Homosexual community left voiceless

JONATHAN BARNETT JEB724@CABRINI EDU ASST COPY EDITOR

CHRISTOPHER BLAKE CRB724@CABRINI EDU STAFF WRITER

“Anything that makes you different, people are going to find a problem with,” Bill Monahan said.

At first glance Monahan appears intimidating. Standing over 6 feet tall with jet-black hair and a thick straggly beard, he looks as if he has just jumped off his Harley Davidson motorcycle.

But his rainbow tie-dye bandanna seems to contradict his overall demeanor; it tells a story that words sometimes cannot. It adds character to his already colorful personality.

Monahan is a sophomore English and communication major at Cabrini College. He has been “out of the closet” since late in his high school career. Monahan explained that he has been very open about his sexual orientation during his time at Cabrini, but he does not feel that it should define him.

“Being gay is only a part of my life and sometimes it comes across that being gay is who I am. It seems that it is my identity, but it’s only part of my identity,” Monahan said.

There is something missing for Monahan, something that Cabrini’s campus does not pro- vide for him, at least not now.

Cabrini does not currently offer a Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) or any similar diversity club.

“Not having a group on campus has been difficult, but you find others. You find other groups and you move on. What is important is that you have somewhere and someone to call home and family,” Monahan said.

According to a brochure of Cabrini’s office of Student Development, the school “is committed to providing our students with an ‘education of the heart’ that facilitates their holistic development as individuals and helps them to grow in their concern for others.”

A major focus of Cabrini’s strategic five-year plan, which began in the 2007-2008 academic year, is to hire a Director of Diversity Initiatives. At present, the formation of a group dedicated to supporting gay students on campus is left to student initiative in the form of a club. In addition, the initiative may come

HOMOSEXUALITY, Page 3

Editorial

Whose to blame? Administration or students?

If you were a gay student in high school, looking at colleges, would you want to attend somewhere that didn’t have an organization or club that is dedicated to other gay students? If you did decide to come to Cabrini and once you were here and realized that you wanted a club that caters to you, would you want to start one?

On the other hand, how would you feel if you were walking down the hallway, and as you look to your right, you see two females kissing each other good-bye? Turning the corner, you then come to see two males hand-in-hand as they walk up the steps. How would that make you feel?

For some, the thought of being gay would never cross their mind, because in their minds it is unnatural. Others on the other hand may be quite comfortable with it, and prefer being with gay people and find their lifestyle intriguing.

Regardless of how one may feel, reality is there are many gay people in the world today, living, breathing and working around you.

Coming out of the closet could be the hardest thing a person could endure in their life. Depending on the situation they are in, the people around them could accept them or completely deny their choices.

Living at Cabrini may be a difficult obstacle to overcome for a gay student. With no available group to be a part of that supports their lifestyles, anyone may stay to themselves instead of interacting with others for fear of being mocked.

Why doesn’t Cabrini have a group that supports gay students? Is it because it’s a catholic school and they don’t agree with the decisions a gay person may make? Or is it because no students have been proactive enough to come forward and try to form a group? This is a good question to ask the candidates for the new president of Cabrini.

Other Catholic universities in the area have support groups for their gay community. St. Joseph’s, which is only a short distance from Cabrini, has a large group named S.T.O.P. that dedicates a week to gay pride. Why doesn’t Cabrini?

Growing up, we learned to accept everyone that we come in contact with. That is how our generation as well as the others that follows us perceive others. However, generations older than us have a less open mind when it comes to gay relationships.

Is it really the older generation with less open beliefs not allowing these kinds of organizations or is it the lack of student persuasion? If you are passionate about something, you should follow through and work hard for what you believe in.

Maybe it isn’t Cabrini administration discriminating against the gay community at all. Looking at other groups on campus, such as organizations that support eating disorders or depression are out there, started by adults are all on Cabrini’s campus.

From hearing about interviews with different gay people around Cabrini, they are not looking for an organization through counseling services. If they wanted counseling they would go to a psychiatrist. Organizations to better the students and overall feeling of the campus are important for a college or university to survive. It’s up to the students however to bring about these changes wanted.