Timeline Express Announcements

15 members of the LGBT community send an email to President DeGioia requesting his presence at an open forum planned for October 10. He declines, choosing to plan a private meeting with 4 GU Pride members on October 9 instead.

Professors Tomasso Astarita, Dana Luciano, Patrick O’Malley, and Ricardo Ortiz send an email to faculty and administrators in support of GU Pride and condemning the university’s response to the October 11th rally

Bill McCoy served part-time as an LGBTQ Affairs Coordinator, signaling the very beginnings of institutional support for LGBTQ students on campus. It became apparent very soon, however, that one part-time coordinator was not enough to address all the issues faced by LGBTQ students in a relatively hostile environment on Georgetown’s campus.

On October 1, 2007, in response to the September 9th hate crime and the university’s response, members of the OUT for Change campaign held a “Once is Enough” rally where they asked students to sign a petition they would deliver to President DeGioia. The petition contained 4 major demands – extended resources to the LGBTQ community, mandatory events focused on educating students about the LGBTQ community, a revised LGBTQ Working Group, and a better system for notifying the community of hate crimes. Just in those few hours of protest, the students garnered about 750 signatures (over 10% of the student body). Professors Mark Lance, Ricardo Ortiz, and Dana Luciano spoke at the rally. Approximately 70 students then walked to the President’s office to present him with the petition. Members of GU Pride met with Todd Olson, the Director of the CMEA Dennis Williams, and the Vice President for University Safety Rocoo DelMonaco following the rally.

In the early morning of September 9, 2007, a student was harassed, assaulted, and ultimately hospitalized. He was targeted because of his sexual orientation. Georgetown University students do not find out about the hate crime until well after it happens, sparking outrage among students who feel that the University is ignoring violence against their community.

After weeks of student organizing, President DeGioia organizes a townhall in which he allows space for the community to express their fears and frustrations publicly. DeGioia announces that Georgetown will establish the first full-fledged LGBTQ Center at a Catholic university.  View President DeGioia’s Remarks Here