Why Lesbians, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Housing in University Is a Bad Idea - Essay Example

LGBT Housing Lesbians, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGTB) individuals are facing a lot of challenges including being isolated, discrimination, and unequal treatment among others in society. And recently, there has been a considerable debate in universities whether it is right to build LGTB housing. Personally speaking, I believe LGBT housing is a bad idea in university because of its negative implications for the broader university community, which gives student negative perception to create unrest lead to the academic failure with the disconnection; and it also bring the health problem, like HIV, and substance abuse. In addition, when LGBT group are put together will eventually cause emotional pain, as well as physical strains, because of other rejection by peoples, and they feel like that they are special to others. LGBT housing, at first, is intended to bring this group a safe environment, but it creates discrimination naturally. At first, LGBT housing will bring many comforts for those people identified as LGBT. According to Cochran Maia Barry Magee, who is the Director of Resident Life, argues that housing LGTB will create an environment where allies of LGTB group as well as the individuals who are identified as LGTB coming together and give comfortable conversations. In addition, Barry Magee said that housing of LGBT would create a safer atmosphere in the campus for the LGBT community by bringing the community together. However, according to Lee who is a doctor and a local in internal medicine Cleveland Clinic Foundation and whose future plan is to practice general internal medicine by emphasizing on LGBT health, rather than creating a safe environment, housing of LGTB may bring discrimination on the Campus. Academic researchers argue that the main type of discrimination and especially in a school environment is a negative perception. The perception that a particular group of the individuals is more important than that another will cause students unrest. Housing of LGBT may offer a transparent base for comparing beliefs; personal behaviors as well as an identity that will make students have a negative perception on each other. As a result of the safety of the student will reduce. In most cases, actions that may be conducted towards schoolmates, classmates among others may end up being evaluated on the basis of LGBT to ensure that there is no form of discrimination that against either of the campus student (Lee 205). Lee, who is a doctor and a local in internal medicine Cleveland Clinic Foundation, asserts that the future plan is to practice general internal medicine by emphasizing on LGBT health. When students are obviously divided into two groups on campus, it will disconnect to them and create a barrier by which students will be interacting in academic in class. University could build LGBT housing to bring this group to a relatively safe place, but it is impossible to bring them into the same classroom. Furthermore; interaction between people will create good relationships. In order to raise the self-esteem of students and more importantly in their way of expression students are required to capitalize on interaction According to La Douse who publicly mentions the dangers of LGBT is a professor of Anthropology Elizabeth and Ms Lee who served as a director of Abercrombie Co. , self-esteem in school enables students to comfortably achieve their better performers on campus and as a result making them focus their target to their academic improvements. For instance, it will be exceptionally peculiar to find a member of LGBT community interacting, leave alone taking an academic project together with others for fear of discrimination. In some situations, some lecturers may be forced to divide student into groups for discussions while, in other cases, these groups may be assigned outside classroom assignment. Due to a weak relationship that is between the LGBT students and the not –LGBT, academic performance is significantly influenced. Alternatively, professors may be required to form educational groups or any activity that must be performed in groups based on LGBT (Lee and LaDousa 138). The housing of LGBT means protecting the LGBT community from any harassment by bringing them together. However, when LGBT group have more chance to get together by stay in this particular building, it will increase some health problems among LGBT group. According to (Cochran), housing will demand of the formation of an LGBT anti-harassment team. Such level of protection will encourage more individual to join the community. There are various health harms that are associated with LGBT including STIs, HIV/AIDs among others. Physicians argue same-sex individuals are at a greater risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases than heterosexual individuals. For instance, gay sex exposes the men to a greater risk of contracting diseases. Human physiology makes it clear that the anus was not designed to accommodate the sexual activities; it is easier to being transmitted disease and being damaged. And from the biological perspective, the Gay sexual behavior goes against the biblical law. And the sexual behavior, in other hand designed for reproduction to make continue race. In other words, homosexual obstruct the race continue. For instance, because gays, lesbians among others claim that they are protected, they may get the misconception being protected, and thus transforming the campus into an avenue for their sexual activities. An increase in these sexual activities in a school can be considerably tragic to the university and the society as a whole (Lee and LaDousa 137). LGBT housing creates health problem as well as encouraging substance abuse. A considerable number of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, as well as transgender, put up fear of stigmatization. Very few individuals have the courage to be identified as a lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. In addition, the greater part of them does not seek heath advice or health care due their negative experience. This is because most LGBT patients are rarely asked about their sexual orientation. Most physicians, as well as health professionals, tend to assume that their patients are heterosexual, homophobic as well as hostile thus preferring to avoid the issue of sexual orientation. Therefore, a greater part of them get consolation by abusing drugs. Report on drugs and alcohol and drug abuse in the LGTB suggest that more than one-third of the population is affected by alcohol and drug abuse. In addition, the report accounts for the major differences in the frequency of drug abuse and the drinking pattern of the LGBT with that of heterosexuals. The report suggested that the greater part of these LGBT is alcoholics and substance abusers, recovering alcoholics or recovering drug addict. Housing does not offer full protection that students are required to have in relation to discrimination, interactions with others (Lee 405). Rita Lee, who is an expert in discrimination matters and a published writer at the western Journal of Medicine, bases her claims on the violence against LGBT she witnessed in California. Build LGBT housing is expensive for university especially in the economic downfall. Regardless of the mission, the movement cost is a very critical element to be considered. Every activity that requires fund necessitates authorization from the relevant authorities. These authorities include the head of departments, the boards of directors, and the schools management among other individuals. Recently, a nationally recognized organization that is dedicated to making universities safe hands and more inclusive spaces for LGBT individuals indicated that most universities are failing to provide financial support to carry out campaigns regarding LGBT. And consider that, it is easy to put all sexual identity students in a house, but it hard to have a large number of LGBT student in a typical building. Among the main reason, universities and colleges may be reluctant to support housing to LGBT is fear of ruining their reputation The greater part of universities may be reluctant to finance LGBT as they consider the movement as not serving the interest of the broader university community (Witten and Eyler 45). Let us turn to university perspective from students’ aspect of benefit. LGBT housing not only bring the natural discrimination by bring the negative perception to create unrest and disconnect student in academic aspect, but also encourage immorality. According Stanley, who is a professor and counselor at Texas Tech University, every activity in the University must adhere to the set of laws and regulations of the campus. Housing of LGTB means that the management of the university has entirely permitted LGTB in the university. Although, LGTB may be practiced in quite a number of University Campus, a considerable number of universities do not allow LGTB especially the religion based universities. However, there are a considerable number of states that have the law to permitted Gay marriage. Despite the fact that every individual right have to be respected, most universities consider it unethical to allow LGTB in universities and especially housing them. For instance, a greater part of universities that are administered by a religious foundation may disregard LGTB housing. The decision to provide housing to LGBT is a very critical decision. The management may be required to consider the repercussions of permitting the act. For instance, permitting LGBT can result in high levels of immorality in the campus environment including lesbianism, bisexual, and transgenderism among others activities. A significant increase in LGBT will counteract the core purpose of the campus. Although, LGBT may be moral, it may not be considered moral to every university administration. (Stanley). Apart from being a professor, Stanley is also the senior LGBT counselor in the University. According to Witten and Eyler (14), many religions in the United States are against legalization of LGBT not only on Universities or campuses but also in the society. Witten is a doctor and an LGBT, health specialist. Eyler is also an author and an LGBT specialist. A significant number of universities in the United States are based on the religious principle. In other words, regardless of how right a situation may appear to be, if the activity does not adhere to the religious belief and practices in the campus, the management of the school may be reluctant to authorize this kind of activity leave alone provide financial support. Over the last years, various religions have been considering support for the LGBT as a bad activity in the society as well as in campus. Various religions, especially Christianity entirely support sacred relationships where individuals of different sex get married and get together to form a family. Any activity that goes against this fact is considered to be evil irrespective of the supporters (Witten and Eyler 132). It is evident that housing of LGBT is bad on the basis of academic performance, religious conflict, cost, immorality, substance abuse and discrimination. Most school administrations do not like to cause uproar among the majority non-LGBT community due to the support of the LGBT community. Housing of the group is a sensitive issue that bears many negatives Works Cited Cochran, Maia. Proposed LLC to support LGBTQ community. 12 August 2014. http://www.idsnews.com/article/2014/12/proposed-llc-to-support-lgbtq-community. 15 April 2015. Lee, Elizabeth M. and Chaise LaDousa. College Students’ Experiences of Power and Marginality: Sharing Spaces and Negotiating Differences. New York: Routledge, 2015. Document. Lee, Rita. "Health care problems of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender patients." Western Journal of Medicine (2000): 403–408. Document. Stanley,Kim. LGBTQ Pamphlet. 2007. http://www.depts.ttu.edu/scc/virtual_library/lgbtq.php.15 April 2015. Witten, Tarynn. M and A Evan Eyler. Gay,Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Aging: Challenges in Research, Practice, and Policy. Florida: JHU Press, 2012. Book. Read More