Texas State is inadvertently marginalizing minority groups across campus by implementing inclusive practices that do not work.
Inclusivity is the practice or policy of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized, such as those having physical or mental disabilities or belonging to other minority groups.
During Bobcat Preview, incoming students are inconvenienced with having to stand up and say their preferred pronouns to a room filled with strangers. This forces students who are part of the LGBTQ+ and transgender community to out themselves. Even if they decide they are not comfortable promoting their new, self-avowed identity they may stumble or verbally express they are uncomfortable expressing their pronouns.
This game forces students to identify themselves differently than they normally would, or it might force them to come out without their consent. Texas State is putting a target on these students’ backs by not letting people confront their own sexuality and identity at their own will.
Texas State needs to re-examine its inclusivity initiative and understand there is a time and place to advertise such inclusion and the first week of being on campus as a freshman is not one of them. LGBTQ+ people have always been put on public trial, facing dozens of policy setbacks and extreme violence.
Advocating for inclusivity is not, and will never be a bad thing. But the idea of inclusivity on a college campus, such as Texas State, is a never-ending battle so long as discriminatory ideology continues to make its home here.
Through Republican organizations and right-wing ideology actions like making a mockery out of “National Coming Out Day,” which is a demonstration held annually by the Texas State College Republicans, the fight for inclusivity is a losing one.
LGBTQ+ communities are not the only ones to face trials and tribulations. After the 2016 election, threatening fliers were posted around campus reading, “Now that our man Trump is elected and Republicans own both the Senate and the House—time to organize tar & feather vigilante squads and go arrest and torture those deviant university leaders spouting off all this diversity garbage.”
The aftermath included a letter from President Denise M. Trauth, but nothing much was said about the incident. Texas State cannot advocate for inclusivity and then turn a blind eye later.
While Trauth did release a second letter addressing the fliers head-on it should be noted that Texas State cannot pick and choose the easiest times to be an advocate for those who are still growing their own voice.
Texas State cannot expect inclusivity to happen while close-minded people continue to thrive on the discourse that comes from it. Even so, this discriminatory language stems from systemic issues people of color and the LGBTQ+ community cannot hide from, but should not run away from either.
The university needs to understand true inclusivity can only happen organically.
– Amira Van Leeuwen is a journalism sophomore