This past weekend, I had the privilege of attending the Midwestern Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgendered Ally College Conference at the University of Indiana Bloomington. This conference is the largest of its kind in the nation and is put on yearly at universities across the Midwest to bring together young people for the betterment of civil equality in the United States.

I went to the conference with the Alliance group from ISU, with no preconception as to what I would take away from the gathering. The weekend consisted of three prominent keynote speakers, entertainment, and workshops to further develop individuals’ abilities at their home universities. The workshops offered ranged from LGBT portrayal in the media, to one with the title “Whips, Nipple Clips & Candle Wax: Power Play and Relationship Between Violence and Sex”.

I attended three workshops, but the most influential one was called “LGBTA in the Workplace: Resources to Help With Part-Time job, Internship, or Career.” This workshop brought to light a very important issue. When choosing a company or organization to work for, shouldn’t you want a company that is non-discriminatory, whether based on race, sex, or sexual orientation, as well as other minorities protected by federal laws? This workshop provided resources and rankings of thousands of companies across the United States and ranked their score 0-100. IBM, Lockheed Martin and Boeing all ranked a 100, while companies such as Exxon ranked an almost unheard of 0. All of these listings are available on the Human Rights Campaign Web site.

This issue was further driven home by the keynote speaker that evening, LZ Granderson. LZ is a senior columnist for ESPN magazine and espn.com, and probably the most visible openly gay sports journalist in the nation. LZ was a fascinating speaker; he told stories of overcoming his double minority, as well as growing up as a gang member in Detroit. He influenced me, and I am sure many others, to strive for what isn’t normally achieved, and to keep your dignity as you do so.

The most important subject LZ introduced was the lack of cooperation between minority groups. Since LZ is both a gay man and black, he said, “It doesn’t take too long for me to get offended in a conversation.” He went on to speak of the National Black MBA Association not cooperating with an association like Gay Lesbian Association Against Defamation, even though these two groups are seeking to further civil liberties for the individuals they represent. LZ emphasized, “If all these minority groups bound together in an effort to have equal rights for all, suddenly they are no longer a minority group. Suddenly they are the great majority.”

After attending MBLGTACC in Indiana and witnessing the shared struggles and triumphs that occur at every Midwest university, it makes me proud to see the changes made here at Iowa State in just the four short years I’ve been here. Although I feel there is much that still needs to change, I am certain Iowa State will become a place known for its diversity and acceptance of all minorities.

During the four years I have attended Iowa State, I have lived a double life. I have done this to protect myself from the harsh reality that I am a minority of minorities. I am pursuing a degree in Aerospace Engineering, and as a result I have kept myself in the closet from my fellow engineering students for fear of being ostracized. However, the other side of my life consists of friends outside the engineering department.

For the first time in my life, this past weekend I was able to be myself to everyone around me. I no longer had to hide myself behind a wall in fear that if peers saw me for who I truly was, they would run in fear — or worse, retaliate. This weekend was the most liberating time of my life, and unfortunately painful as I returned to class on Monday. It is unfortunate that I have felt this way during my time at ISU, but I am seeing change — dramatic change. This is why I am proud to say I am a Cyclone. The future looks bright for the students of ISU.

Mitch Meier

Junior

Aerospace Engineering