UH gets tough on hate crimes

By Beverly Creamer
Advertiser Education Writer

The University of Hawai'i is taking a more aggressive posture to fight hate crimes on campus, and encourage students, faculty and staff to be more tolerant of sexual and gender orientation choices.

During the past semester the Student Services Center has re-initiated the "safe zone" training program on campus, part of a nationwide effort to make college environments more tolerant of differences and nurturing those who may be struggling with these personal issues.

UH President Evan Dobelle is taking a hard line on hate crimes, which have taken on increased visibility amid advocacy from a campus group representing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered students.

"This is one of the last frontiers of civil rights and civil liberties," Dobelle said. "If it crosses into any kind of a felony under Hawai'i state law I would have no hesitation to expel a student for what would be considered a hate crime."

In building a network of safe zones on campus, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Student Services Office, under new director Cameron Miyamoto, is training people throughout campus as allies. He has already trained more than 100, and there are calls daily asking for more training.

"It's a campaign of support for our campus community to address homophobia and transphobia on campus," Miyamoto said. "We're building support through a system of allies. The allies attend the training and find out more about being an ally and then can sign a contract to help undo homophobia here."

Allies then put up a poster on their office or dorm-room door to indicate a willingness to lend support to people who may need it, he said. They can also put a logo on a purse or backpack.

"What that logo means is this is a good place if you're needing someone to talk to," Miyamoto said. "The strongest thing is to be building a more positive, visible message on campus. What we're wanting to do is spread support for a population that is often rendered invisible."

But Ku'umealoha Gomes, chairwoman of the President's Commission on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex issues, said that while the training is valuable, more support needs to come from the university administration to create whole buildings that are "safe zones."

"Places like Bachman Hall, for instance, should be proclaimed a safe zone ..." Gomes said. "The campus is so 'unsafe,' that the students are afraid to come 'out' because they have to risk so much."

Incidents of homophobia, including taunting, harassment and defacing of posters, have also occurred, Gomes said.

However, Dobelle questioned the concept of creating safe places rather than making the entire campus a safe zone, so that everyone is comfortable everywhere.

"How sad is that, that they have to only be with each other to be comfortable and not be able to have that ability everywhere," Dobelle said.

Gomes said those students continue to be ridiculed, sometimes in the classroom, which impairs their ability to learn. And she said more support from the administration is important in all of these areas.

"When you have it coming from the top, it sets the precedent that there will be no tolerance of behavior that impacts equity of access for everyone," Gomes said.

Last week Dobelle issued a statement saying harassment and discrimination based on sexual orientation would not be tolerated on UH campuses, saying "the cornerstone of an academic institution is the assurance that all students, faculty, staff and visitors be afforded safe and inclusive classroom environments, residence halls and athletic areas."

Yesterday he gave it more teeth, adding that expulsion would be the result of a hate crime felony.

It was Gomes who called for the mandatory expulsion of students who cause physical harm to another because of gender identity or sexual orientation.

In the past two years there have been four physical assaults involving sexual orientation issues, with one victim requiring medical attention after a blow to the head, according to Beverly McCreary, gender equity counselor in the UH Office of Student Affairs. Two of those assaults involved couples who were intimate, so the assaults could also be defined as domestic violence.

"When there have been physical assaults and there is a known perpetrator they are adjudicated through our university system or the student is informed of ways to connect with the police," McCreary said.

Because student records are private, victims can find out only limited information about what has happened to the perpetrator, McCreary said. To pursue the matter a victim must go to police to file a complaint.

But often a student victim doesn't seek further redress.

"One of the issues that I see that comes up at times is the victim in these cases has to 'out' themselves," McCreary said, "so going to the police is a very scary or hard option to take. If they're not 'out' to family, or if there are problems with that, it can become a touchy issue."

Reach Beverly Creamer at bcreamer@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8013.