GLBTQ community finds support at UP
By Hannah Gray
When senior Carissa Wilberg first arrived at UP as a freshman, she was only beginning to come out as a lesbian. She worried what it would mean to be "out" in a Catholic community.
"There was not an obvious community I could go to," Wilberg said.
She joined the GLBTQ Confidential Group, a student support group organized through the University Health Center.
The acronym stands for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning or queer, the latter is an umbrella term sometimes used to describe any sexual orientation that is not heterosexual.
Eventually, Wilberg started to come out in her dorm and to her R.A.
Now, as a senior, Wilberg is a founding member and the secretary for the Gay Straight Partnership club, which helps bring awareness to UP about homosexuality.
"I haven't seen too much negativity," Wilberg said about being out at UP.
On Oct. 29, about 30 people gathered in the Buckley Center Auditorium to watch "For the Bible Tells Me So," an award-winning documentary that depicts the experiences of five traditional Christian families who grapple with the realization that one of their children is gay.
The event was co-sponsored by the Gay Straight Partnership and Campus Ministry.
After the documentary, a discussion about it and people's personal experiences occurred. The discussion also focused on issues concerning religion and Church teachings.
Even though the GLBTQ community here is small compared to those at many other colleges, some students do not find it difficult to be out at UP.
"It wasn't really hard for me to be out on campus," said senior Trevor Harvey, the GSP vice president and a founding member. "It's a part of who I am. It shouldn't inhibit how I do things."
Although Harvey, who came out in high school, does not find it difficult to be openly gay on campus, he is troubled that he is one of few who are.
"People should follow my lead, and more people should jump on the band wagon," Harvey said. "It's the whole idea of strength in numbers."
Senior Zach Virden is also comfortable with his sexuality.
"My theory, for myself, that I live by is I am what I am," said Virden, who does not label his sexual orientation. "I know what I feel, and it's not necessary to adhere to that label."
Virden started to come out the beginning of his junior year, then to his mother a year and a half ago and to his father a month ago. Virden told his parents that he may or may not end up with a woman.
"This wasn't terribly hard for my parents to take," he said.
Virden used to worry that, since he is an only child, he might not have grandchildren to carry on the family name. However, this is his parent's dream and not his, Virden said.
Virden does not find it problematic to be open about his sexuality at UP now. But when he first came out, he worried about what people would think of him.
"Then when I stopped caring what people think, it was never an issue again," he said.
One thing that bothers him is when people use the term "gay" as a synonym for lame, Virden said.
"People need more self awareness, and they'll realize that there is a lot less to be scared of, and homosexuality is the least of their worries," Virden said.
Junior Amanda Jones, who identifies as a part of the GLBTQ community and has been out since her sophomore year of high school, sometimes feels excluded from the mainstream.
For example, when Jones was visibly in a relationship with a girl, some of her peers would walk by without acknowledging her, she said.
"That's obviously going to happen when you're not in the social norm, but that doesn't mean you should feel accused of living the wrong lifestyle even though it's not the average lifestyle," Jones said.
Sometimes when Jones dresses in baggy jeans and a baggy shirt, she perceives that her professors give questioning glances.
"I can tell when they react to me differently," Jones said.
However, on the whole, Jones does not believe she is discriminated against personally.
"You can't necessarily dwell on being accepted by everyone," Jones said.
Some believe that the fear of being judged keeps some students from coming out.
"No doubt in my mind that there are students on campus that are queer but not out," Oscar Villicana, the GSP president and a founding member, said.
There are two official resources for the GLBTQ community on campus: Gay Straight Partnership and the GLBTQ Confidential Group.
After 14 years of trying, the Gay Straight Partnership was recognized as an official club on campus in spring of 2008.
"We have gotten several e-mails from different universities, many Catholic, about how we did it," said Villicana.
Most recently, the partnership received an e-mail from students from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, according to Villicana.
Even though the Church teaches that homosexual activity is wrong, GSP is not about that, according to Stacy Noem, the assistant director of faith formation for Campus Ministry and a co-adviser for GSP.
"It's about forming community on campus - to feel supported in their human dignity," Noem said about GSP's and Campus Ministry's goals.
While the GSP is a campus club open to all students, the GLBTQ Confidential Group offers students more private support.
"(The group) provides an environment where students feel safe to explore the issues they might need to," said Anissa Rogers, a social and behavioral sciences professor and a co-facilitator for the group.
"Format is really to provide safety, support and community," Rogers said.
The existence of the group is a good indicator of success, according to Rogers.
"It's a place where students can come together and share their life experience," said Kristina Houck, a University Health Center counselor and a co-facilitator for the GLBTQ Confidential Group. "And that's what they find there."
Even though the Partnership and Confidential Group are steps towards a supportive community for GLBTQ, not everyone believes UP is up to par.
"I do feel like UP is lacking in support and resources that are geared toward the homosexual community," Harvey said.
Other schools, such as Portland State University, have a GLBTQ resource center, where students can find information.
This is one example of how UP could nurture the GLBTQ community more, according to Harvey.
On the other hand, some students believe that the UP community is making a significant effort.
"I have found that most of the students on this campus to be very supportive and welcoming," Villicana said. "They try to understand the GLBTQ community a lot."
