By Beacon Editorial Board
To those who visit the University of Portland campus, it may seem as though every UP student is heterosexual.
Residence Halls are arranged so as to segregate students of the opposite sex. Heterosexual couples walk hand-in-hand to class, but public displays of affection between same-sex students are all but non-existent. Campus events and speakers address romantic relationships between men and women, but similar guidance for non-heterosexual students is rare.
But last Thursday there was a glimmer of the presence of non-heterosexual students at UP. Last Thursday, a pile of pale yellow fliers advertising the university's GLBTQ group were printed, stamped by Student Activities, and posted around campus. The fliers' message began: "Gay, Lesbian, Bi, Trans, or Questioning? We are too."
This affirmative message is refreshing to see on our campus - a place where the presence of non-heterosexual students is generally inconspicuous. The GLBTQ group provides a vital service to the UP community by offering a way for sexual minorities to gather in a safe, confidential setting and meet other GLBTQ students, ask questions, and find support.
The need for a confidential GLBTQ group is completely legitimate. Many GLBTQ students are uncomfortable, for a variety of reasons, to openly discuss their sexuality. We must continue to respect these students' need for privacy.
But the confidential GLBTQ group should only be the beginning. The university still lacks a way for non-heterosexual students to openly unite with heterosexual students under a banner of pride, acceptance and support.
UP students have already demonstrated their willingness to create such a group. In 1994, a group named Up'N'Out attempted to receive official club status, but was rejected, according to Beacon archives. Another group, FUEL (Friends United to Educate Lives), was denied club recognition twice in 1999, according to Christine Pesetski, who formerly served as assistant director of Student Activities.
Considering the university's Catholic heritage, the past rejections are somewhat expected, though not excusable. The administration supports non-heterosexual students, but not the act of homosexuality, according to the Rev. Bill Dorwart, C.S.C., the director of Campus Ministry.
Catholic teaching holds that sex outside of marriage is wrong, and because the Church does not recognize same-sex marriage as a legitimate union, sex between homosexuals is immoral.
But not everyone at UP is Catholic, and the University claims to welcome students from a variety of backgrounds and to permit discussion on a variety of issues.
As Courtney Spousta, last year's multicultural program coordinator, said, the need for a more visible GLBTQ presence on campus ties into the greater college experience of all students.
"We're preparing students to enter the greater community," Spousta said last year in The Beacon. "If we're not educating our students and opening dialogue and resources to different views and beliefs, how will our students be prepared for that in the work place?"
In the real world, and, yes, even at UP, not every person is heterosexual. It's time for the UP administration to make all students feel more comfortable about expressing their sexual identity.
