Guises and Disguises in Discrimination Forum held

Editor’s Note: On Thursday evening, because of conflicts, no one from the Beat could make it to the “Guises and Disguises of Discrimination Forum,” hosted by the Grant County Democratic Party. Thanks to the courtesy of photographers and a WNMU writer-in-residence, here is a brief summary of the forum.

Panelists were Dr. Damon Bullock, WNMU Professor of Criminal Justice; Maria Dominguez, WNMU Multi-Cultural Affairs director; Randy Perez, WNMU Sociology student; and Dr. Curtis Proctor, WNMU Associate Professor in the School of Social Work, who teaches cultural diversity/competency coursework, provides LGBT social work in the context of the Indian Child Welfare Act, and is a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma.

The panel was moderated by JJ Wilson, WNMU writer-in-residence, who provided a poem summary of the forum.

By JJ Wilson

Maria

Sweep her out? There's not a big enough broom,

There's Mexicans here, and more than enough room.

Curtis

85% of gays and lesbians get harassed,

But things are better now than in the past.

It ain't no crime to be LGBT,

And glimmers of hope sustain you and me.

Randy

Randy doesn't look it, but he's half-white,