Debate about gay studies comes to Baruch

As college tuition prices rise and the competitive job market demands a more specialized workforce, more students are forced to weigh the differences between practical, job-applicable courses like finance or computer science and more liberal, enlightening humanities courses.

This real-world practicality comes into play as more and more colleges debate the long-term value of including gay studies programs in the college curriculum.

The topic surfaced in June when Harvard University announced its endowed professorship in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender studies.

As reported in the Boston Globe, Evelyn Hammonds, Harvard's newly appointed openly gay dean, regarded the new professorship as an example of "how far we have come as a community. It will advance our knowledge in this discipline and transmit LGBT history to our undergraduates for years to come."

Hammonds' statement coincided with recent landmark events affecting the nation's gay population: the passing of Proposition 8, which restricted same-sex marriage in the state of California, and the LGBT National Equality March, which took place earlier this month in Washington D.C.

Springing from 1970s liberalism, San Francisco State University became one of the first colleges to offer LGBT courses.

Other colleges, like the University of Michigan, the University of California, Berkeley and even roman-catholic Depaul University, diversified their curricula with LGBT studies programs. Closer to home, CUNY cemented itself as a pioneer in the study of the LGBT community in 1991 by establishing the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies (CLAGS), a university-based research center that is "generally considered the first in the United States to establish a graduate program dedicated to LGBT studies," according to Alyssa Nitchun, development director of the program.

This makes students and faculty wonder whether Baruch should be the next college to follow this recent academic trend, given its diverse student population and its proximity to Chelsea, Manhattan's gay Mecca.

"A gay studies program would bridge the gap of understanding between gay and straight populations," said Anthropology Professor Shea McManus. "As LGBT individuals become more and more visible in mainstream culture it's increasingly significant to prepare students to demonstrate greater insight and empathy to this marginalized community."

The need for more tolerant attitudes toward gays is still a pressing issue. Recently, a report released by the American Civil Liberties Union stated that more than 30 percent of LGBT workers have experienced some form of discrimination in the workplace.

For Professor Vilna Bashi Treitler of the Black and Hispanic Studies Department, these chronic issues of discrimination and inequality serve as solid reasons to implement a gay studies curriculum at the college.

"Baruch wants to be known for more than just business; it wants to enlighten students and create scholarship about injustice and inequality, and teach a proper valuation of all human beings," she said.

Whether Baruch students, who study in a conservative business atmosphere, would respond favorably to LGBT-themed courses is doubted among some students.

Hector Tavarez, President of Baruch's Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Society believes that a gay studies program at the college will not interest the general student body. 

"Students especially in Baruch College are business-minded, meaning that they are only focused on making money and being able to live a good life," he said. "If any subject is not business oriented, students in general will not be interested. Which is a shame."
Finance major and junior Jimmy Carr agrees.

"Colleges waste enough money funding useless courses, and adding something like a gay studies program would only make colleges seem less credible and less focused on preparing students for the workforce." 

Gay studies programs have been reevaluated in light of the current economic hardships facing colleges across the nation.

According to the Los Angeles Times and other news outlets, the financial crisis hitting University of California campuses has forced budget prioritization by targeting LGBT studies programs for major cuts.

Still, other Baruch students see value in such courses.

"My business courses are often too concrete and too confining. I feel like courses such as those dealing with gay issues would help me to think outside the box a little bit," said Michelle Kim, a junior accounting major.

Others find the study of the LGBT community applicable to the workplace.

"Gays and lesbians are a fascinating minority in our society and should be paid close attention to," said marketing major Natasha Yeschenko. "Especially when learning to market to gays and lesbians as a separate consumer niche, it becomes increasingly important in business."