For decades, students have grabbed their paintbrushes, paint buckets and creativity, and headed out to Duke's hub of free expression--the East Campus Bridge--to share their ideas and events with the community.
But five years ago this week, when members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community turned to the bridge to celebrate Coming Out Week, they instead found censorship.
On Oct. 8 and 9, 1997, LGBT students decorated the bridge with slogans and pictures of gay pride, including phrases such as "queer" and "be gay," and a picture of two girls holding hands. Facilities Management Department officials, however, believed them to be offensive and ordered a whitewashing.
Debate immediately sparked on campus about censorship and the attitude toward the LGBT community.
"I believe the University should be fostering, not suppressing, free speech," said Silas Holland, Trinity '01, who participated in the 1997 bridge painting as a freshman.
"I would have understood if some ignorant person had come along and messed it up because they think 'God hates fags,' but it is another thing all together for a university that ostensibly supports dialogue and free speech to selectively censor its students," Holland said. He added that the University was showing a double standard by only whitewashing some expressions.
Others do not share Holland's sentiment.
"Many tempers flared after the [incident], but eventually, it was clear that the 'whitewashing'
After the controversy, Duke Student Government, Facilities Management and other administrators collaborated to clarify the bridge painting policy, Denton added. Denton, Holland and many other LGBT community members said no similar censorship issues have arisen since 1997 and noted that the incident had an unforeseen benefit, namely a campus-wide debate over free speech.
Although students said then that the University would have a long way to go to mend its relationship with the LGBT community, many now say the administration has been supportive of their advancement on campus.
"The relationship has definitely been on the mend," said Karen Krahulik, director of the Center for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Life. "President [Nan] Keohane has been supportive and made every effort to work with the LGBT Center. I don't feel any resistance to the work I do."
Denton agreed that the University has made tremendous strides in the last five years.
"Both the Chapel and the Freeman Center [for Jewish Life] have publicly stated their willingness to host same-sex union ceremonies. Additionally, the University's support for the [Students, Administrators and Faculty for Equality] on Campus program has been exceptionally strong," he wrote.
Many community members believe, however, there is still much improvement needed to create a safe and comfortable campus climate for LGBT students--especially on the part of the student body.
"I wouldn't feel comfortable walking across campus with my boyfriend, or sitting on the bench with my boyfriend, or any of the other activities straight people do, because of the comments I hear on the bus, or in passing," said senior Gerald Lackey. "This isn't an environment where I want to be open because I don't want to be stared at or harassed. So for LGBT students, it's still hidden."
Junior Brian Barrera, president of the Alliance of Queer Undergraduates at Duke, agreed the campus climate prevents many students from coming out.
"The student body has a ways to go," he said. "I feel that a lot of people on campus would rather see caricatures of toned-down, normal, live-your-life-in-private homosexual that doesn't flaunt his [sexual orientation]."
Sophomore Andy Briggs, who is straight, feels the heterosexual community is more open about homosexual issues now, but that people do not really talk about them. "There's an attitude of 'don't ask, don't tell,'" he said.
Kerry Poynter, program coordinator for the Center for LGBT Life, said there are other ways to better the attitude toward the LGBT community.
"All the education on campus comes through the center, and that can't happen," Poynter said. "With only this, how can you expect the campus climate to change?"
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