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Taylor Nelson
English 106
Ms. B
4-6-14

LGBTQA+ Strives for Equality (Revised)

The Purdue University LGBTQA+ community strives to educate members about equality
among the sexualities, genders, and races, as well as the history of sexualities.
The LGBTQA+ organization has members of different sexualities, including lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transvestite, queer, asexual, pansexual, and allies. Rough estimates of the number of
people in the organization were between 300-400 students and faculty members.
Researcher Taylor Nelson went to several LGBTQA+ meetings. She interviewed several
students, participated in group events, and observed how the group interacts. The interviewed
students chose to remain anonymous.
The members of the LGBTQA+ organization meet on Wednesdays at 6pm in the Stuart
Center and are taught about the history of sexuality and how to strive for equality. There were
usually 15-20 students at the Wednesday meeting and different people showed up each week.
A 19-year-old gay male said, Equality isnt just fought between the genders or races, but
also for the different sexualities. Equality is for everyone no matter who you are or what you do.
I try to teach that to the member of LGBTQA+, so that none of us hurt anyone elses chances for
equality.
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During the group meeting on Wednesday, March 5, the group discussed the history of
sexualities and about equality in the media and in movies. The group also participated in an
activity to learn about the history of sexualities.
The members tossed a ball to who was going to speak next while the rest of the group
abided by rule number one. Rule number one was one person talks at a time.
When a person caught the ball, the group leader would ask a question about the history of
homosexuality or give a topic. If the person who caught the ball did not know the answer or
anything about the topic, then that person would say he/she did not know.
The group was unsure about the handkerchief code. The group leader informed them that
the handkerchief code was used in the 1970s in the United States and Europe. Homosexuals
would wear a certain color handkerchief depending on what sex they preferred and what there
intensions were.
It was a way for homosexuals to meet without officially announcing they were
homosexual, so they would not be publically judged.
The states passing laws allowing sexual marriages proves that equality for different
sexualities is spreading and becoming for accepted.
As stated earlier, the group discussed equality in the media and in movies.
An 18-year-old transsexual woman said, Its always bothered me that in movies they
hire white males to portray gay stereotypes for entertainment. Then there are fabulous gay actors
like Neil Patrick Harris to play stereotypical straight white players.
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The group then discussed that if they were searching for equality, then they should be
glad that gay men are hired for acting roles just as often as straight men. The members also
discussed how it was insulting to have gay stereotypes being the main thing portrayed in movies
and television shows.
When Im out in public going to class, or hanging with my friends, people cant just
point me out and say Oh, he must be gay. Im just a normal person with different
preferences. So why make it look like all gay people are overly flamboyant? said a 20-year-
old gay male.
The president of the organization said that media is going to play to what people want, or
to what they can relate to. A large part of American men can relate to being a middle class,
straight, white male. So thats the kind of character media will create.
White middle class men are more likely to watch shows with white middle class men in
it, and because people are more comfortable with gay white men thats what theyre going to
show on TV. They probably arent going to make a show about black transsexuals or
pansexual because people arent as okay with that yet, he said.
The meeting went on to cover more about equality between the genders and races.
The members were interested in the history of LGBTQA+ and about the history of
homosexuality. They were also very interested in the present day things going on with
homosexuals.
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Nelson found out that the LGBTQA+ organization has several large events a year. Events
from the current school year included having a gay religious leader come to Purdue, a large party
to greet new members, and week-long safe zone training about trusting each other.
The members also stated that the members are good friends and communicate often. They
use several different ways to communicate. The students use social media sites such as
Facebook, tumbler, and twitter as long as sending emails, and texting.
The members have two rules that were enforced to ensure safety and comfort. Rule
number one: one mic one diva; meaning one person talks at a time. Rule number two: respect
pronouns; meaning each member uses the pronouns the other members classify as.
This organization did not have any pronounced lexis besides the open use of terms to
define each others sexual interest.
Currently, many states are voting in favor of homosexual marriages. In the past two
months, four states have passed laws allowing gay marriage. Those states are Kentucky, Texas,
Virginia, and Oklahoma. In late 2013, Utah, New Mexico, and Hawaii also passed laws allowing
homosexual marriages.

LGBTQA+ banner to show sexual diversity on Purdue campus, from Purdue LGTBQA+ official website