By Yenny Sanchez
Special to The Chronicle
Over 30 students and media representatives had the opportunity to speak about their experiences with the global struggle for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) justice at an event called “Can You See the Rainbow From Where You Are?” held by the Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) on Tuesday, March 15.
The event kicked off as Mehak Gupta, a CCE volunteer, asked the attendees to introduce themselves by saying their name, major and preferred pronouns.
Moderator Alejandra Salardi, a CCE Fellow, touched upon the riots and hardships that her home country of Peru faces in regards to the LGBTQ+ community. Salardi explained how in Peru, religion plays a huge factor in the disapproval of the LGBTQ+ community. A few students compared Peru’s problem with similar issues seen in India.
Some students voiced their beliefs that India will never overcome its disapproval of the LGBTQ+ community, but when Salardi was asked why she thought the situation will improve she responded, “Outside communities are uniting together, the more people who speak, the more solid the unity will stand.”
International students also discussed how racism and culture ties in with the queer community. One student from the Philippines mentioned that homosexuality is prohibited in her country. She shared how her experience at Hofstra helped her to be more open about her sexuality because the culture and people in America are more accepting than her friends and family back home.
Students also talked about the term “machismo,” used in Hispanic and African cultures. They discussed how black and Hispanic men are always expected to be the stereotypical “man” of the household, making it extremely difficult for them to open up about their sexuality, which could contribute to the reason why suicide in gay men from those backgrounds is at an all-time high.
“Today’s discussion encouraged me to look beyond the United States and certainly encouraged me to be a little bit more vocal about the problems that I’m facing, because Hofstra students need to hear this,” Adam Gustafson, a freshman film major said.
Gustafson was one of many students who spoke about being transgender.
“Why do I feel so insecure when a guy looks at my thighs because they see that my shape is a bit different than theirs? Or why do I have to straighten my posture more because guys keep staring?” Gustafson said.
There were also questions directed to transgender students about the serious problems they face, such as seeking healthcare and other governmental issues.
This event was paired with the hashtag, #Hofglobal16 in the hopes that Hofstra students would spread the word on Globalization Day. The CCE holds events like this to inform and educate students about special topics like LGBTQ+ issues and other democratic themes. Salardi said she believes dialogue is always important, especially from students within our campus.
“I hope events like this build engagement because often times when students participate, they become more curious and translate that with sharing the issues that they’ve heard from other students,” Gupta said.