KATHERYN OGLE Chicana/o studies professors Eric
Avila and Alicia Gaspar de Alba
participated in the "Queer Life on Campus" workshop Tuesday.
By Melody Wang
Daily Bruin Reporter
Tuesday’s “Queer Life on Campus” workshop,
held as part of the Undergraduate Students Association Council
Welcome Week, caused heated debate at last week’s USAC
meeting.
Xochitl Marquez, a member of La Familia, a lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender Latino group, said at the meeting that she
was “disgusted and disturbed” that the council even
questioned the issue.
“It may be difficult for you to understand as a straight
white woman, but it is extremely important to create a safe space
for queers, specifically of color, at this institution,”
Marquez said to USAC President Elizabeth Houston at the
meeting.
Mediating the workshop a week later, Marquez said the event was
meant to create a safe environment where students could learn about
life at UCLA as a LGBT student ““ but Houston said at the
council meeting that the panel would make many students
uncomfortable.
“What I envision is for more people to come and have a
discussion,” Houston said at meeting. “USAC should not
hold this issue and promote it above the rest. This is USAC Welcome
Week and I don’t think that this is the time or place to do
it.”
The workshop, co-sponsored by USAC’s Internal Vice
President’s office and La Familia, featured a panel of five
professors and students who shared their positive and negative
experiences as members of the LGBT community.
“One of the most negative experiences was not only feeling
unwanted and attacked by the media and other sources, but also
feeling attacked by my own Chicana/o community,” said
’98 alumnus Richard Villegas, Jr.
Villegas said he was only able to survive these attacks because
of supportive faculty and friends.
Panelists discussed other issues, like dealing with being gay
while retaining one’s religion or spirituality.
“To me, being gay is an advantage. To me, being of color
is an advantage. It allows me to see things others
don’t,” said Eric Avila, a professor in the Chicano
studies department.
Those who attended the workshop were free to ask panelists
questions and make comments. Some students said the presence of
professors on the panel was encouraging.
“I think it was very beneficial,” said Joey Frank, a
fourth-year English and Chicano studies student. “It’s
very important for our professors to provide a positive example,
because a lot of the time we get negative ones.”
But Houston has questioned whether LGBT issues would be better
presented in an open forum where all students could voice their
opinions.
“It shouldn’t be about one issue,” she said.
“If everyone at this school was homosexual, it still
wouldn’t be right.”
She said she has received e-mails from students who share her
views.
Other council members, however, felt the workshop was completely
appropriate for Welcome Week.
“I think it would be very important for USAC (to address
this issue), especially since Welcome Week is to welcome everyone.
There’s no better time than to start now,” said
Community Service Commissioner Fannie Huang at the meeting.
Council members also strongly opposed Houston and said the
workshop should not be made broader.
“I think it is what it is,” Pedro said. “Some
students will come and some students won’t. No matter what
you call it, you’ll have to narrow it down
somewhere.”
She added that the workshop was not intended to be exclusive and
that students of any sexuality were allowed to attend.
USAC Alumni Representative Kathy J. Gill, who attended the
workshop along with other USAC members, said she felt welcomed.
“The workshop was open to everyone,” Gill said.
“I thought there was a pretty good turnout so obviously there
was an interest in the issue.”
While Houston did not support the workshop as part of USAC
Welcome Week, she said she wants to address LGBT issues later on in
the year by inviting an objective speaker to campus. She said the
speaker she hopes to get works for the government and analyzes LGBT
government polices and how they affect the community.
At last week’s meting, Campus Events Commissioner Jared
Seltzer said there’s a need to provide workshops as long as
LGBT students are on campus.
“Certain students on campus are offended by homosexuality,
and certain students on campus are homosexuals,” Seltzer
said.
“USAC is here to facilitate discussion between the
different groups to promote greater tolerance,” he
continued.
Seltzer added that council members may never personally agree on
LGBT issues, but they need to create a safe space where all
students can voice their opinions.
Though council members were angered during last week’s
meeting, Facilities Commissioner Steve Davey said he feels it is in
fact valuable for council members to have different opinions.
“It’s not good to have just one ideology on
council,” Davey said. “Unfortunately, that happened
until this year. I think our differences will make us
stronger.”
But Internal Vice President Elias Enciso, who walked out of last
week’s meeting because he felt personally attacked by
Houston, said there is no room for USAC to disagree on this
issue.
“We’re not talking about a proposition or even what
changes to make to the USAC Constitution,” he said.
“We’re talking about the well being of a group of
people. To people like myself it has always been a matter of life
and death.”
Panelists at the workshop said more LGBT courses are necessary
to help all students understand the issue.
“Personally in my world, I would love to see LGBT studies
educating individuals who are least aware of these issues,”
Avila said.