Gay-rights advocates make gains with Southeast's policies

Editor's Note: This story has been corrected to reflect the process by which new policies were introduced at Southeast Missouri State University and to clarify the institution's Title IX compliance requirements.

In the past year, Southeast Missouri State University has made additions to its lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender policies.

The Faculty Senate passed the latest policy Dec. 10 during the annual board of regents meeting. The policy now declares a campus-wide nondiscrimination policy on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Diane Wood, president of the Faculty Senate, said the group had been talking with President Kenneth Dobbins about LGBT issues for the past three or four years, but one student stood out to her in the effort to bring positive change.

Alumnus Nick Maddock, who graduated in 2014, spoke last winter to university staff and presented a report on services Southeast offered compared to other area schools, Wood recalled. The 50-page document also outlined how implementing more inclusive changes would affect the university.

"The LGBT student advocacy committee was formed almost at this exact same time -- I think it was January when we had our first initial discussions and began meeting," said Debbie Below, vice president for Enrollment Management and Student Success and dean of students. "And I think that certainly inspired a lot of the work, which we've had an outstanding committee, we've had representation from every unit on campus ... [they] have helped us have some very important conversations and to define what the needs are of the student population as well as opportunities to provide educational programming on campus."

When Maddock presented his report, the main initiatives discussed were the nondiscrimination policy, benefits for domestic partnerships, an LGBT student resource center, safezone training, gender-neutral restrooms and housing, and professional and student staffing for LGBT issues.

It also was around this time that the university began its compliance efforts under Title IX, a federal manual requiring business practices to prevent sexual discrimination, misconduct, violence and harassment.

The first of the university's changes was implementing safezone training, an intensive program that educates students, faculty and staff at Southeast about avoiding ignorance and speaking up against biased remarks. It began March 14.

Since then, all but gender-neutral housing and restrooms have been addressed on the campus.

The student nondiscrimination policy on sexual orientation and gender identity passed in April. The LGBT resource center was available to students at the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year and is operated by graduate assistant Regina Wareing.

Professional staffing is provided by Megan Murray, coordinator for Leadership Development and Campus Life and Event Services, and benefits for domestic partners were approved in October.

The president of the faculty senate, Diane Wood, is openly gay and has been part of the university throughout all of the changes.

Wood explained LGBT policies always have been discussed by the faculty senate with Southeast president Dr. Kenneth W. Dobbins, but for years they were told the timing wasn't right.

"When you have a university, you think this the pinnacle of liberalism in a given area, and that's not necessarily always true," Wood said. "Because the university also has to function within this community, we're not insular. We are influenced and can influence both within the community and outside the university community, so there [are] a lot of considerations that have to be taken in when determining how this is going to affect us."

Wood said with attention to gay marriage increasing across the country, times were bound to change at Southeast.

"The big thing that really happened that really pushed us over to where we could make that change and put that [gender identity and sexual orientation] into the anti-discrimination statement and policies for the university was when our governor said, 'Well, we're not going to allow for gay marriages in the state of Missouri, but we will recognize gay marriages from other states.'

"So that was huge ... and when that happened, it was like" -- Wood snapped her fingers -- "Let's do this."

Wood said the policy changes signified the university's acceptance of the LGBT community at Southeast.

"[The LGBT Student Advocacy Committee's needs are] first and foremost that they feel welcomed and supported by the university campus," Below said.

Students have worked with the staff and used their resources to begin a variety of events, including a cookout for students during the first week of school and a month's worth of speakers during October.

In the future, they hope to hold more educational, supportive and fun programs for students, Murray said.

The next step at Southeast is most likely to be about implementing the new policies.