Murray State strives for inclusivity

By: Logan McCuiston

College campuses are trying to offer services to be more inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community. While Murray State is one of those campuses, the question arises is there enough being done?

The challenges faced within the LGBTQ+ community often go unnoticed. Exclusion from social groups, inability to find community and not being able to hold hands in public are just a few. To help combat a few of these issues, Murray State introduced an office of LGBTQ+ programming in 2016.

One of the main goals of the department is to provide support for members of the LGBTQ+ community. Students can turn to the department if they lose financial support after coming out. The department also deals with housing complications, and can also help a student struggling to find housing because of their sexual identity.

MC Lampe is the coordinator of LGBTQ+ programming at Murray State. Lampe says, among several other things, education is a crucial part of the department.

“We’ll have trainings to educate staff, faculty, even some students, on LGBTQ+ vocabulary issues, things students are facing, to make campus a more welcoming and accepting community,” Lampe said.

“I think what actually is the most beneficial is the visibility.”

On a campus as small and rural as Murray State’s, this office is one of the more unique in Kentucky.  The department is one of four like it in the state. The other three are at the University of Kentucky, Northern Kentucky University and the University of Louisville. These schools all have a five-star rating on the Campus Pride Index, which is a national listing of LGBTQ+ friendly campuses. Murray State is not on the index.

Lampe said the department has an operating budget of $5,000. But money is not the biggest issue facing the department.

“I could say more money, we always need more money on college campuses,” Lampe said. “But I think what actually is the most beneficial is the visibility. Helping us advertise, talking about my office and other offices like mine are doing on campus.”

For a department dealing with up to 600 students a semester, visibility is crucial. Statistically, Lampe is not sure how many people within the LGBTQ+  community are enrolled at Murray State.

Lampe said students are identifying as something other than straight more frequently and, as that number continues to rise a department like this becomes more crucial.

Lampe’s office helps students who have problems, but the department isn’t big enough to deal with the more subtle issues facing the LGBTQ+ community. For some students, it can be tough to find a place to socialize. When you’re in the middle of nowhere and don’t know anyone, it’s hard to find people like you.

“Luckily, my husband attended Murray State before we met, so we had a couple friends from within the community when we arrived,” said Murray State doctoral student Kevin Shields.

Shields said while the campus is generally welcoming, off campus is a different story. For students who are looking to find a place outside of college to hang out and meet people, this can be troubling.

“This lack of warmth and absence of unity don’t seem especially inviting to those of us who arrive as outsiders,” Shields said.

This is where visibility becomes a factor. The more aware students are of LGBTQ+  programming on Murray State’s campus, the better off they’ll be in having a chance of finding that community. Right now, Lampe is focusing on making the department a staple of student support on campus so students will have that community. But one person can only do so much.

“Being a one-person office means I have limited resources of time and expanding the office would certainly allow us to do more, but for now the focus is on creating a solid foundation of student support and campus education,” Lampe said.

If you’re interested in reaching out to the office of LGBTQ+  programming at Murray State, you can find their contact information here, or you can go to their office in Blackburn room 243.