Tulane students hold press conference, condemn closing of LGBTQ student lounge
New Orleans, LA – More than a dozen students gathered outside Tulane University’s uptown campus on October 24, for a press conference to protest Tulane's decision to quietly shut down the “Q-Spot.”
“The Q Spot served as a meeting place for queer students and a space where LGBT+ students on campus could safely and comfortably rest amidst a harsh atmosphere,” explained Billy Bernfeld, the president of Tulane’s Queer Student Association.
As students waited for members of the press to arrive they chanted, “Tulane Tulane grow a spine, trans lives are on the line!” And “Reject the MAGA compact now!”
Blu DiMarco spoke on the gravity of the move from Tulane, saying, “This is more than just the removal of a designated safe space for queer and trans people. It is meant to separate the LGBTQ+ community, so that as attacks from the right increase, we are left without spaces to organize, spaces to meet, or spaces to feel safe in the face of violence.” DiMarco is the chair of the Queer Trans Community Action Project (QTCAP), which recently began a campaign to make New Orleans a “safe haven city” from attacks on transgender rights.
The press conference was planned just the day before, when students discovered Tulane had closed the Q Spot without making any announcement. Despite the short notice, press from three news outlets attended and others expressed interest in covering the story.
“Universities will have you believe that they have no choice. That there is no option but to comply with Trump’s demands to retain funding. We feel, however, that now more than ever Tulane must take a stand and place the needs of students over its economic interests,” said Jia Sharma-Chaube, speaking for the Feminist Alliance of Students at Tulane.
Charles Mallett summed up the feelings of the crowd, concluding, “Tulane wants us to settle for crumbs, but we want the whole pie! We will not stop until all students are equally protected and respected.”