Over the past 30 years, an increasing population of LGBT students has been getting higher education. A study conducted by the ACHA, (American College Health Association), indicates that 7.2% of students attending college in the U.S identify themselves as lesbian, gay, or bisexual. Beemyn noted "there is no accurate measure of the number of transgender college students," however, there is a reasonable possibility that there are a few transgender students on every college campus (Johnson 56). IU decides to build an LGBT house for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students soon. It is a good idea because it aims to provide equal housing opportunities for the LGBT students in a safe environment. It helps the non-LGBT students to understand and accept LGBT students, and also it helps to build the diversity of the college.
The LGBT house could give LGBT student a safe environment that has no harassment and discrimination. The LGBT students are more likely to suffer from hurts, and they are weaker mentally than non-LGBT students due to stigmatization from the rest that makes them feel inferior. A study reported that LGBT students were two to three times more likely to attempt suicide than non-LGBT students, and there are 30% suicides completed every year (Johnson 56). The reason for such high rate of suicide among LGBT students is that, LGBT students exhibit higher levels of substance abuse and depression. And LGBT students also experience higher rates of parental and peer rejection and parental and peer physical and verbal abuse. Therefore, to deal with all the negative things that happen to them, they resort to drugs and substance abuse. Harassment and bullying in school must also take a big responsibility of LGBT student suicide. (Johnson 57). And In another 14-university study of campus climate for LGBT students, approximately 30 percent of respondents reported that they have experienced harassment because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. 51 percent reported keeping silent about their sexuality or gender identity (Woodford 298). The reason that LGBT students suffer from such frequent harassment and bullying is that they break the gender norm, and it usually cannot be accepted by their classmates and even their parents. Their classmates may think that hanging around with LGBT people is humiliating. Their parents may think having LGBT children is not a proud thing, so their parents want to change their sexual orientation by some severe means such as beating and scolding. There are even cases where parents have tried to link up their gay sons or lesbian daughters with people of the opposite gender in a bid to force them to discard their sexual orientation. And all of these things will make LGBT people to suffer from physical and mental hurts and leave indelible traumas. Therefore, the building of LGBT house is important for LGBT students because they do not need to worry about those harassments and bullying in the LGBT house. In addition, everyone could understand and accept the LGBT, they will live in a safe environment without bias and discrimination.
And also, the LGBT house could help non-LGBT to understand and accept LGBT students. Someone said fear comes from unknown. I think the misunderstanding of LGBT students makes non-LGBT students scared to make friends with LGBT students. The old fashioned homophobia told people homosexuality is immoral (Woodford 299). Therefore, converting the attitude of non-LGBT students towards LGBT students is critical, and letting them understand LGBT students is the first vital step to achieving that. It could help non-LGBT students to know what LGBT is, what their thinking about sex orientation is and what the difference between LGBT and non-LGBT students is. The deeper understanding that non-LGBT students get, the less misunderstanding of LGBT students non-LGBT students will have. Accordingly, many institutions implement LGBT speakers' bureaus, ally/safe space programs, and other academic programs that are intended to promote awareness, understanding, and acceptance of LGBT people. Such programs often focus on LGBT people as a group, rather than focusing on each identity individually. Heterosexual students' attitude towards LGBT people is a useful indicator of campus climate. (Woodford 298). So the establishment of LGBT house could hold more activities to connect LGBT students with non-LGBT students. It would make them have more and deeper communication, make them know each other well, and thus, change non-LGBT students' attitude towards LGBT students from rejection to acceptance.
And the LGBT house also supports the current mainstream opinion that college should recruit different students to increase the diversity of the environment. As Coker-Kolo said ", the changing demographic representation of students in United States public schools has significant implications for colleges of education. These changes make it imperative for colleges of education to produce candidates that possess the knowledge, skills, and sensitivity to deal with diverse student populations." (Coker-Kolo 35). And increasing the diversity of college has the massive benefits, the function of meeting all types of students is the most frequently mentioned benefits (ASHE Higher Education Report 49). Higher education provides diversified programs to students from all walks of life. It makes higher education an important tool to use in recruiting different students and let them find the best programs in higher education that suit their individual quality. In addition, diversifying higher education by officially recognizing LGBT students in colleges and universities will enable those who prepare the curriculum for colleges and universities, to consider these special interest groups. When introducing new academic programs, they will have them in mind (ASHE Higher Education Report 54). The diversity of students in higher education is more likely to influence colleges to make successful decisions about creating new programs or changing the administrative structure to include administrators who represent the interest of special groups like LGBT. Furthermore, the diversity of college could increase the institutional effectiveness of education (ASHE Higher Education Report 56). Strong institutional practices and effectiveness necessitate the need to focus on and emphasize specific missions. Today, diversity is not confined to race, background or gender; it is also recognized as needing to incorporate lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender individuals (Cegler 19). And building the LGBT house could promote the research of diversity of LGBT students.
The conservative have argued that the introduction of LGBT houses in colleges might end up influencing the heterosexuals into the LGBT side of the divide. The argument, however, according to Woodford, (297), emanates from a point of not understanding the LGBTs. He says that, an understanding of the lesbians, gays, bisexuals and trans-genders would reveal that it is not easy to influence a straight person into a different sexual orientation. Therefore, building a house for the LGBTs in colleges should only be the first step in the right direction. In the near future, there should be changes that will see several LGBT workshops held in institutions of higher education in order to sensitize the non-LGBTs of the other sexual orientations. This will help in earning some respect for the LGBTs and having them take their rightful place in the society. People should be judged by the contents of their brain and not on the basis of their sexual orientation.
Coker-Kolo, (37), points out the fact the LGBTs require some specialized medical attention. Most institutions of higher learning have not made any special provisions for them to access specialized medical attention. It makes life difficult for such students and that results in many of them suffering for long periods of time with diseases that can be treated. Bringing their identity into the open may expose them to some harsh treatment in the first place. However, in the end, their freedom will be achieved, and they will be free to access all services that are due to them. Some college health units do not have doctors and nurses that are specialized in dealing specifically with LGBTs. Building an LGBT house in a college, will inevitably lead to many other neglected issues about this special group to be addressed.
Conclusion
Building an LGBT house would a step in the right direction that would be comparable to the lavender graduation program that is meant to give recognition to LGBT students (Johnson 61). LGBT students, as mentioned above, go through various challenges in colleges yet they still manage to perform well in their academics. As such, they deserve special recognition that they rarely get. Having a house built in campus specifically for them is one such way of recognizing their challenges and hard work. Therefore, rewarding them with a conducive environment in the form of their all-LGBT students’ house will be appropriate. Imagining that an LGBT student would be surrounded by people who despise him or her all day in class, and again encounter them in the house when they are supposed to relax and reflect on the day, gives the real picture. The fact is that most of them find the life unbearable. According to Johnson, (58), there are many LGBT students in colleges that cannot reveal their sexual orientation for fear of victimization. Therefore, projects that are meant to give them positive recognition such as constructing a house to accommodate them separately is welcome and should be supported by all.
Works Cited
Woodford, Michael R., et al. Predictors Of Heterosexual College Students’ Attitudes Toward LGBT People. Journal Of LGBT Youth 9.4 (2012): 297-320. Academic Search Premier. Web. 21 Apr. 2015.
Johnson, R. Bradley, et al. Suicide Prevention For LGBT Students. New Directions For Student Services 2013.141 (2013): 55-69. Academic Search Premier. Web. 21 Apr. 2015.
Cegler, Tyler D. Targeted Recruitment Of GLBT Students By Colleges And Universities. Journal Of College Admission 215 (2012): 18-23. Academic Search Premier. Web. 21 Apr. 2015.
Coker-Kolo, Doyin O. A Systems Analysis Approach To Integrating Cultural Diversity Into Colleges Of Education. Multicultural Perspectives 4.2 (2002): 35-39. Academic Search Premier. Web. 21 Apr. 2015.
Benefits Of Institutional Diversity. ASHE Higher Education Report 39.3 (2013): 49-68. Academic Search Premier. Web. 21 Apr. 2015.
