Spelman College receives National props for their 1st LGBT Summit for HBCUs

Dr. Beverly Guy-Shefthall helped create the summit

The media is taking notice of Spelman College's efforts in addressing the LGBT community. Ever since their summit, more schools and students are finally getting involved with these issues on their campus.

Black Voices News reports

The Chronicle of Higher Education, National Public Radio, BET, and Color Lines News for Action are among the media outlets that wrote about the significance of the conference in dealing with gay and lesbian issues on Black college campuses.

Many observers, HBCU alumni, and fellow students commended Spelman administration as well as young panelists for leading the charge.

"Spelman College is leading HBCUs in opening up conversations about the needs and concerns of LGBT students," according to a column published in The Chronicle of Higher Education.

"These types of conversations need to take place on HBCU campuses throughout the nation," it continued. "For too long, gay and lesbian issues have been ignored at HBCUs, leaving behind a significant percentage of African-American students who are looking for support as they pursue their educations and develop their personal identities."

Dr. Beverly Guy-Shefthall, who helped spearhead the inaugural event, said she was "pleased and a little pleasantly surprised by the national coverage." She said the forum is just one of many initiatives she hopes to see in 2011.

This was a great start. HBCUs can not ignore or act slowly to LGBT issues or the students. It is a high priority for these colleges to address all students. Spelman has set the example, now let the education and development begin.

Spelman College host their 1st LGBT Summit for HBCUs

Spelman College did the damn thing. They host the 1st LGBT summit at their university for HBCUs (Historic Black Colleges and Universities).

Here's the scoop:

The conference, titled “Facilitating Campus Climates of Pluralism, Inclusivity, and Progressive Change at HBCUs,” is the first of its kind. Participants came from nine HBCUs to attend several panel discussions throughout the day on campus about LGBT communities and ways to create a more open climate at school for those who have alternative lifestyles.

“We hope that [the summit] will provide some leadership for HBCUs to address LGBT issues as it relates to students, faculty and staff,” said Dr. Beverly Guy-Sheftall, the founding director of the Women’s Research and Resource Center at Spelman. “We think that the public awareness will put the issue on the radar.”

Black colleges as a whole have been slower to take on this public dialogue on lesbian and gay issues for a few reasons.

“Some [schools] were founded with religious affiliation,” Guy-Sheftall explained. In addition, the relative silence on the issue seems to mirror the Black community’s attitude as a whole. “Black colleges are not different from African-American communities in general.”

One recent issue related to LGBT issues on HBCU campuses stands out. In 2009, Morehouse College, one of the summit participants, established  a controversial dress code, which banned students at the all-male institution from wearing clothing “associated with women’s garb (dresses, tunics, purses, pumps, etc.)” on the campus.

Guy-Sheftall says she’s seen other campuses have issues surrounding dress code. “But the biggest issue we’re facing on our campuses is [the lack of] open public dialogue,” she said. The suicide last year by a gay Rutgers University student, who jumped off a bridge last September after his sexual encounter with another man was streamed live unbeknownst to him, made the project more urgent, she continued, and the hope is to tackle intolerance on HBCU campuses, before it reaches that point.

According to BET.com several HBCUs attended like: Bennett College of Women, Howard University, Clark Atlanta University, Southern University, North Carolina Central University, Philander Smith College, Morehouse College and Morgan State University.

And all of the HBCUs will receive a packet with training info, programming ideas and other resources. This was a great move for HBCUs. It is very important for them to support their LGBT students and staff.

Hat tip to Rod 2.0 for the info and heads up