The members of SAME invited fellow passionate Sage students and faculty members to gather Oct. 9 for an open discussion on LGBTQ community. The discussion targeted the prominent remaining discriminations against the LGBTQ community after the legalization of gay marriage.

“We need to protect young trans people,” senior Lauren Thunen said, “there are young people committing suicide, [being targeted] in hate crimes.”

The stigma around every person being able to embrace his/her innate sexuality and gender identity is almost incomprehensible, yet so deeply ingrained into our modern culture and politics. Students identified the root causes of the general insensitivity and violence toward queer peoples. Many pointed out the flawed system, the strong impact that structural discrimination can have on everyday individuals. But when it comes down to the basics, most forms of discrimination thrive because of misinformation and/or lack of knowledge.

“There is almost a reluctance to try to understand different identities that the [more stubborn individuals] can’t relate to on a personal basis,” freshman Catherine Enkama said.

“[The change] needs to start with the younger generations.”

But the good news is that many nonjudgmental, willing young people like the members of SAME committee are trying to make a change by bringing the problem to people’s attentions, believing in the power of educating one individual at a time.

“The change doesn’t have to start at the legal level,” junior Julia Dupuis said. “It has to start from education in middle school and high school. . .our culture feeds the politics.”