Less than two weeks ago, Alabama’s Chief Justice Roy Moore made anti-gay remarks in a custody battle involving a lesbian mother. He called homosexuality “abhorrent, detestable and evil.”
In his official opinion, he also said, “if a person openly engages in such practices, that fact alone renders him or her an unfit parent.”
Last fall, anti-gay activist Fred Phelps visited the U spreading his hatred of homosexuals.
In order to combat these attitudes, the U created the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Resource Center. Before the center could start planning its programming, it needed an adviser. Four months after the Oct. 31 application deadline, the center has finally found its leader.
After a nation-wide search, the U hired Kristin Rushforth to head the resource center in mid-February.
“I’m thrilled to be here,” she said. “I’m really excited to be back in a campus environment.”
Rushforth has a master’s degree in women’s studies with an emphasis in queer theory, and has more than seven years teaching at schools including Brigham Young University and Ohio State University. However, for the past two years, she has worked as a flight attendant for Delta Airlines.
When she walked in to the resource center, she felt like she had come home.
“I was made to feel so comfortable. People have been so welcoming,” she said.
She’s excited to work with college students on an issue she is passionate about, Rushforth said.
“There’s a lot of bigotry and discrimination against LGBT people that still exists,” she said. “Homophobia is still pervasive in our society.”
She feels part of the purpose of the resource center is to end homophobia.
“One of our roles is to educate the entire campus community about LGBT concerns and eliminate homophobia and prejudice against LGBT people,” she said.
The other main reason for the center is to provide a refuge for LGBT students, Rushforth said.
“We’re here to provide a safe haven for LGBT students who may not feel comfortable expressing themselves in a classroom or social setting,” she said. “We’re here for students to get support and not be judged for their sexual orientation or practices.”
Rushforth has been in the center for about two weeks, but she is quickly learning the ropes.
“The first task at hand is to assess the needs of the campus. I’m still in that phase,” she said. “I want to find out how to reach the members of the LGBT community with the most meaningful programs possible to help them through their college careers.”
She hopes to have a lot of programming accomplished in about six months.
“By next fall I hope to have weekly activities. By then I hope to have found what’s needed and what the most useful types of outreach are,” she said.
Currently, the center offers a resource center and a Queer Peer Counseling program. The program allows a student who is going through the coming out process to talk to a student who has already gone through the process.
This fall, the center received a $20,000 grant from the Gill Foundation, which makes donations to LGBT and AIDS foundations across the country. The rest of the funding comes from the U.