by Dani Norton
Staff writer
Students Lyndsey Lamar and Marie Halbrooks have co-founded the Gay-Straight Alliance, an organization that welcomes individuals, regardless of sexual orientation, a place to socialize and to feel accepted.
The GSA held their first meeting on March 16 where co-chairs Halbrooks and Lamar shared their vision of the organization’s purpose and future with those in attendance, summarized in the penning of an official mission statement.
The purpose of SE’s GSA will be to “provide a safe and respectful environment for all students and faculty, regardless of LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) status. By creating a strong social support network and advocating for issues concerning the LGBTQ community, we hope to create understanding and awareness everywhere we go,” the statement read.
For co-founder Lamar, this mission statement is one of personal struggle and high hopes.
“I really wanted to give people a place where they could be themselves and feel accepted regardless of their sexual orientation. I know we’ve all felt like we’re alone at some point in this big world, and if I can make at least one person feel like he or she is a part of something and make a difference in his or her life, it’ll make this entire experience worthwhile,” she said.
During the first meeting, GSA made several key decisions about how the organization would operate.
The members unanimously decided to start the process of becoming an official SE organization, which would allow them to receive funding in addition to qualifying them to be recognized on the national level as part of the Gay Straight Alliance Network.
The GSA Network is a youth leadership organization that helps schools connect with each other through their own GSA groups. According to the GSA Network website, the organization provides a framework of community and support to those schools interested in starting a chapter.
Part of that process includes finding a faculty adviser. Art, Communication and Theatre Chair Dell McLain attended that same meeting and confirmed that he would serve as adviser. He also indicated that several other faculty members had expressed interest in supporting the organization.
The GSA also decided that their membership would be open to faculty and staff as well as individuals from the surrounding area who aren’t associated with the university, especially high school students.
Halbrooks pointed to the growing number of teen suicides as a result of bullying. She said she hopes that providing area teenagers with a safe, supportive environment like the GSA will help to alleviate some of the feelings of alienation and fear young gay people can feel.
Shortly after the March 16 meeting, the co-founders and a handful of members took a trip to OSU to attend the First Annual Oklahoma LGBT College Summit on March 31.
Co-sponsored by The Equality Network Institute and the American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma, the summit provided information about effective media messaging, ways to advocate for LGBT issues and also how to start and sustain a GSA.
Lamar said that SE’s GSA had the opportunity to speak with Laura Belmonte, co-founder of TEN Institute and Penny J. Reynolds from Allied Oklahoma, among others.
According to their website, TEN Institute is Oklahoma’s “advocacy organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender political and legal rights.”
Belmonte spoke with the group about presenting an advocacy seminar at SE. She and her staff would come to campus and give an hour long presentation about how students can get involved in LGBTQ political issues.
Reynolds founded Rose State College’s first GSA in 2010, and Lamar said she told the students she was glad they were bringing a GSA to the Durant area and encouraged them to continue to work hard.
Additionally, Lamar said she and other members were able to meet with ECU’s GSA. The two groups plan on collaborating for future events.