University of Wisconsin Students Wage Campaign to Tackle LGBT Bullying

Think LGBT bullying is an issue only for middle and high schools? Not according to the University of Wisconsin, where students are leading a systemic effort to get the campus to address anti-gay harassment and bullying, and build organizations that are truly inclusive.
Last week, the University of Wisconsin's student government endorsed a new LGBT anti-bullying program, led by a student government group known as the Associated Students of Madison. The goal of the new curriculum? A total culture change that views LGBT students as equals within the University community.
?This is a historic change for the way student Shared Governance operates on this campus,? says Kyle VandenLangenberg, chair of the Shared Governance Committee of the student government.

The plan outlines actions, suggestions and agenda items for 14 student government committees to work on around campus. It also states the expectation that the 14 committees include LGBT anti-bullying as a topic in their meetings, as they do for other minority group issues.� Moreover, organizers of the plan are working to get student organizations to adopt the plan, in hopes of creating an entire community working to fight anti-gay harassment and bullying.
"The vote to pass this action plan shows just how much unprecedented student support this committee has," says Melissa Hanley, an Associated Students of Madison Shared Governance Director. "So many students who are active and involved on this campus really want to see a culture change."
In January, the LGBT Campus Center will hold a presentation on anti-bullying efforts. Students will come forward and offer personal accounts of gay bullying and present statistics on the prevalence of bullying on campus.�Kudos to these students for being a part of the change.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

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