By KRIS VENEZIA

STAFF WRITER

A new study will be released next Wednesday that aims to encourage change and more support for Fordham’s Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, Transgender, Queer (LBGTQ) community.

Jeff Lockhart, FCRH’13, the principal investigator for the report, said he hopes the data will open students’ eyes to the issues some sexual and gender minority students experience.

“There’s a lot that doesn’t get talked about and doesn’t get seen,” Lockhart said. “It’s harder to understand that there is a community problem if you don’t really see it.”

The study, The Que(e)ry, had 351 participants from all Fordham campuses, and a little more than half the students were in the sexual or gender minority. People involved in the report took a survey that asked a series of questions regarding experiences with or as a student in the LBGTQ community.

The survey also had comment boxes that gave participants the opportunity to expand on personal experiences in their lives. Lockhart said he was moved by some of the responses he read.

“To really understand what the numbers mean, it’s really useful to have [participants’] words,” he said. “Some [comments] were the happiest things I’ve read in years, and some were the saddest I’ve read in years. They are all mixed together, so one comment will be uplifting and one may be depressing. There’s so much power in what people have written and the experiences they’ve had.”

The report found that half of sexual or gender minority students at Fordham are not out to their families, and 16 percent are not out to any friends.

Joe Lynch, FCRH ’13, has an older brother who came out a few years ago. He said that after finding out someone close to him was part of the LBGTQ community, he made a change to his vocabulary.

“I used to say [it’s gay], but my brother is homosexual so I don’t say it anymore,” Lynch said. “I hear the word gay used [negatively] all the time. [People] have all become desensitized to it in a way.”

Martin McCormack, FCRH’15, said he uses the word “gay” but is also trying to get the word out of his everyday language.

“I use [that’s gay] because it’s become such a habit and because the word itself doesn’t bear any meaning; it’s just how I grew up,” McCormack said. “I’m more conscious of it now and more aware about it. Now I’m trying to change my vocabulary, but I say [gay] quite often.”

Jeff Lockhart said he wants this study to encourage students to substitute slurs such as “gay” or “fag” for other words because the language can be hurtful.

“We find that [sexual-or-gender minority people] who are uncomfortable are likely to smile and not do anything, and people around will think that the [gay slurs] are okay,” Lockhart said. “The more the language gets talked about, the more people will realize they should be careful what they say because even if they mean well, the people around might not think the same way.”

Lynch and McCormack said they have not seen any verbal or physical harassment towards students in the LBGTQ community on campus.

Lockhart said some of the results from the survey do reflect harassment on campus, including offensive language written on students’ whiteboards or walls.

He added that there has already been some backlash from the report.

“Some straight male students took the study and put things in there that [the report] was completely pointless, a waste of time,” he said. “Just a lot of hostility like why are you even trying, this isn’t even a problem. One person is whatever, but it was definitely enough people where there was a pattern.”

Lockhart said only a small number of students attacked the survey, and the Fordham community has been supportive for the most part.

The official publication will be released to the Fordham community April 17, and on April 23, there will be a town hall meeting at the Rose Hill Ballroom to discuss the findings.

Lockhart said the results will show a wide variety of experiences and viewpoints amongst the LBGTQ community, and the few people who have already seen The Que(e)ry have had a positive response.

“As per our observations, the people who have seen the document have responded well and want to be a part of moving this effort forward,” he said. “People are definitely taking it seriously and people respect the results.”