Queers Stage a Sit-in at the University of Rhode Island

OCTOBER 2010

Students representing the GLBT Centre at The University of Rhode Island have staged a sit-in, to protest at what they claim is a lack of adequate response from the University's administration to issues of harassment and discrimination.

Protest spokesperson and campus Gay Straight Alliance president Brian Stack explained on local TV station NBC10 that GLBT students at the US East Coast University do not feel safe. He related that they face used condoms being thrown at their doors, offensive images drawn on whiteboards, and people routinely yelling "faggots" while driving past the University's GLBT Centre. 

At the time of writing this article, the unobstructive sit-in at the 24 hour reading room in the Kingston Campus Library had lasted almost a week. Stack told us "Sleeping in the 24-hour room is not the easiest of experiences. That and my mohawk gets into an awful state of disarray when I don't care for it. But I also learned a lot about how administrations work (more slowly than the should) ..."

A statement on the University's website describes future plans and steps that apparently have already been taken to increase support for GLBT students. Donald DeHayes, provost and v.p. for Academic Affairs, has met with the students and responded on TV that "The University is very sensitive to these issues and to the vulnerability of our GLBT students on campus." But Stack and others dont perceive any effective progress. He elaborated to us on September 29th that "the University for the last year have made promises and promises without any actual steps to address our concerns. We all know that the need is immediate and we were sick of waiting while still being harassed." 

Asked about whether the sit-in has proven worthwhile so far, Stack told us "Besides getting our reporting lines back, we've opened up a dialog about LGBTIQQ issues on campus, and we've seemed to open up some better communication between the students and administration. Hopefully more will be coming in the next couple days."