For the past couple of months, numerous students have been working tirelessly to bring together a two-week long celebration of LGBTQA culture, history and community through campus-wide events. In its third year, PRIDE has grown to an institution-wide phenomenon with numerous supporters and allies, and collaborations with multiple organizations. PRIDE 2009 is bigger than ever, and it will only continue to grow in the years to come. The LGBTQA community has come a long way on this campus, but there is still much work to be done. Being able to celebrate PRIDE is a sign of progress and visibility, but there is still more that needs to happen in order for Dartmouth to become a place where all queer students feel empowered and respected.
Over the past four years, the LGBTQA community experienced many progressive situations and happenings that gave us a sense of place at the College. Dartmouth added gender identity and expression to its non-discrimination policy and established a Gender Neutral Housing program floor. The first openly-gay student body president was elected, and starting this year, prospective students are able to indicate an interest in "gender identity/expression" on their supplementary applications. LGBTQA students are in many leadership roles in diverse organizations and positions all across campus, and definitely are a powerful presence. The voices of queer students are heard and respected, and can no longer be ignored.
Although there has been much progress, there are still many areas that can be improved, and silent voices and experiences that go unheard and unseen. I am ecstatic that PRIDE has become one of the biggest events on campus, but until the voices of all queer students are heard, there is work that is unfinished.
Dartmouth prides itself on embracing diversity and being a place where students don't have to conform to or fit a particular mold in order to succeed. But for many LGBTQA students, this is a distant desire that has yet to become reality. We are surrounded by a culture that makes it difficult for queer, gender-bending and gender non-conforming students to truly express themselves and feel welcome in spaces that have traditionally excluded them. We do have a diverse population, with LGBTQA students coming from all backgrounds and walks of life, but having this diversity does not translate into what really matters: appreciation, acknowledgement and understanding of these unique perspectives and how they positively contribute to the institution and its educational mission. In order to embrace and support LGBTQA students, the College must work towards creating spaces and environments that allow for queer expressions. It must also show support -- not just monetarily, but also in a visible way -- that will cement the College's appreciation for queer students who are working to make Dartmouth a better place for future generations.
In order for more LGBTQA students to feel comfortable here -- and feel as though they have a sense of place -- more spaces must be either created or reformed that will welcome them. The gender binary dominates the College, and when queer students fall outside of it, the spaces that embrace them are few. With more gender-neutral spaces, LGBTQA students will be able to share their expressions without having to adhere to the traditional definitions of femininity and masculinity dictated to us by society. Queer students are too frequently forced into strictly gender-divided spaces, whether residential, social or otherwise.For LGBTQA students to have a place on this campus, institutions that have muted, marginalized and blinded their experiences must provide a space for them to freely and safely share their stories. But the creation of gender-neutral spaces is not the only progressive step that the College can take. All students must think about their individual actions and attitudes towards queer students. Change must happen with us first. Let's re-examine our language and gestures to become more inclusive and accepting.
PRIDE will come and go, but let's recognize that when it's all over, there will still be work to be done. PRIDE is a celebration, but there are many people who may not see the value of its mission. By working together we can move Dartmouth forward and create an institution where all experiences, queer or otherwise, are welcome, accepted and embraced.
