Living Out Loud with Darian

About 50 students on the campus of Hampton University have been denied a charter for the second year in a row to form a gay -straight alliance they call SPEAK, Students Promoting Equality Action and Knowledge. President of Speak Sia Mensah was told by a school official that "there was no need for this group on campus".

"Gay and lesbian students have been increasingly visible on campus," she said, at a time when there's plenty of "homophobic sentiment" there. It is no secret that there's a large number of Black gay and lesbian students on the campuses of HBCU'S all over the country, Atlanta is a perfect example as is Hampton.

I don't find it surprising that students would encounter resistance from administrators, after all it is a deep rooted belief among many Black people that homosexuality doesn't exist in our community. So why would they see a need for this organization on campus since none of our people could possibly identify as gay or lesbian? Right? Wrong.

I'm sure the students are in for a fight, but I have a feeling under Mensah's leadership they will ultimately prevail.