The University of Wyoming was recently ranked the 20th un-friendliest school to the LGBT community.
In a recent report released by the Princeton Review, UW was grouped with 19 other schools when it came to being unfriendly toward the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender community.
Even though Wyoming was put on the list, some members from the UW community said they feel information that was published is not entirely true.
“I simply feel it’s inaccurate. We’ve had so many markers of success. I’m not sure what standards the Princeton Review used in their ranking. I think by standards that most universities have, we’re ahead of the curve,” Co-President of the Queer Advocacy Network Jordan Smith said about the report.
UW has been branded with an anti-gay label since the murder of Matthew Shepard in 1998.
“I think past events still color people’s view of Laramie, but I don’t think it effects the view of people on campus,” Smith said. “It’s easy to put us on that list, but it’s just not correct.”
Even with past events, Smith says that UW has come a long way and is moving forward and that Laramie is not what it is perceived to be.
“Laramie is one of the most progressive communities in Wyoming. I think the LGBT community would feel more comfortable here than they would anywhere else in this state,” Smith said.
The goal of QAN is to educate students more about the LGBT community, Smith said.
Last year QAN hosted Pink Prom as part of Ally Week, which is a week of events focused on gay-straight alliances.
Ally Week is a national event that is hosted by the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network. The week identifies and celebrates the role of allies in combating anti-LGBT language and harassment in schools, according to the GLSEN website.
An ally is someone who does not identify as a member of the LGBT community but shows support for the community as a way to end harassment and bullying.
“We had a great turnout last year from the students, and to me it was so encouraging,” Smith said. “We’ll be hosting Pink Prom as well as taking part in Ally Week again this year, and we’re expecting an even bigger turnout.”
This year, Pink Prom is planned in accordance with Friday Night Fever in an effort to reach more students, Smith said.
“As an organization, we just hope to do better work for the students at the university,” Smith said.
