wouldn’t have thought that Tulane would highlight such an event. Being a southern university in a very conservative state, I would have thought that Tulane would try to be hush hush about these kind of things. I thought the administration would be scared to stir up prejudices within some conservative Board of Trustees or other very influential people. I’m glad they showed video of the event and promoted it because it shows that Tulane is somewhat inclusive of the LGBTQ community. However, I would argue this is the expectation to the norm. Rarely do I see institutionalized LGBTQ support on campus. This is supported by the fact that there isn’t an LGBTQ Director available in the Office of Multicultural Affairs. One was requested, but wasn’t approved because of the hiring freeze. This clearly shows the underemphasis Tulane has put on the LGBTQ community here. There is an LGBTQ student organization, but it is severely non-influential on campus. The organization as a whole has a lot to do in order for it to become the success I believe it could be. I ask myself, because it seems to me that there is a large gay community (specifically just gay men, not LBTQ), “Why couldn’t a LGBTQ student group on campus be successful and why hasn’t it been successful in the past?” I would also like to know whether or not Tulane has a non-discrimination clause including sexual orientation and gender identity. This is something I’d definitely be interested in looking at. I’d also be interested in looking at how inclusive Tulane policies as a whole are toward students, staff, and faculty. Furthermore, I feel that if anything is to be done to change LGBTQ people on campus need to get together and propose change as a unified group. Right now I feel like the LGBTQ community on campus is disinterested in each other.

[Via http://sexculturepolitics.wordpress.com]