The UMDSTATESMAN.WP.D.UMN.EDU/
LGBTQ minor takes off this fall
Statesman UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA DULUTH
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2015
The silenced victims
See story on B1. MADDIE
GINSBERG/STATESMAN
Engwall’s corn maze opens in Hermantown
See story on B3. BRAD EISCHENS/ STATESMAN
vs. Student Conduct
ILLUSTRATION BY WILL MADISON
BY KAHLA STATEMA Staff Reporter
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY NICOLE BRODZIK AND HANNAH BROADBENT/STATESMAN
TRASNGENDER STUDENT SHARES STORY OF SEXUAL ASSAULT BY HANNAH BROADBENT News Editor
According to an article by Al Jazeera America, 42 percent of students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning (LGBTQ) reported having been sexually assaulted. Taylor, a UMD student, is one of those students, except Taylor has never reported their sexual assault story. Taylor has asked that we do not use their real name. Taylor is a pansexual person and identifies using the gender pronouns they and them. This means that Taylor does not identify as either gender, rather a neutral gender. Taylor has been attending UMD since they were 16 years old and a junior in highschool. They were a PostSecondary Education Opportunity (PSEO) student senior year as well. Taylor met a 19-yearold heterosexual male student on campus. At that time Taylor identified as a bisexual woman. “I was like, wow he’s older, wow he’s cool and I’m still this little high school student,” Taylor said. The first time he and Taylor hung out they got high together. “He started touching me and honestly, I was just really excited that this older person was into me,” Taylor said. “I was like, yeah we
can do this.” saying no to you.” At this time Taylor Taylor said the man was also working on knew that they had their sexual identity. been identifying as a After a few times of lesbian at that point hanging out together and he kept pushing Taylor had decided to anyway. identify as a lesbian. “I think it tends to “There were a cou- come from some sort ple of instances where of hypermasculinity,” he was kind of scary,” Taylor said. Taylor said. According to the Taylor explained a Human Rights Camtime when he came paign, 44 percent of over to their house lesbian women have when their mom was experienced rape and/ gone. He started being or physical violence. really touchy and was Taylor didn’t realize trying to have sex with it was rape at the time. them. “We aren’t taught “I was like, no I that if you don’t want to don’t want to have sex do it and you’re doing right now, it just that’s not because something you want I want to get I experienced to do,” Taysomeone lor said, firsthand a non- off your though he back that kept try- violent assault, I that isn’t ing. After rape but it suppose. a while absolutely he gave - Taylor, student is,” Tayup and lor said. moved to Ta y l o r a different also said seat in the room where that they weren’t out he said the most terri- at the time so that also fying thing he could: attributed to their not “You’re lucky I am reporting it because such a nice guy.” At they didn’t know exactthat time Taylor knew ly what it was. that he wasn’t a nice Taylor thinks that a guy. Taylor still hung lot of reporting doesn’t out with him after that happen because people which they attribute to aren’t out yet, theretheir low self-esteem at fore they feel they the time. can’t report it. Also “There were a few there have been sexuother times where we al assault agencies that would be hanging out have been known to and I would say no and not be queer friendly. he would keep pushing “I want people to and I’d say no and then know that you do have he’d wait an hour and an ally,” Taylor said, start pushing again,” naming the Women’s Taylor said. “I’d be Resource and Action like whatever, we’re Center (WRAC) as going to have sex now well as the Program for because I’m tired of Aid to Victims of Sex-
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Volleyball Remains Dominant
Employee
What’s the same and what’s different
BY AISLING DOHENY News Editor
This fall semester, two courses towards an LGBTQ Minor are being offered here at UMD. The minor was finalized into the University of Minnesota system last year after years of proposing and planning. “This semester, for the LGBTQ minor, we have two courses that are being offered,” assistant professor for the Department of Women’s Studies George Hoagland said, “Women’s Studies (WS) 1000, Intro to Women’s and Gender Studies and the other is WS 2001, Intro to LGBTQ Studies.” One section of Hoagland’s WS 1000 class is fully online and WS 2001 is partially online. The courses have Women’s Studies designators but that will change in the spring when the LGBTQ designator becomes active. Currently Hoagland is the only professor teaching courses related to the LGBTQ minor. “When we created this minor we were thinking of in-house capacity. We wanted to keep it small to make sure we can do everything we can right now,” Hoagland said. The LGBTQ Studies minor is 16 credits, see story on A4
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ual Assault (PAVSA) as resources. It took Taylor three years to talk about it, which is when they realized that it was in fact rape. “I experienced firsthand a non-violent assault, I suppose,” Taylor said. Taylor said that there is an idea that sexual assault involves yelling no and always some sort of violent force, when really that’s not always how it happens. “I didn’t say yes, and I didn’t want to do it-and that’s what rape is,” Taylor said. “Now I can help other people better who might be confused if they were assaulted,” Taylor said. They graduate in the fall and plan to apply to be a PAVSA advocate. As for reporting, Taylor said that it depends on who you are and what you want to deal with. They said that it can be a process and add a lot of other emotional burdens after dealing with an already stressful situation. “But I think that people need to know that they can’t get away with it. They need to know something is going to happen to them because they hurt someone else,” Taylor said. Taylor encourages people to report, but you don’t have to shame yourself in doing so. “I just want people to be okay and know they’re not alone,” Taylor said.
If a university employee or student violates the code of conduct, action must be taken and consequences will be enforced. Because the relationship between UMD and its employees is different than it is with its students, there must be different policies for the two. For both university employees and students, the Board of Regents policies apply to anything that directly affects the university occurring on or off campus. UMD recognizes the University of Minnesota Board of Regents Code of Conduct Policy. It applies to members of the Board of Regents, faculty, staff and any other person employed through the University. According to the code of conduct for university employees, one must be “committed to the highest ethical standards of conduct and integrity.” More specifically, UMD faculty are governed by the University Education Association (UEA). The UEA has their own contract. Conduct that is covered in the UEA contract includes harassment and discrimination. see story on A3
Light Duluth Teal
Enger Tower last week, see more photos on A3. BRAD EISCHENS/STATESMAN