by Rohit Agrawal, Class of 2023, Human Development
Jose Barrios, a senior and gay/lesbian/bisexual liaison at-large, delivered the speech below in March of 1993. He delivered it at the final Cornell Student Assembly meeting regarding the creation of a Gay Living and Learning Unit. Barrios talked about the hatred and violence queer students endure, including sidewalk drawings advocating for the genocide of gay individuals. He also stressed the importance of establishing communities for queer individuals. Barrios stated, “but before equality comes acceptance, before acceptance comes education, before education comes empowerment, before empowerment comes community, before community comes identity.” The resolution ultimately passed following his speech.
Many queer students felt a need for community, especially those who experienced harassment from heterosexual individuals in residence halls. Michael Gorman, a student interviewed by the Seattle Times, attended Cornell when the resolution passed. He, like other queer students, experienced harassment from his roommate. Michael’s roommate started hosting all-night parties after Michael came out in hopes that he would move out. After the resolution, students, like Michael, finally felt like they had more space to openly be themselves and feel a sense of community.
Presently, the Loving House functions as Cornell’s Gay Living and Learning Unit. The Loving House provides a safe space for many queer students to be themselves. According to Jack Fasse, a current Cornell junior, he chose Loving House as his first-year residence, so he would adjust more comfortably to college. Jack, like other students in the Loving House, feels like he does not need to constantly scope out how others would react to his queer identity. Thus, Barrios’s speech and push for a Gay Living and Learning Unit continue to play a pivotal role in the lives of many Cornell students.
Sources
James, Rebecca. “Cornell Considers Gay Dormitory Unit.” The Post Standard Tompkins Cortland, Jan. 28, 1993.
Kakutani, Yuichiro. “Cornell to Establish LGBTQ Program House 25 Years After Initial Proposal.” The Cornell Daily Sun. March 1, 2018.
Li, Angela. “First Cohort of LGBTQ+ Residents Settle Into ‘A Really Special Space‘.” The Cornell Daily Sun. Sept. 9, 2019,
Rabin, Roni. “Gays At Cornell May Get Separate Dorm, After All.” The Seattle Times. March 14, 1993.
Shea, Christopher. “Racial Separation on the Campuses.” The Chronicle of Higher Education. July 23, 2020.