Campus living is an integral part of the total educational experience at East Tennessee State University. On-campus living offers a wealth of opportunities for residents to experience individual growth and development. The staff of the Department of Housing and Residence Life at East Tennessee State University welcomes the unique opportunity of providing residents with activities that increase their understanding of diversity and enhance their social and emotional well-being. – The Department of Housing Mission Statement, www.etsu.edu/students/housing/housing.htm.
The above paragraph is a lie. Promising “total educational experience” and offering “individual growth and development,” the Department of Housing is in actuality a much weaker advocate of its own mission statement than I am.
My rancor with Housing began a week after meeting a former roommate, who complained to Housing he could not live with me on the grounds he knew I was gay “by the end of our first conversation.”
How horrific.
One would think the Housing Department would never succumb to a homophobe’s desires. Hmm, one would assume the Housing Department should ponder, “Let’s tell this dogmatist to try living with Mr. Smith for a couple of days. Maybe exposure to someone else’s different background would do him some good. Hell, it may even emulate our mission statement of increasing understanding of diversity!”
Not quite the mental process that occurred, I am afraid. Instead, it seemed Housing cared more for appeasing homophobia than insuring diversity.
A week after my first and only conversation with my former roommate, I received a request from Housing to meet with a housing official. I walked inside Burgin Dossett, passed the disheartening line of people surrounding Financial Aid, and met with them. The official informed me that my roommate did not want to live with me, and he proceeded to interrogate me to “better understand the situation” because the pieces apparently didn’t seem to fit.
Was I being forward with my former roommate? No. I told the official I was gay because I was creepily asked if I was a “lady’s man.”
Was I trying to make my roommate uncomfortable? No, and to be honest, narrow-mindedness would be the only source of discomfort.
Was I trying to scare my roommate off and keep the room to myself? Uh, no! I was not being manipulative in any way, and I do not appreciate being accused of using my identity as a weapon, sir.
To go through such a barrage of questioning is insulting. I understand ascertaining the situation, but why is it that Housing did not understand its own actions as being rather sloppy and one-sided? I did nothing wrong. I had no cruel intent.
Why should I be the one to undergo a series of implications as if I were the one who had a problem? I ask these questions now because they were not answered when I asked them then. I could not explain from any angle to the housing official why I felt discriminated against.
Let’s say I had a different skin color or a different religion and my roommate had a problem with either. “I can’t live with this person because he is black,” would be a crude example. Would it be just as easy for someone to go to Housing and get his or her way? I highly doubted it before my own experience; now, I cannot comfortably say that Housing would deny a racist or a bigot another room.
I was under the impression that if this situation arose, then Housing would handle it with extreme respect for the idea of equality instead of ignorance. I asked why he should not live with me for a few days to better understand homosexuality and stop being unexposed to something for which he harbored completely ungrounded bias.
I was told that Housing is obligated to provide a service to each of its residents, apparently even if the service acts as the hand of intolerance.
I was also told that this region is part of why my roommate had an issue with my homosexuality, as if the amount of injustice in a certain place is justification for its existence. “I don’t know much about it,” was my former roommate’s only response when I told him that I am gay.
“Are you offended or bothered by it?” I had asked him that afternoon.
“I just don’t know much about it,” he repeated.
Thank you, Housing, for seeing that he ‘experienced individual growth and development.’ You contradicted your own mission statement, disregarded my feelings and allowed him to continue ‘not knowing much about it.’
What exceptional service.
The Office of Equity and Diversity, located in Burgin Dossett Hall, is one organization that does promote its mission statement by furthering the cause for equality.
If you or someone you know is undergoing a situation in which discrimination is taking place, I highly recommend speaking to the compassionate individuals behind Equity and Diversity.
Another excellent resource for students who feel prejudiced against is Dr. Pat Robertson, whose e-mail is robertpe@etsu.edu; speaking to her reminded me that I am not the only one who thinks change needs to happen.
One final note, to my former roommate: I apologize that you did not get the chance to find out who I am as a fellow human being. Perhaps another time you will get the chance in life to understand we are all equal.

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