• the217
• LGBT
• LGBT Hate crimes in Springfield, UIS campus

Related Media

Related Venues

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Resources »
Address: Illini Union, Room 323, 1401 West Green Street Urbana, IL 61801
Phone: (217) 244-8863
Show on map

The University of Illinois is part of a circle campus that also includes the University of Chicago (UIC) and the University of Springfield (UIS). All three campuses have had a history of hate crimes against students of many backgrounds, including LGBT students.

News from the UIS campus newspaper, The Journal, brought to light possible hate crimes against the LGBT student body. On Saturday, Oct. 3, three men were charged with mob action, aggravated battery, criminal damage to property and a hate crime according to the article.

While hate crimes and other incidents unfortunately occur daily, to have students or college age people attack one another begs the question, "Why would you do it?" What would drive someone to take the time to destroy the property of someone they don't even know, or call them “faggots” and “queers” after seeing the two victims at a party, one a UIS student and the other a non-student, leave covered in blood with lumps on their foreheads and one with a possible broken nose.

To the credit of the Springfield campus, administrators held an open forum for students to voice their concerns. Open campus discussion and a zero tolerance policy against hate crimes are a good start to addressing the problem, but it shouldn’t end there. Whatever your stance on the LGBT community may be, I hope students in Springfield call for more than just a suspension of the students involved in perpetuating the violence. For if this is ignored, it ignores the humanity and worth that the victims have as students and as people.

My thoughts are with the families of the victims of the attack, and I’d only ask that as students at Illinois, we use sound judgment in the actions that we take part in with our friends. Be safe and treat others with respect, or at the very least lend them a listening ear.