Understanding Sexuality, Gender, and Allyship explained

USGA
Location:Provo, Utah
Founded Date:[1]
Area Served:Brigham Young University student body
Purpose:"Strengthen families and the BYU community by providing a place for open, respectful discussions on the topic of same-gender attraction and LGBTQ issues."[2]
Num Volunteers:40+[3] [4]
Num Members:100+
Former Name:Understanding Same-Gender Attraction

USGA (Understanding Sexuality, Gender, and Allyship, previously Understanding Same-Gender Attraction)[5] is an organization for LGBT Brigham Young University students and their allies. It began meeting on BYU campus in 2010 to discuss issues relating to homosexuality and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).[1] [6] However, by December 2012, USGA began meeting off campus at the Provo City Library[7] [8] and is still banned from meeting on campus as of 2018.[9] [10] BYU campus currently offers no official LGBT-specific resources as of 2016.[11] The group maintains political neutrality and upholds BYU's Honor Code. It also asks all participants to be respectful of BYU and the LDS Church.[12] The group received national attention when it released its 2012 "It Gets Better" video.[13] [14] The group also released a suicide prevention message in 2013.[15] A sister organization USGA Rexburg serves the LGBT Brigham Young University–Idaho student community in Rexburg, Idaho.[16] [17] [18]

Publicized activities

The group released an "It Gets Better" video in March 2012 that received press coverage.[19] A student panel of USGA leaders held on BYU campus soon after in April by the sociology department also received press coverage as well as complaints to the university from a conservative political group.[20]

In 2016 the Provo newspaper Daily Herald published a series of six in-depth articles on the experiences of USGA members, centered around the topics of why they attend BYU,[21] the USGA group,[3] mental health,[22] the Honor Code,[23] and why some leave BYU.[21] The articles were written over the space of two months, with an editorial conclusion at the end of the series asking administrators to listen to USGA BYU students.[24]

Other activities reported by media in 2017 include their Faces of USGA photojournalism project[25] [26] and their Provo Pride Festival booth.[27]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Kemsley. Tamarra. Clubs With Meaning: Understanding Same-Gender Attraction. Student Review. September 19, 2011. 16. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120426062809/http://extras.sltrib.com/PDFs/studentreview.pdf. April 26, 2012. The Salt Lake Tribune.
  2. Web site: Welcome to USGA!. Understanding Sexuality, Gender, and Allyship. 25 May 2017.
  3. News: Braley. Dodson. Group provides a safety net for BYU's LGBT students. Daily Herald. 4 November 2016. 17 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161217104629/http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/education/college/byu/group-provides-a-safety-net-for-byu-s-lgbt-students/article_b4139416-2981-56b2-9bf9-a7d831717a40.html. dead.
  4. Web site: About Us. Understanding Sexuality, Gender, and Allyship. 24 May 2017.
  5. News: Tanner . Courtney . BYU's unofficial LGBTQ club has changed its name to reflect 'all different types of sexuality and gender identity' . . 19 July 2018.
  6. News: Olsen. Jessica. Timeline. 9 February 2017. The Daily Universe. Brigham Young University. 20 January 2017.
  7. News: Hales. Whitney. Provo LGBTQ support group reacts to Elder Rasband's devotional invitation. The Daily Universe. Brigham Young University. 18 September 2015. 12 January 2017.
  8. News: Shire. Emily . Mormon U. Forces Gays to Be Celibate . . 13 May 2014.
  9. News: Kerr. Emma. Inside Gay Students' Fight to Be Heard at BYU. The Chronicle of Higher Education. 22 May 2018. There are no institutional means of supporting students or educating professors on LGBTQ issues. ... USGA, is forced to meet in a local library because the university does not support or sanction its existence. Students in the group say they’ve been told it will never be allowed on campus..
  10. News: Alberty. Erin. Students: BYU Honor Code leaves LGBT victims of sexual assault vulnerable and alone. The Salt Lake Tribune. 16 August 2016.
  11. News: Gleeson. Scott. Could BYU's LGBT policies really deter Big 12 move?. 12 January 2017. USA Today. 10 August 2016.
  12. Web site: About Us. Understanding Sexuality, Gender, and Allyship. 17 May 2016 . 28 January 2017.
  13. News: Winters. Rosemary. Gay BYU students to Mormon youths: 'It gets better'. 9 February 2017. The Salt Lake Tribune. 6 April 2012.
  14. News: Gay Mormon Students From Brigham Young University Produce 'It Gets Better' Video. 9 February 2017. HuffPost. 6 April 2012.
  15. News: McDonald. Amy. 'Just be there': Group raises awareness for LGBT suicide prevention. 9 February 2017. The Daily Universe. Brigham Young University. 12 November 2013.
  16. News: Brown. Taylor. USGA Provides a Place for Comfort. 20 February 2017. Scroll. Brigham Young University-Idaho. 28 Jan 2014.
  17. Web site: BYU-Idaho Group Fosters Understanding Around LGBT Issues. 19 January 2013 . Affirmation. 20 February 2017.
  18. Web site: USGA Rexburg. Facebook. USGA Rexburg. 20 February 2017.
  19. News: Bolding. Joshua. BYU groups seek to understand students with same-sex attraction. 28 May 2017. Deseret News. 6 April 2012.
  20. Avery. Dan. Brigham Young University's Gay-Mormon Panel Draws Crowds, Questions. 5 April 2012 . Queerty. 28 May 2017.
  21. News: Dodson. Braley. LGBT BYU students explain why they chose to attend and stay. Daily Herald. 28 October 2016. 2 October 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171002061915/http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/education/college/byu/lgbt-byu-students-explain-why-they-chose-to-attend-and/article_8d9d681d-f8ab-5a97-b3f8-269c4473839d.html. dead.
  22. News: Dodson. Braley. LGBT BYU students fighting suicide while facing unique mental health challenges. Daily Herald. 11 November 2016. 5 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161205001458/http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/education/college/byu/lgbt-byu-students-fighting-suicide-while-facing-unique-mental-health/article_169af402-666b-5ae3-9d7b-cfab82b6d830.html. dead.
  23. News: Dodson. Braley. LGBT BYU students want honor code clarification. Daily Herald. 18 November 2016. 26 August 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170826103549/http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/education/college/byu/lgbt-byu-students-want-honor-code-clarification/article_5da9be08-d0f1-5558-b16d-a13a1027a1f1.html?. dead.
  24. News: Hale. Isaac. Herald editorial: Listen to BYU's LGBT students. 12 August 2017. Daily Herald. 27 November 2016. 29 November 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161129204835/http://www.heraldextra.com/news/opinion/herald-editorials/herald-editorial-listen-to-byu-s-lgbt-students/article_732c76f8-50db-5031-b6fd-fd2cef3e1449.html. dead.
  25. Wagner. Danielle B.. Lesbian Mormon Shares a Powerful Message to Members of the Church: 'I Want People to See My Face'. LDS Living. Deseret Book. 5 October 2017.
  26. News: Jackman. Josh. This lesbian Mormon has posted an incredible coming out message. PinkNews. 6 October 2017.
  27. News: Pierce. Scott D.. Provo's growing gay pride festival surprised many fans headed to the BYU football game. The Salt Lake Tribune. 16 September 2017. No group was more visible than BYU’s unofficial LGBTQ support group, USGA (Understanding Same-Gender Attraction) — their booth was right on the corner of Center and University. 'A lot of people on campus don’t know that we exist, so they feel alone. And some of them think about suicide,' said Sabina Mendoza, 22, a BYU senior from Houston. 'We don’t want anyone to feel that way.'.

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