LGBT Center staffers answer questions
Is it plausible to build and maintain a supportive queer community on campus?
Sarah Grote: Yes, in fact college campuses are often places in which queer individuals are first introduced to a community of people like them. Universities that make a conscious effort to include LGBT people and have diversity initiatives, such as LGBT centers, are where these communities tend to be strongest. However, colleges have not always been supportive of the LGBT community. Even with these struggles, LGBT social circles and activist groups have always thrived on campuses. Student activism and the desire to find individuals whom you relate to will always drive queer communities within these spaces.
Can the LGBT Center offer multiple perspectives on queer media?
Nicole Abele: No television show is quite like The 100. The show defies all labels, or lack thereof. The major theme of the show is survival, not labels. The main character Clarke Griffin is bisexual. Unlike other portrayals of bisexuals on TV, she is not fetished or represented inaccurately. She is a strong woman and a leader who just happens to like both males and females. She happens to fall in love with another leader of the 12 Clans, Lexa, who happens to be a woman. Those two share a kiss that has won countless awards and Internet polls. They share the kiss for a real moment of pure bliss in the post-apocalyptic world around them. Clarke does what she wants and loves who she wants. She is a true television icon.
Leah Yodzis: My favorite LGBT character in the media at this moment has to be Clarke Griffin from The 100 on CW. The show is in its third season, and Clarke is one of the main characters in the show. She is considered bisexual in the show, although she never officially came out. What I love most about her character is that she is this strong-willed, influential leader of a group. She has this power over everyone even though she is still just a teenager. The direction of this show plays out really well because they make sure no one is affected by her sexual orientation. It doesn’t matter because Clarke is still the dominating force of the people.
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Can you name 10 queer people of color?
Sarah Grote: There are many queer people of color in all industries and walks of life across the world. The people of color listed below is not even close to a comprehensive list, but rather is a list of some very well-known names within the LGBT community.
1. RuPaul
2. Alice Walker
3. Audre Lorde
4. Kye Allums
5. Wanda Sykes
6. Tracy Chapman
7. Laverne Cox
8. Isis King
9. Janet Mock
10. Frank Ocean
Nicole Abele, Sarah Grote and Leah Yodzis are staff members for the LGBT Center at Ohio University. Do you have a question relating to the LGBT community? Email them to lgbt@ohio.edu oroulgbtcenter@gmail.com, tweet @oulgbtcenter with #qaqueer, tumblr at oulgbtcenter or post/message to the center’s Facebook page, oulgbtcenter. Individuals who submit questions will appear anonymously in our responses. All questions are welcome!
