"I have been swimming upstream my whole life," revealed Francois "Buttercup" Clemmons. "It is a painful thing to deny who you are." In writing his memoir, "A Song in My Soul," Clemmons embarked on an intellectual and emotional journey to come to terms with his life as a gay, black man. Now, while Clemmons looks back on his experience, many students are about to embark on their own journeys of self-discovery. Middlebury was recently recognized in a college admissions guidebook as one of the most gay-friendly campuses, and this hallmark has been met with mixed emotions.
New to the collection of college admissions reference guides is Shane Windemeyer's "The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students." The book is a comprehensive campus guide, which lists the 100 best campuses for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students. Middlebury is ranked competitively among the best.
The Advocate guide ranks schools on what Windemeyer calls, "The Gay Point Average Official Campus Checklist." Student leaders and faculty were asked to provide input on the campuses policies, programs and practices affecting lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people. From these surveys the "GPA" was tabulated.
"I'm excited," said Tamara Vatnick '07, the current co-President of Middlebury Open Queer Alliance (MOQA), for she hopes the book will draw more queer and gay-friendly people to apply to Middlebury. But Vatnick added, "The thought of Midd making it into the top 100 gay-friendly schools makes me worry about the state of our country in general. Middlebury is pretty tolerant, but it's not the best that it could be."
Middlebury College Assistant Director of Admissions, and staff advisor to MOQA Shawn Rae Passalacqua '93 has considered the ranks of Middlebury as a gay-friendly campus from almost every angle. An optimistic Passalacqua hopes the guide will attract students who normally would not have access to campuses like Middlebury. "When students visit Middlebury they see beauty, affluence and friendliness," explained Passalacqua. She hopes prospective students will be welcomed by a more openly diverse community.
Windemeyer's book suggests that Middlebury has the resources necessary to support a healthy gay community. Indeed, MOQA itself has transformed over the years, garnering a much stronger participant level and evolving from merely a social support network to a fun, politically active group. This weekend MOQA is even hosting the "House of Lemay," a drag queen troupe from Vermont.
But do glossy guides and "Gay Point Averages" really tell us anything about the social and political make-up of a student body? Is Middlebury gay-friendly? "Being gay is more about the student body and their attitudes," asserted Vatnick. Passalcqua explained that there are still issues of homophobia to be dealt with, and the admissions council is working to improve the number of straight allies and gay and lesbian students matriculated. "I don't think a book is going to change the community," she continued.
In working on his own book - an autobiography - Clemmons reveals his desire to heal his heart and mind while also helping others grapple with their sexual identities. "My book is a voice for those who have not had a voice."
Adorned by members of the community, students, professors, friends and admirers, Clemmons shared excerpts from his book "A Song In My Soul" this past Friday at Cafécito Hour in Palana House. While it is apparent that Middlebury has a long way to go in terms of understanding issues of diversity, people and events such as these signal a positive change in the campus community - perhaps exactly what Windemeyer hopes for.
"House of Lemay" will perform this Saturday at 7:30 and 10 p.m. in Proctor's Upper Dining Room. Tickets can be purchased online or through the Center for the Arts box office (ext. 6433) for $3 a piece.
Written by LEAH ARSENAULT
