Campus Pride is excited to present David Hanson, a new contributor here at CampusPrideBlog.org. His first entry with us appears below. Expect to see more contributions from David twice per month.

A Boston native, David now lives in Austin, Texas, where he is the CFO and COO of TourDeFIT.com, a new venture company focused on web-based interfaces for individuals, corporations and higher education institutions to advance health and fitness. David began his professional career as an attorney and has worked as an Honors Program JAG Attorney for the U.S. Army and as a federal law clerk. He also has experience in communications and higher education; David worked for nearly 10 years at Emory University, where he served as associate vice president for administration and as the special assistant (chief of staff) to the executive vice president for finance and administration. In these roles, David managed communications and policy development for the institution’s CFO, launched several new initiatives and programs and oversaw the Offices of Business Management, Business Data Analysis, Clifton Community Partnership, Sustainability Initiatives, and Bike Emory. David holds an MBA from Emory University, a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from University of Florida and a doctorate in higher education and non-profit management from the University of Pennsylvania.

Reading a news article about an alleged gay bashing on the grounds of your alma mater is difficult, especially when you worked in a leadership position at the institution for nearly a decade.  Emory University recently made the national news when a gay undergraduate man alleged he was the victim of anti-gay physical abuse and harassment at the hands of fraternity members on campus (see also this story from The Emory Wheel).

Having spent the last 10 years of my life working and socializing as an openly gay administrator on Emory’s campus in Atlanta, I was shocked by the allegations and headlines.  I was equally surprised by the speed at which the incident triggered peers, friends and colleagues across the nation to contact me and ask, “Is Emory really a hostile place for the LGBT community?  How did you work there for so long?”

My heart sank as I read online submissions from parents to the Emory student newspaper stating they were withdrawing their children’s applications for admission.  The emotion caused by the incident, given the allegations, should not have been unexpected as any form of anti-gay harassment or gay bashing is unacceptable — whether on or off of a college campus.  But, one tends to believe that bad things like this could only occur at “another” institution, not Emory.  Reality, however, made me realize that no place is completely safe yet for the LGBT community.

A few days after the incident made headlines, a former colleague (who still works on campus) emailed me about my time at Emory and asked whether I had ever experienced harassment as an openly gay community member.  My response was immediate and unequivocal when I told him, “Never.  Not once.”  Emory is a large place with over 12,000 students and more than 20,000 employees.  With a hospital on campus and numerous visitors, on any given day the Atlanta campus may have over 30,000 people rambling about.  In a large, urban environment, there are bound to be a few zealots who hold anti-gay beliefs and, unfortunately, those beliefs may sometimes transform into action, including battering another human.  But, in my decade at Emory, I never had a negative experience caused by my sexual orientation, nor did I ever witness one.  In fact, just the opposite was true.  My partner and I accepted positions at Emory because of its progressive, inclusive and humanitarian reputation and we were never disappointed by our choice.  The Emory community is as open and safe as any community of that size can be, which is why the allegations were so shocking:  If something like this (assuming the allegations are true) could happen at Emory, then it could happen anywhere.

Whether the allegations are true is a question for the institution to decide after a full investigation.  And, having worked side by side with those in charge, I am confident as an alumnus that the investigation will be thorough, fair and impartial.  In situations like these, the motives behind an act of aggression may never be truly known, as anti-gay beliefs are rarely clear and transparent.  Rather, the animus triggering an act of violence is normally protected firmly in the mind of the actor.  Whether this incident was (or was not) fueled by anti-gay sentiment, however, the campus and the LGBT community should focus on what “good” might result from the situation.  As a teaching and learning environment with gay and non-gay leaders, my hope is that this incident will spark faculty, staff and students on Emory’s campus (and other campuses) to discuss the matter openly and actively.  If any good can come from tragedy, it often comes from open and rational discussions without judgment of others’ views.  The fact that a young man on campus was physically injured is unacceptable — there is no doubt about that.  The incident, however, can provide a platform for in- and out-of-class discussions about topics related to LGBT rights, harassment and the status and needs of the LGBT community.

Hopefully, the faculty at Emory and elsewhere are doing just that — talking about this incident with their students and outlining the issues facing the LGBT community worldwide.  Whether in a business, sociology, anthropology or political science class, these topics merit time and attention, not only to help a community heal, but also to open and inform young minds.  My firm hope as an alumnus is that is just what is happening on campus now.