Queer Students Alliance prompts change, says UT needs outreach for gay first-year students

In order to make the campus more sensitive to the gay student community, UT will be one of the first universities in the nation to offer a First-Year Interest Group in the fall for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning freshmen.

"There are too many horror stories," said Holbrook, now a radio-television-film senior and spokesman for the Queer Students Alliance. "No one should have to go through what I did."

The group was formed in response to suggestions made in a report released in October by the Queer Students Alliance to help freshmen deal with ordinary first-year and unique sexual identity issues.

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The group will be open to not only members of the LGBTQ community, but their allies and people interested in studying LGBTQ issues.

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Those opposed to the idea of gay-specific groups say that it is segregating and evades the purpose of diversity, which teaches students to live and learn with people who are different from them.

A Freshman Interest Group is a cohort of up to 25 first-year freshmen students who take two to four courses together. Typically, one of these classes is small, to allow you to recognize your FIG-mates there and in your larger classes.

In addition, your cohort also attends a 1-hour seminar once a week. This seminar is facilitated by a peer mentor and academic advisor or other student affairs professional from your college. In the seminar, you will take part in discussions about issues you will encounter as a first-semester student such as:

* study and time management strategies
* social opportunities and issues
* campus life and involvement opportunities