UCLA opens center for gay, lesbian community
University’s effort hailed for diversity, variety of
resources
By Dina Burwell
After five long years of garnering funds, the UCLA
administration joined with faculty and staff to open one of the few
Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Resources Offices on a university
campus.
The new project, located in Haines 79, provides access to
on-campus resources such as the Women’s Resource Center and Sexual
Health Services, in an effort to serve the needs of the gay,
lesbian and bisexual community.
"UCLA’s goal is to make sure UCLA is a more accessible place to
all of its students," said Charles Outcalt, a staff worker at the
center.
He added that the center, which opened last month, holds
specific office hours during the week to answer students’
questions.
"I think it’s excellent that the university has finally come
through with the resources to support the needs of a large group of
students,"said Rae Lee Siporin, director of undergraduate
admissions and the new center’s supervisor.
The office houses files on student and campus organizations like
the Placement & Career Planning Center and the Office of
Residential Life. Access to these organizations allows students to
get advice and information about various groups.
Students ask about which lesbian, gay and bisexual classes to
take and even bring questions about volunteer programs, internships
and sexual health, Outcalt said. Recently, one student used the
office to find an internship with the National Gay and Lesbian Task
Force.
Though Outcalt does not exclude outside resources, he is
primarily committed to helping the students increase their access
to information and services at UCLA.
"I want to help students utilize what is here (on the UCLA
campus)," Outcalt said.
Students said they are grateful for the new office and feel it
is a place they can come and feel at home.
Other students acknowledged UCLA’s commitment to respecting the
gay, lesbian and bisexual communities on campus.
"UCLA is thinking about these types of programs and recognizing
them as something important to include in the university," said
Jennifer Takamatsu, a freshman majoring in music.
Very few universities possess a Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Office
or the resource means for the communities.
"UCLA is in the first wave of universities who are doing this,"
Outcalt said
The Resource Office also forms links with other universities
such as USC and UC Riverside. It will also hold a town hall meeting
next Tuesday with GALA (the Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Alliance) and
the Gay and Bisexual Graduate Student Group to get input from the
UCLA community.