Nelson 1

Taylor Nelson
English 106
Ms. B
3-14-14

LGBTQA+ Strives for Equality

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+ meeting. She interviewed several
students, participated in group events, and observed the actions of the organization to find out
how the group interacts and what the group discussed. 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 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.
Nelson 2

During the group meeting on Wednesday March 5
th
, the group discussed the history of
sexualities and about equality in the media and in movies. The group participated in an activity
to learn about the history of sexualities.
The members tossed a ball to who was going to speak next to fulfill 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 they did not know.
The group was over all stumped about the handkerchief code. The group leader informed
the group that the handkerchief code was widely 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 coming out, 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 strait white players.
Nelson 3

The group then went on to discuss that that if they were searching for equality then they
should be glad the gay men are able to act and be taken as serious as a straight male. The
members also discussed how it was insulting to have gay stereotypes being the main thing
portrayed when most gay members cannot be picked out of a group.
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 pointed out that media is going to play to what people
want. If a large group of white males are watching a show that is about African Americans and
slavery, then they probably wont be interested because they cannot relate to it.
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.
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,
Nelson 4

Virginia, and Oklahoma. In late 2013 Utah, New Mexico, and Hawaii also passed laws allowing
homosexual marriages.
Taylor 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 to
talk to the students, a large party to have fun and greet new members, and a week-long safe zone
training about safe zone and trusting each other.
The members also stated that the members are very good friends and communicate very
often. They use several different ways to communicate socially and for the organization. The
students use social media sites such as Facebook, tumbler, and twitter as long as sending emails,
and texting.


LGBTQA+ banner to show sexual diversity on Purdue campus