Religious leaders and other allies are struggling to fill the gap left by the loss of the vital LGBTQ+ resource center.
At the University of Houston, students and faculty alike are still reeling from the impacts of Senate Bill 17. The law, which was approved by the state Legislature earlier this year, effectively banned campus programs that catered to diverse student populations.
As an LGBTQ+ student leader, she made frequent use of the center for a wide variety of events, from ice cream socials to candid talks about struggles with identity. When Corey Sanders, former vice president of GLOBAL and a notable student leader in both the Black and LGBTQ+ communities, passed away in October of last year, Tollman and others were left reeling. As they scrambled to try to hold together their own emotions and organize the logistics of his funeral, the Resource Center became a rock to stand upon. Tollman said that within a day of his passing, staff had offered not only to host Sanders’ memorial but to help organize it.
Many LGBTQ+ students are more likely to wince than to grin when religion is brought up. Years of oppression at the hands of religious leaders and organizations is not an easy legacy to shake off, especially in the Bible Belt. But the University of Houston is actually one of only four universities in the country to host an interfaith religion center.
Though their plans have not been finalized yet, Graves was sure to emphasize their desire to create a safe space for students as they attempt to carry on the legacy of the LGBTQ+ Resource Center. Since they are not university employees, they are not restricted by SB 17. Drawing on a history of student activism including Students for a Democratic Society and other groups active in the 1960s, Martin initiated the movement with the goal of forming a student walkout and halting the university until their demands were met.
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