Student Pushes for Temple’s First LGBT Resource Center
Temple media and communications major Michael Busza — who you may also know as creator of the local gay web series One of the Guys — is on a mission before he graduates in May to have a long-overdue LGBT resource center established on Temple’s campus.
To get the job done, he created a non-affiliated group called PRIDE Task Force, and put together a 21-page proposal that was presented at a gathering of Temple Student Government members on April 7th. The Temple News explains how the meeting went down:
[At the assembly] Busza’s task force stated that the reasons for a resource include the need for a place for students and faculty members to feel comfortable addressing the issues that are unique to the LGBTQ community. The proposal cites how issues like bullying and hate crimes are among the top concerns of the LGBTQ community.
“By supporting its [LGBTQ] population in the ongoing struggle for equality, Temple University validates the rights of all community members,” Busza said in the proposal. “The establishment of a professionally-staffed [LGBTQ] resource center represents the university’s understanding of the gay rights movement as the millennial generation’s continuation of the fight for civil rights.”
According to The Temple News, Dean of Students Stephanie Ives remarked that the school’s administrators “had a positive review of Busza’s proposal and will continue to look into the feasibility of such a project.” He has also garnered support from the Queer Student Union, the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance and the Residence Hall Association.
But a solid decision has yet to be made. In an email Busza told me that, “A brick-and-mortar center hasn’t been approved yet, but before I leave in May I’m trying to create a dialogue about the issue between the admin and the students and at least make sure I get the ball rolling on campus.”
He can put G Philly in the column of firm supporters. (I am a Temple grad, after all.) Follow @TUgetLOUD on Twitter for updates.
