Jasmine Cameron on the Politics of Being Out and Proud at Howard University
Student-activist, Jasmine Cameron. Photo courtesy of Jasmine Cameron.
Jasmine Cameron (she/her/hers) shares her perspectives and experiences of being a lesbian student-activist at an HBCU.
Jasmine Cameron’s interview is a part of ‘Voices in Movement’ February 2020 theme, #MakingBlackQueerHistory: Black LGBTQ+ Women and Non-Binary Student Activism at HBCUs. To read the descriptor, please click here.
Jasmine Cameron is not only out and proud at Howard University, she is also very proud to be a part of a strong, supportive, and unapologetically queer community and legacy on the campus. A junior computer science major from Upper Marlboro, Maryland, Cameron is the Vice President of Out in STEM or OSTEM, the Howard University chapter of Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, which aims to empower LGBTQ+ Howard University students in STEM. She is also the chief of staff of Women of Revolt, a femme-identifying community service organization founded at Howard that focuses on educating youth, enriching the community, and empowering women. Cameron is also the Public Relations chair of the Howard University Water Environment Association (HUWEA), a student organization that “increases of the importance of water in overall public health and environmental sustainability.”
Cameron shared with me her experiences being a lesbian student-activist on campus; her work with Women of Revolt and OSTEM; the future of LGBTQ+ rights and representation at Howard and HBCUs; and what a Black Woman Radical means to her.
As a lesbian student at Howard University, what are the benefits and difficulties of your experience at an HBCU?
Jasmine Cameron (JC): “I get to meet a lot of people who are like me. Before Howard, I knew a lot of Black people growing up who were queer because I grew up in Prince George’s County. It was really great for me growing up because I was really able to embrace that as a part of my identity and things of that nature. However, my experiences growing up were not as queer as Howard is. Howard has a very large LGBTQ+ community, which I was super excited about and also surprised because I had not really experienced anything quite like that before. When I got to Howard, I met so many people who are queer, Black, and unapologetically themselves. It really helped me to embrace who I am. I was out before I came to Howard and I was comfortable in myself but it was nowhere near how comfortable I am now. A lot of that is due to the community Howard has and how supportive it is within itself––not necessarily supportive outside of our community, which brings me to the cons.”
“When I got to Howard, I met so many people who are queer, Black, and unapologetically themselves. It really helped me to embrace who I am.”
“A lot of the administration and students are, at times, not supportive. At times, it is just blatantly disrespectful. For example, this past year during homecoming, we were supposed to put a Pride flag in the middle of The Yard on National Coming Out Day. Administration had given the go for it a month in advance and it was something that was supposed to happen the previous year but there was a lot of, I guess, miscommunication. It just really boiled down to administration not wanting to put the flag up because they didn’t. The same thing happened the year before. There still hasn’t been any response to it. We also have a LGBTQ+ Advisory Council and the meetings happen once a month. We go in and we talk to upper level administration about things LGBTQ+ students are facing and we try to tell them what we need and what would make our experiences better. We literally do all the work ourselves––there is no one else coming in and saying, ‘These students need these resources’ and ‘they need this.’ For other students on campus, it does happen––they do get the resources. Some, not all. It shouldn’t just be students doing all the work to make change and awareness happen.”
How would you like Howard and HBCUs broadly to ensure LGBTQ+ rights, representation, and justice on campus?
JC: “That is big. It encompasses every part of the experience here. Before you get on campus and when you are choosing housing, there should be gender neutral housing for all students. Just listen. If you are not in the community, if you are not a LGBTQ+ student on campus, and you are in charge of helping those people, you need to listen to what they need and the resources they need. There should be more gender neutral bathrooms on campus. There should be training for all faculty and staff and making sure they know the inclusive language to use. Making sure professors know people’s pronouns in the beginning of the semester, so they are not misgendering people the entire time. Mainly, just listen to us. Do research as well. You need to do your own research for yourself, if you cared about the community, so we do not have to educate others about who we are and our lives all the time.”
“It shouldn’t just be students doing all the work to make change and awareness happen.”
What events, initiatives, and campaigns does Women of Revolt and OSTEM have in terms of promoting LGBTQ+ inclusivity and justice on campus?
JC: “One, both groups have a lot of programming and every single program we have, we let people know this is a safe space and they can be 100% themselves. We ask people to state their pronouns and let people know we will respect them. We work with administration as well to say, ‘Hey, these students need this and this type of resource.’ For example, OSTEM right now is working with faculty to make sure it is mandatory that faculty and staff in Engineering take what is called ‘Safe Zone’ training, which is training on how to be respectful and inclusive in classrooms to all people, but especially LGBTQ+ students. Some schools at Howard it is mandatory to take this training but for some reason, Engineering doesn’t, and so that is one thing we are working on.”
“We are also working on spreading awareness on safe sex. We have programming where people are getting tested to end the stigma around sex. This topic is still taboo––especially at HBCU campuses. A lot of people come from the church, they are very conservative, and they do not want to talk about certain things but that it is how diseases get spread because of lack of awareness and ignorance, so we do work to bring education and awareness. We are also work with Accepted Students Day to bring more awareness. There was a point last year during Accepted Students Day where they said, ‘All ladies over here and all guys over there’, which leaves out a group of students. We want to make sure those things don’t happen and we also want them to recognize LGBTQ+ students and to let those students know about the resources and spaces Howard has to offer them on campus. I am really excited about all the work we are doing. I am seeing Howard making small and subtle changes and so I am excited about the future.”
What advice would you give to other LGBTQ+ students at Howard and at other HBCUs?
JC: “First, I would say try to seek out your resources. When I first got on campus, I just stayed in my room a lot because I was shy and wasn’t super confident. I later found a group chat with a bunch of queer people who were freshmen [Laughs] and that led me to CASCADE and that led me to other queer people like me. I was able to build a community of people who love and accept me for who I am. Seeking out your resources is important and finding people who are going to accept you, like you, and make you feel good about being yourself is also important. Also, don’t seek validation from other people either. That is one thing that will trap you and prevent you from flourishing into your full self. Just be 100% you all the time.”
“I am really excited about all the work we are doing. I am seeing Howard making small and subtle changes and so I am excited about the future.”
What does a ‘Black Woman Radical’ mean to you?
JC: “A Black Woman Radical means you are 100% yourself. You stand in your truth daily and you do not let anyone compromise you. You are unwavering. You are confident. You are determined. You are also a resource for other Black women. I think it is important we stand together because without each other, it is going to be hard. Having to deal with all the things Black women deal with––patriarchy, racism, sexism, homophobia, and more––all those things coming at you at once can make it difficult for us to stand in our truth but somehow, someway, we do it. Historically and even now, it can be difficult to be our true selves because we have always been demonized for it. It is simply means standing in your truth and helping others.”
You can follow Women of Revolt on Twitter and Instagram @RevoltHU and @revolthu.
You can follow Out in STEM or OSTEM on Twitter @OSTEMHowardU.