“We honor [our] legacy of diversity and inclusion and welcome all individuals, including those from groups that historically have been marginalized and previously excluded from equal access to opportunity.”

— Cornell’s Statement on Diversity

The words diversity, inclusion and multiculturalism are often used interchangeably. But what do these words really mean to our University community and how are they applied on our campus? Diversity and multiculturalism imply the inclusion of all cultures and all identities. When we talk about inclusion, we often focus on the minorities whose needs and struggles are not adequately addressed by the majority. Historically, “minority” in the United States has been synonymous with people of color.

But there also exist minority communities that fall outside this historically entrenched paradigm — communities that are not necessarily lower in numbers, such as the Asians and Asian Americans, and minority communities identified by characteristics other than race, such as the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ) community.

These other minority communities must not be left out of our University’s overarching vision of diversity. An identity group can still have a sizable population on campus, but they may still continue to be oppressed and their needs not met. These groups must be included in the overarching vision of diversity.

Most people recognize the LGBTQ community as a historically marginalized population, but most people fail to recognize the LGBTQ culture — our unique history and traditions, and our continued struggle for full civil rights. Therefore, we have been excluded from discussions on multiculturalism and diversity initiatives.

Most people do not realize that people who identify with the LGBTQ community lack equal access to opportunities on this campus. LGBTQ individuals are not identified by checking a box on college applications or listing sexual orientation on a resume. Everyone is assumed to be straight, and those that do come out as LGBT may be negatively impacted. This creates a “don’t ask, don’t tell” mentality that results in further invisibility and fosters an unsafe climate for LGBTQ students, staff and faculty. Instead of being empowered by our identity, LGBTQ Cornellians are often pressured to “pass” as heterosexuals.

Like the other communities of underrepresented people, both LGBTQ undergraduates and graduate students face neglect from the administration and the general Cornell community. We should be included in talks of multiculturalism and calls for greater student input and empowerment in the administration’s decisions. There is an institutional need for inclusive policies with regard to admissions, recruitment and retention of LGBTQ students, staff and faculty, and uniform practices that create a truly inclusive multicultural community. A commitment to diversity implies a responsibility to maintain a safe and inclusive environment for all welcomed.

To fully support and empower LGBTQ students, staff and faculty, fundamental changes are required in a variety of University practices. The Office of Admissions, as well as all of the colleges and schools, should actively recruit and retain LGBTQ students by participating in LGBTQ College Recruitment Fairs, create LGBTQ student-hosting activities and mandate training for all admissions officers on LGBTQ life at Cornell as well as cultural competency related to the LGBT community. All schools and colleges, advising deans and college associates should implement real plans to expand the diversity policies, practices and education within their areas to include LGBTQ issues. Assessments of diversity at Cornell must include a thorough evaluation of LGBTQ climate. The absence of data related to the LGBTQ community in institutional research and administrative reports is both appalling and offensive to the LGBTQ community. Furthermore, all divisions of the University must provide training and programming around LGBTQ issues so as to create a more visible and welcoming environment for the many LGBTQ students, faculty, staff and alumni who remain unsafely in the closet.

Part of the bigger picture of multiculturalism and inclusion is fostering a larger sense of diversity to include all minority communities. There is a need to actively affirm people’s identities and the intersections of identities. However, advocating solely for resources and financial support will not solve our problems. The minority and multicultural communities on campus must also work to understand one another in order to formally identify the struggles and needs of all of our communities as we move forward together. A series of teach-ins can bring together multiple communities for educational and action-oriented discussions. In addition to outreach programming, joint meetings can be held between student groups from different communities.

There has been a lot of talk about resources needed to build community, but what does it really take to transgress the barriers to community building? Yes, each community needs a minimum amount of resources in order serve its constituency and address all the relevant issues through programming. And we should always strive to get more resources and continue advocating for the betterment of our communities. But money alone is not the solution. The real issues of how our communities function individually and cooperate with each other can’t be solved by just discussing the resources we lack. We have to realize that this isn’t just an administrative issue. We all have to work together and understand one another.

The LGBTQ community stands with other marginalized communities and we claim our space within the multicultural community at large. We do not stand alone.

Jason Beekman ’08, a second-year student in the Law School, is the president of Cornell Lambda Law. He may be reached at jcb54@cornell.edu. Matt Danzer ’12, in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations, is the S.A. LGBTQ Representative at-Large. He may be reached at mdanzer2036@gmail.com. Eugene B. Hunter ’12, in the College of Arts and Sciences, is the president of MOSAIC. He may be reached at ebh62@cornell.edu. Olivia Tai ’10, in the College of Arts and Sciences, is the president of Haven: The LGBTQ Student Union. She may be reached at ot32@cornell.edu.