The Mission of BiLaGA

It has come to our attention that many in the WPI community misunderstand what BiLaGA does. BiLaGA stands for the Bisexual, Lesbian, and Gay Alliance. We welcome those who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, straight, transgender, or questioning. Our mission on campus is to provide a socially supportive body as well as a necessary voice for the many students who identify as GBLTQ (gay, bisexual, lesbian, transgender, questioning) and supportive straight allies. The organization has been around for at least fifteen years; much of that time was spent meeting secretly for fear of violent harassment from fellow students. Spanning from the Student Government Association to the campus ministry groups, members of BiLaGA are very much a part of WPI and many identify as heterosexual. Thus, we do not appreciate being merely written off as the "gay club."

Recent actions such as students mocking our tables in the wedge or club fairs, having our properly posted fliers ripped up five minutes after hanging, and having our locker stickers repeatedly scraped off are examples of the homophobia present on our campus. Homophobia is simply defined as the fear of those who engage in or prefer homosexual relationships, as well as the idea of homosexuality. This term applies equally to the person who violently hates queer people, as to the person who merely denigrates queer people with jokes and derogatory language.

However, we understand that our presence can make others uncomfortable. We are often told that "people are people" and that we shouldn't "stick it in others' faces." The small act of holding hands with someone we care about is enough to make some heterosexuals feel as though we flaunt our sexual orientation. Some say that our mere acceptance will bring depravity and immorality to the world. Others hold that we should be unaffectionate, hide ourselves, and not have the same rights as our straight peers.

People often fear those who are different and seek to either change or push them away. We find this again and again through the treatment of various minority groups throughout history. We do not equate our struggles to those of African-American or Jewish descent, but we do acknowledge that homophobia is a form of oppression like racism and anti-semitism. It must also be understood that our community exceeds stereotypical barriers; there are GBLTQ people of diverse ethnicity, religions, and cultural backgrounds.

When individuals choose to view gay people as an aberration, their beliefs undermine the common ground of WPI's commitment to pluralism and hopes of better human relations. Labeling our group as deviant or overtly liberal because of the non-heterosexist views expressed in an opinion article or because members date people of the same gender decreases our personal freedom to be proud of who we are.

Some in the WPI community feel threatened by our work for tolerance on campus. Students ask why BiLaGA exists, chalks, and writes responses to letters in Tech News. The purpose lies in that many of us are uncomfortable. We find ourselves living in fear and isolation at WPI. Fears of what might be written on our dorm room doors, that we may be ostracized, that we could lose favor in the eyes of professors, and perhaps even fear of losing our family if outed to them. Despite this, many of us are working through fears with the support of friends and BiLaGA to define our identities. As well, we would like to help people attain respect for who we are and realize that on most levels we are all the same. BiLaGA is open to all students on campus. We acknowledge that those who do not agree with us have the right to do so and have held dialogues in the past to address such matters.