Hampton U. Student Seeks to Start Gay-Straight Alliance

Students at Hampton University who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender don’t have the option of joining a campus organization that caters to them.

"It’s 2004, and there is a large [number] of gay and lesbian people on this campus," said April Maxwell, a senior psychology major from New York. "It’s time to bring us together and knock down negative stereotypes."

Maxwell, who is a lesbian, is trying to form the Gay/Straight Alliance -- a group for both gay and straight students to come together and "bridge the gap," she said.

"When I was a freshman, I felt alone," said Maxwell, who has been openly gay all of her four years at Hampton. "It’s so hard to find people to talk to because nobody comes out."

Hampton, on the Virginia Peninsula, is one of only a few schools in its region that does not have an official gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, or GLBT, organization on its campus.

The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg is home to the Lambda Alliance, while Norfolk’s Old Dominion University has the Gay, Lesbian & Bisexual Student Alliance. In Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University has its Sexual Minority Student Alliance. Howard University, in Washington, D.C, has its Bisexual, Lesbian and Gay Organization of Students. Morgan State University in Baltimore has its Rainbow Souls Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and their allies organization. Norfolk State University, like Hampton, does not have an official organization on campus.

To be officially recognized at Hampton, members of the proposed organization must fill out an application for recognition. Students must have a recognition proposal letter, a list of interested students, a list of officers, and a faculty or staff adviser. Prospective organizations must also provide a proposed constitution and list of bylaws, plans of operation and a letter of support from a regional or national organization.

Maxwell has drafted the required constitution and has eight interested members so far. She said that she is still looking for more, both gay and straight, but admits she might run into problems.

"Straight people may not join because of the feedback or response they might get from their straight friends," she said.

Maxwell has yet to propose her club to the Student Affairs Council, which includes several campus officials, including the dean of students, the dean of women and the dean of men.

Maxwell is still gathering the required materials. She plans to present them to the Organizational Affairs Council to help prepare her proposal once she has collected them.

If the group is approved by the Student Affairs Council, Maxwell said she hopes to hold many different events for its members as well as other students. Those events would include fundraisers, fashion shows and parties. Maxwell said she would also like to include sex education in the club’s agenda.

"Whenever people talk to us about safe sex, they are always talking about heterosexual sex," Maxwell said. "A lot of lesbians need to be educated about safe sex."

Even if her proposed club is not approved, Maxwell said that she will still work to get gay students together.

"If the school doesn’t recognize us, we will get together for off-campus events," she said.

Once Maxwell reaches the Student Affairs Council with her proposal, it would mark the first time a student has proposed the idea for a GLBT organization, according to Bennie McMorris, dean of students.

"No student has ever approached us to begin such a club," McMorris said. "If someone would want to start it, they would just follow the same procedure as other clubs as stated in the student handbook."

McMorris would not assess the group's chances of being approved.

Sean Barker, member-at-large of William and Mary’s Lambda Alliance, said his school’s organization is a "godsend."

"If nothing else, GLBT is one group where you don’t know who we are just by looking," said the sophomore psychology and black studies major from Danville, Va. "We have to come together and socialize. A lot of kids need a safe place to come out; we provide that."

Barker said the Lambda Alliance is one of the oldest continuing organizations on campus. He said it has its own voice in school issues such as debates. The Lambda Alliance meets weekly and each fall, it holds a GLBT Awareness Week.

"It’s an entire week of events to spread awareness and talk about gay issues," Barker said.

He encouraged Hampton students to rally to start their own GLBT organization.

"Don’t let the fear keep you from doing it," Barker said. "United, you are a force. You can always threaten to stop going (to the university)."

Members of the Organizational Affairs Council also offered advice to Maxwell and other interested students.

"If it’s not approved, don’t let it stop you," one member said. "Redefine your proposal, and try again."

Eba Hamid is a student at Hampton University who writes for The Hampton Script.

Posted Oct. 27, 2004