LGBT Students
Columbia University recently passed a proposal to designate space in the student center as exclusively for minority and LGBT students.
The Columbia College Student Council and Engineering Student Council unanimously passed the proposal, which said the designated space is necessary due to the heightened risk of mental health crises faced by marginalized communities.
Columbia has not yet disclosed whether it will comply with the students’ requests for “resources that could accommodate computers” and a “mounted television.”
“Taking care of our LGBTQ students and students of color and figuring out better ways to do that is always on the minds of student leadership and the Student Affairs Committee,” Student Affairs Committee Co-Chair Sean Ryan said. “In this particular case, [the] initiative really took advantage of a really fantastic opportunity to meet the needs of a community that is at a higher risk for mental health and wellness issues than their peers.”
Tucker Carlson was joined tonight by Ryan, a strong advocate for these on-campus “safe spaces.”
Ryan said that some members of Columbia’s marginalized communities were were suffering from issues of suicide, mental health and isolation.
“What these spaces will do will provide support for those groups to fight the isolationism that’s been happening,” Ryan said.
He added that while the rooms can only be reserved by minority or LGBT students, students of all backgrounds can come to them to talk about issues.
Tucker pressed Ryan to explain how this isn’t a step away from diversity and toward segregation.
“You’re saying that people are more comfortable, maybe have better mental health when they’re around people who are just like them,” Tucker said. “[That] was what the people who supported segregation said.”
“What these spaces will do will provide support for those groups to fight the isolationism that’s been happening,” Ryan said.