Gay students at USU to get campus 'ally'

Gay and lesbian students at Utah State University will soon have one more "ally" on campus.

The USU Faculty Senate this week threw its support behind a resolution that encourages faculty and staff to become an ally or extra touchstone for students who need to talk about gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues.

Similar efforts are under way at the University of Utah.

"I think the Faculty Senate voted wisely," USU President Kermit Hall said. "Conceptually, I think it's a step forward."

Implementation of a program resulting from the resolution would come through the provost's office.

One idea is for interested participants to post a symbol or sign outside their office door that indicates they are open to discussion of gay or lesbian matters. About 20 faculty members have come forward expressing an interest.

At the very least, Hall said, the resolution is a needed symbolic gesture.

"It is as valuable in its symbolism as it is in its action," he said. "The symbolism is that this is a welcoming community."

USU already has forums like the Gay and Lesbian Student Resource Center, Gay Pride Alliance and a group called R.O.S.I.E., which stands for "righteously open-minded sisters/supporters inclusive of everyone."

Other Utah colleges and universities have similar outreach groups and programs. But the concept of allies is relatively new in the state.

The U. is close to kicking off a "safe zone" program that would also use trained faculty and staff who identify their offices as safe zones by using a sticker depicting a pink triangle, an anti-homosexual symbol that emerged from Nazi Germany during World War II.

The safe zones are a more private way for students to connect with someone if they fear being "outed" in other settings, said Charles Milne of the U. Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Resource Center. The U. program would also encompass ethnicity and religious issues.

The U. also has a "Queer Peers" Web-based resource that allows people to e-mail questions to a peer network. And there is already talk of creating a separate ally program like USU's to specifically address gay and lesbian issues.

USU's new ally program, however, may be too little, too late for people like lesbian Jill Henderson, who was born and reared in the Salt Lake area.

She was a USU social work major in her junior year who said she dropped out this semester because of an atmosphere at the school and in Utah that is "inhumane" toward a gay or lesbian lifestyle.

Henderson, 31, moved to California this week, in search of a more open environment. The simple act of going to class, she says, was difficult for her.