When Erin Griffin walks hand in hand with her girlfriend on campus, she knows she'll get stares.

"We just kind of touch each other briefly, and people kind of give you strange looks," the international area studies senior said. "They do a double take if they don't stare at you."

Students like Griffin are part of a debate on how accepted gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students truly are at OU.

Gay Awareness Week began Monday, an event that Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Friends club hopes will increase awareness of everyday issues facing gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students and open discussion between students.

Michael Troxel, president of GLBTF, said he hopes the week will promote tolerance among diverse students.

"It's the personal connection that comes from discussion and learning about these topics with people you interact with every day that ultimately dispels myths and stereotypes," Troxel said.

Bret Gaither, former president of GLBTF, said he knows people who feel they are not in a safe environment in Oklahoma to be open.

"They're like, 'We're in Oklahoma. You don't come out in Oklahoma,'" Gaither said.

Still, Gaither said he feels OU students are accepting, and even those who are considered "staunch Republican" and "conservative" are not going to cause problems for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students.

However, Sara Shadaram, zoology sophomore who identifies herself as bisexual, said she knows several people who don't feel comfortable coming out. She said that although she is not concerned with hate crimes, her relationships are sometimes uncomfortable because of her sexuality.

"Just being not hated or discriminated against is enough for some people, but if you have to be careful who you talk to -- that's not acceptance," Shadaram said.

Paula Sophia Schonauer, a transgender activist from Oklahoma City, said the level of acceptance of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in Oklahoma is a two-prong issue.

"Some religious leaders and politicians like to be very vocally against GLBT people," Schonauer said. "So, the public attitude in the state is hostile."

But she also said Oklahoma is a hospitable state and the majority of her experiences with people in one-on-one situations has been good.

A student who chose not to give his real name, but will be referred to as Jonathan, said as a black gay student, he cannot be completely honest with most of his friends.

"Just growing up in Oklahoma, there's not as many gay people here," he said. "Some people say they don't care, but they really do care."

He said he doesn't tell most people because he thinks they would not treat him as an equal.

Sarah McEntire, public relations junior who identifies herself as heterosexual, said she has many gay friends and thinks gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students should be considered normal members of the community.

"They are still people's boyfriends and girlfriends, sons and daughters, best friends, students --- everything that is normal," McEntire said.

Some students' moral issues with homosexuality prevent them from being accepting. Jake Schoeffler, business management junior, said he doesn't accept homosexuality, but he believes gay students shouldn't be treated differently than anyone else.

"If they are going to be gay, it's their personal business. They shouldn't make it our business," Schoeffler said.

Schonauer said she encourages gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students to clear up misconceptions by fostering diverse relationships and confronting differences.

"The best way for GLBT people in Oklahoma to try to minimize the public hostility would be to let their friends, neighbors and coworkers get to know them as they are," Schonauer said. "That's what GLBT people can do -- show our humanity and not quiver in the closet."

Fighting for a Voice

When Troxel became president of GLBTF, the first thing he did was e-mail Prospective Student Services to ask what resources were available at OU.

In response, Troxel received an e-mail telling him to contact the GLBTF -- the organization of which he was now president.

Troxel said that was the day he realized the GLBTF student organization was OU's only outlet for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.

Gaither has met with Rennie Cook, director of Student Life, to talk about the issue. Cook said that every year students discuss starting an additional gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender -centered organization, and Student Life is supportive of those efforts.

But Cook said he has found that as gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students feel more accepted by the community, the interest in having a group seems to fade.

Tiffany Speaks, adviser of GLBTF, asked about 40 students about their experiences at OU.

"They all said OU's environment was so much better than their high school, and they felt like they could be more open about their sexuality at OU," Speaks said.

Student Life consistently conducts needs assessments and evaluates the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community along with the needs of other diverse groups, Cook said. He meets with Troxel once a month to talk about gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues, but Troxel said, it's unfair to use him to represent every gay student on campus.

"I really can't say a damn thing for the whole community. I can only represent one single student organization," Troxel said.

Although the students in the organization may feel accepted, Blaz Bush, drama sophomore, said he doesn't think the rest of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students at OU would agree.

Bush said a great majority of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community is not active in the student organization, so it shouldn't be a representation of the homosexual community on campus.

There are more than 360 registered student organizations on campus, and Cook said any student who would like to start a new organization similar to GLBTF is welcome to do so.

Gaither said he doesn't necessarily want another student organization; he wants representation equal to that of other minority groups. Student Life has representation for groups like Latinos, Asian Americans and American Indians, and Gaither is only hoping for this type of representation for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender minority group.

Gaither is hoping OU will eventually have representation outside of the student organization because, as president last year, he dealt with things that shouldn't have been his responsibility.

Gaither and Troxel are trying to initiate a staff position within OU so there's always someone present to represent the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community with a library and a variety of resources such as information on social groups, support groups and future events.

Without this resource available to students, Gaither said GLBTF takes the role of answering the calls of students who need advice.

"You have students coming in to talk to us and we're saying, 'Here, go to this therapist.' That's so much responsibility," Gaither said. "That's kind of scary, having students liable for students."

After discussing the issue with Cook and Clarke Stroud, vice president for Student Affairs and dean of students, Gaither said he's fed up. He has plans to start a petition and meet with OU President David L. Boren in the future.

Stroud said Gaither has to bring him a written proposal of exactly what he wants to see happen and then they can talk about funding.

"Whatever approach we take, it has to fit in with the different initiatives that we fund within the division [of Student Affairs]," Stroud said.

Stroud said he understands the group's concerns and OU is doing what it can to make everyone feel comfortable.

"Our goal is to support all of our students at OU, and we're doing our best to represent the students' interests," Stroud said.
hello there & you too