Opinion | Student Life needs to prioritize engaging LGBTQ+ students
Editorial: As featured in volume 112, issue 2 of The Collegian.
Last week, the Bethel Student Life office attempted to ban the bi-annual drag show from being hosted at Bethel College in October.
This was quickly resolved, allowing the drag show to continue under specific guidelines highlighted by the Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students Dr. MeShonya Wren-Coleman. This situation is reflective of a bigger problem that Student Life has failed to address: making Bethel’s campus more inclusive and supportive for LGBTQ+ individuals.
These last two years, Student Life had multiple instances where they subtly undermined the LGBTQ+ community. This included an attempt at a hetero-binary dating tips event and inviting a right-wing, anti-gay politician to speak during Bethel’s Pride week.
The lack of support or recognition that LGBTQ+ individuals get on campus is upsetting since the community is not small.
There are currently two clubs that are LGBTQ+ oriented, BeLonGTo and Gay Straight Alliance (GSA). Student Life has made zero effort to ask or collaborate with either club in the past couple of years.
The Student Life team should not only focus on the inclusiveness of race, sex, and religion, but also gender and sexuality. When Student Life focuses on a variety of issues to make Bethel more diverse and continues to ignore the LGBTQ+ community, it makes queer students feel as if they are not welcomed.
Although Student Life has been undermining queer students more notably these past few years, this isn’t a new trend. For example, clubs like Diversity Council and Student Activities Council have all been deemed charter organizations. These organizations deserve the title, and each of them in their own unique ways celebrate diversity. In Bethel’s history, however, there has not been an LGBTQ+-based charter organization. Just a coincidence, right?
Pro-LGBTQ+ events on campus held by clubs mean a lot to queer students, but without Student Life actively engaging, communicating, and making it their goal to make LGBTQ+ individuals more inclusive on campus, Bethel might not ever get to that place of being truly safe and inclusive.
This editorial is not an attempt to bash Student Life, but it needs to start taking action and making campus more inclusive for the LGBTQ+ community. This means communicating and collaborating with GSA and BeLonGTo, actively speaking out against homophobia, making events acceptable for all genders and sexualities, and making queer students a priority.
Additionally, by making an LGBTQ+ club a charter organization, it cements the impact and importance of LGBTQ+ students.
Queer students deserve a campus where they don’t have to be afraid to openly express who they are.