Is Duke LGBT Friendly?

PiMC2CM
Tue, 29 Dec 2009 21:18:41 +0000

I’m a senior music major at Duke and I can attest to it being as LGBT-friendly as I can reasonably imagine it being. Here are some points for and against its being so:

The University has an [LGBT Task Force](http://www.duke.edu/web/lgbttf) consisting of administrators, faculty, students, and staff which "makes ongoing assessments of attitudes and conditions throughout the University regarding gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons and issues.

The LGBT Task Force also makes recommendations for changes and seeks implementation of these recommendations on issues such as (1) the University-wide environment for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students, staff, and faculty; (2) appropriate supportive services for such students, staff, and faculty; (3) educational programs for the entire University community; (4) other matters affecting the lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community members at Duke."

In terms of student groups, the largest is [Blue Devils United](http://www.duke.edu/web/bdunited), for all LGBTQA undergrads (there are a number of involved allies), which holds several events a year, from the Drag Show and Lavender Ball to [National Coming Out Day](National Coming Out Day - Wikipedia) and [National Day of Silence](http://www.dayofsilence.org/index.cfm)—they also sponsored a trip to this year’s March on Washington. Generally speaking, they carefully monitor the undergrad LGBTQA climate and attempt to improve the undergraduate LGBTQA experience. This semester, they also started a blog to document the Duke LGBTQA experience ([our lives blog](http://www.bluedevilsunited.com))—I HIGHLY recommend visiting and spending a while looking at columns which interest you (links to contributors are on the right sidebar, as well as topics).

For the graduate schools, there is [DukeOUT[/url] (for all graduate and professional students), [url=http://www.dukeoutlaw.org/]OUTlaw[/url] (in the law school, which particularly discusses legal and political issues), [url=http://mbaa.fuqua.duke.edu/glsa/Welcome.html]Fuqua Pride/url, and [url=http://www.duke.edu/web/sacredworth/]Sacred Worth/url.

These are all independent of, though partially advised by, the LGBT Center itself, which holds a number of dialogues and events, such as the [url=http://lgbt.studentaffairs.duke.edu/programs_services/programs/LOL/]LGBT Discussion Group/url and the [url=http://lgbt.studentaffairs.duke.edu/programs_services/programs/Women%20Loving%20Women/index.html]Women Loving Women](http://www.duke.edu/web/gap/DukeOUT/Background.html) group. Twice a semester the LGBT center holds ally trainings to add to its [Ally Network](http://lgbt.studentaffairs.duke.edu/programs_services/programs/ally_network/index.html). Every year on National Coming Out Day, the LGBT Center along with the campus LGBTQA groups, give out 1500 or so [shirts[/url] (the last few years, they’ve said Love=Love and had images of different couples): [url=our lives: Rainbows, Buttons, Flags, and Umbrellas]Here[/url] is an interesting post from the BDU blog on campus visibility and the shirts. Before Love=Love there was “Gay? Fine by me.” or other similar designs. The shirts are incredibly popular and are always gone within an hour or two.

Other student groups also target homophobia. Examples include [url=http://www.duke.edu/web/racerelations/retreats/]Common Ground](love+love+mockup.jpg (image)), a diversity retreat run by the [Center for Race Relations](http://www.duke.edu/web/racerelations/), which focuses on confronting racism, sexism, and homophobia/transphobia on campus. The [Catholic Student Center](http://www.catholic.duke.edu/) has also led two dialogues during the past year on LGBT issues within the church—it also recently formed a committee on sexuality and LGBT affairs to advocate for a more affirming Catholic community. I’m also told the campus Lutheran group is very affirming—I know there are a number of active reconciling Methodist groups in the area, but I don’t know how active the Methodist LGBT community is on campus, nor any Episcopal group.

I’ve heard some mixed things about other students groups’ responses to the LGBTQA community. [CRU[/url] (Campus Crusade for Christ), in particular, has, from my perspective, not a particularly good reputation on this front in particular.

In terms of Greek life, I know a number of out fraternity brothers (I myself came out to my fraternity during my junior year and received an entirely positive reception, and though I’m no longer affiliated, mostly due to financial reasons, I can’t imagine any negative reactions). Yeah, you’ll hear the occasional “■■■” or “that’s gay,” which we’re certainly working to combat, but it’s really quite minimal, and I personally do my best to confront it when I see or hear it. [url=http://www.bluedevilsunited.com/2009/11/bro-sex-and-other-subtleties-of-being.html]Here[/url] is a great blog entry on being out and Greek.

All across campus, you can see [url=IMG_8446.jpg (image)]rainbow flags](http://dukecru.■■■■■■■■■■■■■/who-we-are/) hanging from students’ windows, a very visible and affirming gesture–this is in response to the bridge incident. Before [NC Pride 2009/url, Blue Devils United painted the campus bridge (widely used by student groups to publicize events). During the night, someone painted the words “F–k rainbows. F–k gay pride” on top of it. The response was almost immediate—a group of students covered over the hate speech so quickly that the email sent to the entire student body decrying the hate speech was confusing to many who never saw the bridge before it was painted over. Blue Devils United ordered rainbow flags and passed them out immediately beginning the day after the incident, and they now hang all over each campus.

The fact that we see such hate speech from time to time is quite disappointing, but I know that things have improved dramatically even over the past six years or so (this is what the director of the LGBT Center tells me, anyhow). The LGBT Center has a small, cozy room with computers with wireless internet access where many students and allies hang out during the weekdays. It’s really a very active and vibrant community.

I will say that there are many more out gay men at Duke than there are women. There are many reasons for this, but it’s something we’re working on. Additionally, there are some issues with trans discrimination with regards to housing (currently, there are not gender-neutral bathrooms in every building), but this is also something Duke Student Government as well as the other LGBTQA student groups are working on with Residence Life and Housing Services. DSG also recently ratified their constitution and moved to gender-neutral language throughout—small victories, but they’re there.

All in all, it was a great place for me to come out—as a Catholic, as a fraternity member, and as everything else. Feel free to ask me questions via the blog (I’m a contributor and administrator—there’s a link on the right sidebar to contact us). Once again, that’s at BDU’s [url=http://www.bluedevilsunited.com]our lives blog](http://www.ncpride.org/pride/).

Yes, there are problems, as there are likely always to be. I have personally had a great experience.