Spectrum increases communication with other campus diversity groups

The University of South Dakota community is not hostile toward the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, queer, questioning intersex and asexual community, but students could work harder to improve relations, members of USD’s Spectrum: Gender and Sexuality Alliance group said.
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When it comes to USD’s openness toward the LGBTQ community, junior Gretchen Stanley, president of Spectrum, said there are good days and bad days.

“I feel like we have days where we take strides forward,” Stanley said. “Then, you have days when something happens.”

Stanley said by working with other diversity groups, it has been easier to increase awareness of issues facing the LGBTQ community.

“Issues with diversity don’t just face the diversity community,” Stanley said. “You don’t have to be an activist, but being aware can benefit you.”

As Spectrum increases communication with other diversity groups, Stanley said the community benefits.

First-year Seth Wiederhold, Spectrum’s secretary who came out as gay six months ago, said changes could be made by addressing behaviors others might not even know they’re doing.

“If you’re not in that situation you don’t know that situation exists or even know about it. If you’re unaware of the issues, it’s hard to know about it,” Wiederhold said.

Although Wiederhold said he has not had struggles with being gay at USD, he has noticed discriminatory actions others probably don’t even consciously do on campus. These have included students avoiding Spectrum’s table in the Muenster University Center when the group is tabling, or when students use phrases as “that’s so gay.”

“For me, it’s not a big deal,” Wiederhold said. “But for others, it’s very uncomfortable and demeaning.”

Stanley said many students use words such as “gay” without fully knowing their meaning.

“There’s a correct way to use these words in context,” Stanley said.

Another word she said people often use is “faggot,” which she said many believe to mean a pile of sticks, a variation of what she said the word means to the LGBTQ community.

“Faggot originates from lighting gay men on fire,” Stanley said.

Last year, Stanley served on a committee for a gender-neutral housing initiative, and both she and Wiederhold said they’d hope to see gender-neutral housing at USD.

“(Students) could live as whoever they want,” Stanley said.

Spectrum is also working with the Campus Activities Board for the upcoming speaker Timothy Kurek, a straight man raised as a conservative Christian who pretended to be gay for a year. Kurek will speak Nov 20.

Lacey Walters, spotlight coordinator for CAB, said Kurek was chosen after CAB researched speakers within its price range.

“I researched all of them, watched their YouTube videos and Timothy’s story stood out the most,” Walters said.  “It is unique to him and his situation, but we can all learn from his experiences of coming out.”