North Texas protest for LGBT equality
By
DENTON, Texas--On any given afternoon on the University of North Texas (UNT) campus, you're unlikely to witness the boisterous chants of an angry mob of protesters armed with rainbow flags and a bullhorn.
But that all changed on October 16 when activists--propelled by the National Equality March the weekend before--took on a bigoted decision by the Student Government Association (SGA) at UNT.
Chanting "What do we want? Equal rights! When do we want them? Now!" more than 50 protesters entered the weekly meeting of the SGA. On September 30, the student senate voted down a proposed amendment to the organization's bylaws that would extend equal rights to same-sex couples who wish to participate in the university's Homecoming Court.
The reasons behind the defeat of the Homecoming Equality bill reflect the bigoted and discriminatory reasoning espoused by the opponents of marriage equality--that the fabric of society depends upon the elevation of the union of one man and one woman as an exclusive institution.
As a result of this recent struggle, a new organization composed of members of the local LGBTQ community and its allies has formed, and it's forging ties with other LGBTQ organizations in the region, such as Queer Liberaction.
In response to outrage from the community, the SGA elected to hold a referendum on the issue of whether LGBTQ students can enjoy the same rights as heterosexual students. The student population will vote November 16 through 20.
Members of the LGBTQ community and its allies are organizing around the upcoming referendum, reaching out to UNT students, explaining the importance of this issue and urging students to take a stand against bigotry by voting for equality in the upcoming referendum.
LGBTQ activists have increased their organizing in the Dallas/Fort Worth region in recent months, following the passage of Proposition 8 in California, the raid of the Fort Worth-based Rainbow Lounge in which police officers brutally beat and hospitalized a patron of the club, and most recently our own struggle here in Denton.
To voice your opposition to bigotry and remind members of the UNT SGA that the oppression of LGBTQ folks cannot be allowed to continue under any circumstance, contact the UNT SGA.
