LETTER: Equality is not an agenda
In March, when I first heard of the University of Houston-Downtown student who had his personal medical information stolen revealing his HIV status on flyers posted on campus, I was outraged. I expressed this outrage in the previous issue of The Signal. I would like to reveal for you in greater detail the source for which this outrage is born. First, I would like to say I admire Mr. Sharp’s courage throughout this situation. He is focused not on anger, but on raising awareness and erasing the stigmas associated with HIV/AIDS. I can honestly say that I don’t think I would have handled this situation as well as he did.
My first bit of outrage was the use of the words “Homosexual Agenda” on the flyer. Nothing brings up the heat within me more than using the word agenda by saying things like “liberal agenda” or “feminist agenda.” With the fight in recent years for gay rights, and even historical fights against slavery and segregation, it is my view that equality is not an agenda – it is a basic human right! The smear campaign at UHD showed the how vicious humans can be. I believe that as a human race we are all inherently good. This is why Mr. Sharp’s call to erase the stigmas associated with HIV/AIDS is so important. Dr. Maya Angelou says that, “when you know better, you do better.” In my life, I have chosen to live those words, and I think they are words that all should live by. If we choose to learn about each other and therefore “know better,” we can most certainly do better. It is my firm belief that education and awareness can lead to a more open and accepting society. Acceptance is what we should strive for as a society, not tolerance.
Incidents like the one that happened at UHD bring to light the importance of having support systems in place for LGBTQ students. On our own campus there are support systems in place, but not many people realize they exist. Our campus has many Safe Zone Allies; these include Students, Faculty and Staff. Currently, our school is looking to fill the position of Women’s/LGBT coordinator within the office of IISS, a position that has been vacated since Summer 2012. It is crucial that whoever holds that position serve both the Women’s and LGBTQ population equally. I encourage every student to seek out the aforementioned services if they feel discriminated against or if they just need someone to talk. In addition to IISS, the Unity Club, UHCL’s Gay Straight Alliance is here to help. Please feel free to contact the Unity Club at unityclub.uhcl@gmail.com if we can support you in any way.
Colden A. Snow
Anthropology Major
Unity Club President
