OCU Creatives for Artistic and Realistic Equalities will host a two-night town hall discussing LGBTQ+ inclusivity in entertainment and on campus.
OCU CARE is a student organization which advocates for marginalized groups in the performing arts through their four branches: Race & Ethnic Diversity, Mental Health and Wellness, DNA (Disability, Neurodivergence, and Accessibility), and LGBTQIA+ Inclusivity. The LGBTQIA+ Inclusivity branch will hold a town hall at 6 p.m. Feb. 13-14 over Zoom.
Sadie Koopman, music theater/vocal performance sophomore, is one of the co-leaders of the LGBTQIA+ branch.
“We start by talking about issues within the school. We then create an actionable list of goals and issues that we can create a taskforce to work on those goals and issues,” Koopman said. “One example is a taskforce we have working towards creating gender inclusive bathrooms in the School of Music. That’s something we’ve been working really hard towards.”
Koopman said recently, most of the meetings have been geared towards the upcoming town hall, which will feature diverse a panel of professionals who are deeply tied to the LGBTQ+ community.
“Our panelists include teachers, educators and performers. One of our biggest struggles planning the meeting was making sure everybody felt like they were either addressed or listened to in some way,” Koopman said. “We wanted a multi-experienced panel of people, a multi-gendered panel of people, and we wanted people who weren’t only educators or weren’t only performers.”
Koopman said the town hall will be split into two nights. The first will primarily feature the stories and experiences of the panelists, and the second night will be a discussion between students.
“The panel of the first day helps students see how they can continue to create and foster inclusivity when they go out into the industry.” Koopman said. “The second night will be a time to discuss the ways our school and campus community can continue being inclusive.”
Brandon Dallmann, music theater senior, is the other co-leader of the LGBTQIA+ branch. He said the town halls are primarily to build engagement and a culture of discussion on campus, while the taskforces are involved with creating institutional change on campus.
“Town hall is a good time to open up the discussion and bring awareness. It’s not for solving anything immediately, but beginning the discussion,” Dallmann said. “Our initial town halls, and other town halls, have served a purpose for getting more people engaged with CARE, so I think our goal would be to reach community members and get more people engaged.”
Dallmann said the second night, which focuses on interpersonal discussion, will be helpful for bringing the varied and specific experiences on campus to the forefront of the conversation.
“Those discussions are important for our specific branch because there are a lot of personal issues and specific issues that people need to talk about,” Dallmann said.
Dallmann said one of the topics he hopes the town hall touches on is equity and inclusion within the large LGBTQ+ community within theater and making sure that all members of the community can have their voices heard.
Delanie Kinney, music theater senior, is the secretary of the LGBTQIA+ branch. She said the town hall is the perfect time for students to make their voices heard and bring forward any experiences or issues which may be resonant with others.
She said she hopes to learn more about intersectionality within the LGBTQ+ community.
“I would like to know more about people of color’s perspective in the queer community, because I know it’s very different from a white person’s experiences,” Kinney said.
OCU Care will hold their LGBTQIA+ town hall at 6 p.m. Feb. 13-14. Students can follow their Instagram for updates on future events.
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