Letter to the Editor- Faculty and staff of LGBT Task Force respond to campus climate issues

As faculty and staff of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Task Force at Cal State Long Beach, we wish to express our concern about the impact of recent events on the university community and campus climate. Campus dialogue following the Chicana Feminism Conference hosted by the Conciencía Feminíl student organization on March 17-20 included homophobic language that references violence. In addition, the recent report of an alleged assault on a transgender student on April 15 raises concerns about the physical safety and emotional well-being of our LGBT students, staff, faculty and administrators. Indeed, all members of our university community are affected by these incidents, as they challenge our belief in a welcoming learning community for all individuals of diverse backgrounds.

As faculty and staff of the LGBT Task Force at CSULB, we seek to work collaboratively with the university to renew our shared commitment to diversity and community engagement. In regards to the specific incidents referenced above, the LGBT Task Force acknowledges the university is in the process of responding to the homophobic dialogue surrounding the Chicana Feminism
Conference and the alleged assault of the transgender student.

However, the LGBT Task Force calls upon the university administration to also respond more broadly to campus climate issues by affirming its explicit support for LGBT issues:

1. Support the establishment of the emerging queer studies minor and ensure the longevity and growth of ethnic studies programs like Africana studies, Chicana/o and Latina/o studies, American Indian studies, and Asian and Asian American studies;

2. Appoint a full-time staff coordinator for the campus LGBT Resource Center and each of the other cultural resource centers that serve students of African descent, Chicano and Latino students, indigenous students, and Asian Pacific Islander students.

3. Provide full institutional support for the LGBT Task Force and the African American, Chicano and Latino, and Asian Pacific Islander faculty and staff groups.

Even in an era of fiscal challenges, it is imperative that all members of the university come together to affirm our shared commitment to diversity and community engagement. These principles are central to the university’s mission of ensuring educational access and equity, promoting intellectual development regarding diversity issues and preparing students for careers in diverse settings.

The LGBT Task Force welcomes the opportunity to work more closely with the university administration to improve the campus climate through the fulfillment of the objectives regarding queer and ethnic minority studies departments, the LGBT Resource Center and other cultural resource centers, and the LGBT Task Force and other cultural faculty and staff groups.

-Kirstyn Yuk Sim Chun, Psy.D.
Clinical Psychologist and Assistant Professor
Counseling and Psychological Services

-Bianca D. M. Wilson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Psychology

-Raul Reis
Chair
Department of Journalism

This article was updated at 8:18 p.m. on 5/05/10.

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