Students, faculty, staff and several university organizations gathered in the Farrington Gallery of Bryant Hall Monday afternoon to kick off the Center for Inclusion and Cross-Cultural Engagement’s observance of LGBT History Month.
The ceremony, also sponsored by the Sarah Isom Center for Women and Gender Studies and the LGBT History Month Planning Committee, featured assistant professor of sociology Amy McDowell as the keynote speaker.
Keynote Speaker, Dr. Amy McDowell speaking at the LGBTQ History Month Opening Reception. (Photo by: Taylar Teel)
McDowell discussed the differences in acceptance around the world when it comes to the LGBTQ community.
McDowell’s speech,“Keeping the Q in LGBTQ,” told of the places that state they tolerate the queer but do not truly allow the community members to be themselves. After mentioning places such as Amsterdam and the Netherlands, McDowell discussed Mississippi.
“In Mississippi, being gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered or queer is not normal,” McDowell said. “There are too few resources in this community for LGBTQ members, faculty, staff and students. I’ve seen the ramifications since I’ve been here, and it’s frustrating.”
Although this lack of resources causes fear and frustration, McDowell said this is also what makes Mississippi exciting.
“Mississippi is a new and promising frontier for queerness, a queerness that looks and feels different than it does in urban spaces,” McDowell said. “We have a unique opportunity to conscientiously create new kinds of racially inclusive queer spaces that privilege and celebrate gender and sexual fluidity.”
Clair Takahashi, sophomore liberal arts major from Japan, said she is interested in the events because the Japanese are much less accepting of people in the LGBT community.
“There are not many events for LGBT people in Japan, so this is a good chance for me to learn,” Takahashi said.
Buttons line the sign-in desk for the LGBTQ opening ceremony at Bryant Hall, Jan & Lawrence Farrington Gallery. (Photo by: Taylar Teel)
Throughout the month of October, the Center for Inclusion and Cross-Cultural Engagement will continue to host events that observe LGBT history and culture. Other organizations involved in the month’s coming events include UM Pride Network, Department of Student Housing, William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation, the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and the Associated Student Body.
Adam Sullivan is the graduate assistant for LGBT programming and initiatives at the Center for Inclusion and Cross-Cultural Engagement. Sullivan said it’s really important to bring the views of the LGBT community to those who haven’t been exposed to it.
“We want to make (the university) more welcoming and inclusive with learning along the way,” he said. “Our main goal at the end of the day (with observing the month) is to try to make Ole Miss as inclusive as possible and to help students become competent in a multicultural society.”
Events planned throughout October include film screenings, discussions and tributes for the victims of the Orlando shooting at Pulse Nightclub in June.
A full calendar of the month’s events is on the Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement website under the tab “LGBT History Month 2016.”
