The
      Continuing
      Struggle
      for
      Diversity
      at
      UPEI
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Sarah
      Murphy
     
     
      _
      UPEL
      is
      not
      safe
      for
      its
      gay,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      |
      lesbian,
      bisexual,
      and
      transgen-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      dered
      (GLBT)
      youth.
     
    

    
     
      UPEI
      is
      one
      of
      the
      only
     
     
      Canadian
      university
      campuses
     
     
      which
      does
      not
      provide
      a
      safe
     
     
      space
      for
      GLBT
      students,
      faculty,
     
     
      and
      staff.
     
    

    
     
      “There
      really
      hasn’t
      been
      a
     
     
      lot
      done
      in
      the
      community
      up
      until
     
    
   
   
    
     
      this
      point,
      said
      UPEI
      alumnus
      Sue
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Rodgers,
      who
      with
      the
      help
      of
     
     
      UPEI
      professor
      Nola
      Etkin
      spear-
     
     
      headed
      the
      creation
      of
      the
     
     
      Abegweit
      Rainbow
      Collective
     
     
      (ARC)
      Youth
      Project.
     
    

    
     
      It
      has
      always
      been
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      thought
      within
      ARC,
      which
      started
     
     
      over
      a
      year
      ago,
      that
      such
      a
      youth
     
    
   
   
    
     
      project
      be
      created,
      said
      Rodgers.
     
     
      Despite
      her
      enthusiasm
      for
      the
      the
     
     
      enterprise,
      she
      is
      conscious
      of
      the
     
     
      risks
      involved.
     
    

    
     
      “AS
      soon
      as
      as
      you
      talk
     
     
      about
      gay
      and
      lesbian
      youth,
     
     
      Rodgers
      explained,
      “people
     
     
      assume
      you
      are
      a
      pedophile;
      they
     
     
      assume
      you
      are
      recruiting.”
      Such
     
     
      assumptions
      have
      already
      been
     
     
      made
      about
      Rodgers
      who
      admits
     
     
      this
      unjust
      label
      was
      one
      of
      the
     
     
      organizers’
      biggest
      concerns.
     
    

    
     
      The
      ARC
      is
      not
      working
     
     
      alone.
      With
      funding
      from
      Health
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Canada
      and
      through
      dialogue
      with
      -
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      minister
      of
      education,
      the
      col-
     
     
      lective
      hope
      is
      to
      begin
      raising
     
     
      awareness
      and
      to
      provide
      a
      safe
     
     
      haven
      for
      young
      adults
      coming
      to
     
     
      terms
      with
      their
      sexual
      orientation.
     
     
      Already,
      ARC
      provides
      informal
     
     
      meeting
      the
      first
      Saturday
      of
      every
     
     
      month.
     
     
      Education
      is
      a
      must.
     
     
      “Right
      now
      classrooms
      are
     
     
      Ot
      safe
      [for
      GLBT
      youth],”
      said
     
     
      Odgers.
      “95%
      of
      students
      have
     
     
      card
      homophobic
      slurs
      in
      the
     
     
      lassroom,
      and
      most
      of
      the
      slurs
     
     
      ome
      from
      the
      teachers.”
      Teachers,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      staff
      and
      councillors
      must
      be
      edu-
     
     
      cated
      and
      we
      must
      make
      sure
      they
     
     
      are
      not
      closed
      minded,
      insisted
     
     
      Rogders,
      a
      teacher
      herself.
      “We
     
     
      must
      change
      attitudes.”
     
    

    
     
      _
      Rodgers
      said
      she
      has
      talked
     
     
      to
      the
      university,
      and
      will
      be
      pre-
     
     
      senting
      at
      the
      health
      fair.
      There
      are
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ment,
      the
      organizers
      of
      the
      student
     
     
      health
      fair,
      were
      a
      little
      apprehen-
     
     
      sive.
     
    

    
     
      But
      Rodgers
      is
      not
      sur-
     
     
      prised.
     
    

    
     
      “In
      the
      past,
      in
      my
      student
     
     
      experience
      here,
      there
      hasn’t
      been
     
     
      a
      lot
      of
      positive
      stuff,
      apart
      from
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      As
      soon
      as
      as
      you
      talk
      about
     
     
      gay
      and
      lesbian
      youth,
      people
     
     
      assume
      you
      are
      a
      pedophile;
      they
     
     
      assume
      you
      are
      recruiting.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      other
      youth
      health
      fairs
      going
      on
     
     
      around
      the
      province,
      noted
     
     
      Rodgers,
      but
      she
      feels
      that
      the
      one
     
     
      at
      the
      university
      is
      important.
     
     
      Unfortunately,
      according
      to
     
     
      Rodgers,
      the
      UPEI
      Nursing
      depart-
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Quality
      Passenger
      Sewice
      Between
     
     
      Halifax
      and
      PEI
      Daily,
      Return
     
     
      Depart
      Halifax
      Dartmouth
      8:00
      am
     
     
      Depart
      Charlottetown
      {2:30
      am
     
     
      Regular
      Fares
     
    

    
     
      One
      Way
      Return
     
     
      Adult
      $45.00
      $85.00
     
     
      Student/Senior
      $40.00
      $75.00
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Contact
      Us
      At:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      1-866-463-9660
     
     
      npeishuttle@accesswave.ca
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      couple
      articles
      in
      the
      [student
     
     
      newspaper],”
      she
      said.
      “There
      are
     
     
      a
      lot
      of
      students
      on
      campus
      who
     
     
      are
      gay
      and
      lesbian,
      a
      lot
      of
      faculty
     
     
      who
      are
      gay
      and
      lesbian,
      and
      it
      has
     
     
      always
      been
      in
      the
      past,
      all
      the
      way
     
    
   
   
    
     
      STEAK
      &
      STEIN
      Pvt]
      7.)
     
     
      T-Bone
      steak
      &
      stein
      for
      $8.
      ae
     
     
      |
      Spm
      —
      2pm
     
    
   
   
    
     
      GAMES
      NIGHT
      Pe
     
     
      Ba
      ee,
      Cel
      Cleat
     
    
   
   
    
     
      to
      the
      top
      of
      the
      university.”
     
    

    
     
      Despite
      this,
      the
      acceptance
     
     
      of
      gays
      and
      lesbians
      on
      campus
     
     
      does
      not
      appear
      to
      have
      changed.
     
     
      “There
      is
      nothing
      being
      done,”
     
     
      Rodgers
      said.
      “It
      is
      almost
      like
      a
     
     
      hypocritical
      space
      here
      and
      how
     
     
      can
      you
      change
      that.”
     
    

    
     
      But
      the
      university
      is
      not
      the
     
     
      only
      group
      to
      blame.
     
    

    
     
      “T
      think
      it
      is
      PEI.
      I
      think
     
     
      PEI
      is
      a
      scary
      place
      to
      be
      com-
     
     
      pletely
      open,
      and
      I
      think
      that
      limits
     
     
      people
      in
      starting
      something
      up,”
     
     
      she
      explained.
      “Ideally
      you
      think
     
     
      something
      like
      this
      could
      be.
      But
     
     
      there
      is
      a
      big
      risk
      in
      coming
      out
      on
     
     
      PEI
      and
      I
      think
      everyone
      sees
     
     
      that.”
     
    

    
     
      Rodgers
      shared
      her
      experi-
     
     
      ence
      as
      a
      student
      during
      her
      under-
     
     
      graduate
      degree
      in
      a
      small
      town
      in
     
     
      Alberta.
      Rodgers,
      a
      member
      of
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      WING
      NIGHT
      iy
      C:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Se
      ce
      gives
      you.
     
     
      3
      lbs.
      of
      wings
      &
      a
      ie
      Ci
      ee
     
     
      an
      ela
      /
     
    
   
   
    
     
      .
      a
      2
     
     
      on
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ue
     
    
   
   
    
     
      wie
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Rodd
     
    
   
   
    
     
      &
      Suites
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Trans
      Canada
      Be
     
     
      Charlotietown,
      PEI
     
     
      a
      vs
      ta
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
      \
      c
     
     
      ees
      Inn
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ~
      ‘The
      t
      Cadre