On Feb. 18, the Trump administration gave schools and universities across America two weeks to end diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives (DEI), or else they would lose federal funding, according to the Dear Colleague memo sent by the Department of Education.
According to USA Today, DEI initiatives and programs are meant to enhance and remove obstacles such as higher education and employment for those from diverse backgrounds.
Due to the Trump administration’s order to end inclusivity initiatives and efforts, groups like the Queer Student Union are in danger of losing federal funding or erasure, according to Medium.
QSU is a group on campus that is part of the WKU Pride Center. The purpose of QSU is to “… work to improve student life for all gender identities, gender expressions, and sexual orientations through outreach, support, and education by acting as a queer resource advocate specifically to the administration of WKU,” according to the Pride Center website.
WKU’s QSU was originally founded in 1991 as the Lambda Society. Since then, it has undergone name changes. It has also grown to include other groups, such as the Gender Identity Alliance and the Gender-Affirming Items Program, according to the WKU Pride Center Groups website.
QSU President Daryl Action, a junior from Los Angeles, said that if QSU shuts down, it would remove a safe space for queer individuals on campus.
“It’s a space where you can talk to people that are just like you,” Action said. “Working towards this community made me realize that people really need each other.”
Masters student Julie Crosslin from Vine Grove, Kentucky, said the group is a place where people can meet peers who will accept them, especially for those who may not have accepting parents.
“You aren’t guaranteed to have that kind of support depending on who you were born to or where you grew up,” Crosslin said. “I would be afraid that if these groups were removed, people that belong in these spaces would be more isolated and vulnerable to discrimination.”
According to the Kentucky General Assembly’s website, House Bill 4 would prohibit DEI initiatives and programs from the state’s public universities.
On March 5, the Kentucky House of Representatives passed HB 4, voting 81-18. HB 4 was passed by the Senate, voting 32-6, on March 12. It is now awaiting a signature or veto from Governor Andy Beshear.
If the governor vetoes the bill, the General Assembly could override his veto during the final two days of the legislative session, March 27 and 28, according to an email sent to WKU faculty and staff by Jennifer Breiwa Smith, the university’s assistant vice president for government and external relations.
Action said that he was sad to see that HB 4 was happening.
“All you can do now is hope that there’s someone for and fighting for us,” Action said.
According to an unofficial copy of the bill, HB 4 would prevent schools from funding DEI initiatives.
The bill states that certain resources would be prohibited such as, “(a) Money appropriated by the General Assembly; (b) Money or items of value derived from bequests, charges, deposits, donations, endowments, fees, grants, gifts, income, receipts, tuition, or any other source.”
“I really don’t like it,” Crosslin said. “I’m worried that the vagueness of the bill may lead to our funding getting cut off.”
Crosslin said that QSU recently started a program so that students would have access to gender-affirming items, like binders.
“It would be pretty difficult to maintain that program if we lose college-level funding,” Crosslin said.
Junior Damien Issac said that HB 4 would affect other things besides DEI programs and funding. They said they could see things like gender-neutral bathrooms, the Student Accessibility Resource Center or the Intercultural Student Engagement Center being threatened.
“I don’t think that people fully realize just how it’s going to impact people on campus,” Issac said. “If you don’t have protections in place for these people, that person’s gonna end up getting hurt.”
Issac said that organizations like QSU matter because they give college students a chance to be themselves. They said it makes them feel like they are a part of something bigger.
“Removing it is basically taking away a part of someone’s life,” Issac said. “Like, you dedicate your entire livelihood for four-plus years to this thing and then it’s taken away?”
Action said that the removal of groups like QSU could take a toll on the mental health of members. He said that a lot of people aren’t fortunate enough to have a welcoming household. He said if people didn’t have the space or people to talk to, they wouldn’t have anywhere to go with their thoughts.
“They could feel like they are a threat, or always in danger,” Action said. “They wouldn’t know what’s coming around the corner next, cause once there’s one thing there’s always another.”
Action said that he thought that it was hard to say if WKU would push back against the DEI policies. He said that he felt that it was half and half.
“I’ve seen in the past that they’ve been supporting us and not going with what’s happening around the country,” Action said. “The other 50% is realizing that we’re in Kentucky and the university might decide to abide by the government to get funding.”
Crosslin also said that she could see the university complying with the government’s orders on DEI to retain funding.
“I could imagine their thought process being with sacrificing a few for the good of the many,” Crosslin said.
In a statement to the Talisman, WKU Spokesperson Jace Lux said “WKU remains committed to maintaining a welcoming campus environment for all and addressing any practices that may inhibit the free and open exchange of ideas.”
Action said that until changes are made, people must keep an eye on the university and keep government officials accountable.
“Trans people and queer people have been around for such a long time,” Issac said. “You can’t erase us.”