A student panel discussing the intersections of race and sexual orientation took place on UW-Superior campus Monday. Monte Stewart has the story.

At UMD last year, two women students posted a video of themselves wearing blackface. Election night in Duluth, a lynched effigy of President Obama was found on an electronic billboard. The Duluth newspaper’s headline after Obama’s victory was “Mo-Bama”. And another college student wore blackface at Pizza Luce.

Panel moderator Tony Adams of Northeastern Illinois University says in a mostly-white society, some people allow ignorance and stereotypes into their thinking. International student Sarah Nabiddo says she was not identified by race until coming to UW-Superior.

“Coming from Africa, when I read the question: what is your race? What is your sexuality? Coming from there, we are not identified with our race we have. They identify you from who is your dad, which school do you go to, what’s your last name, does your dad work in the government. That’s how they identify you, but coming here I am identified according to my race.”

Student Brianna Crumbaker feels the struggle of being a part of two backgrounds.

“My dad is white and my mom is Puerto Rican. And so I always had to think who am I? And who I was, was always depending on who I’m talking to. [Laughter]You guys are laughing because you know what I’m talking about. When I’m in front of a white person, generally I’m Puerto Rican. Like oh what race are you? Back in middle school I used to say I’m white. They were like and what else? Okay, I’m Puerto Rican too and they were like oh, okay that’s why.”

And there are people with disabilities who are being treated differently. Student Brian Lester says feels his own race does not accept him because he has epilepsy.

“Being that I come from a white family, everyone assumes I’m privileged. And then you bring in the sexuality part, I’m an invisible gay. Even my own community don’t accept me so I kind of feel on the outskirts. One, because they all assume I’m straight so approaching me is not exactly easy. And the other thing is once they find out I am gay, I didn’t have the same challenges that they did, according to them. Basically, they was no “oh he’s gay” or picking on me because of it in school because I have such a masculine demeanor.”

Jewleah Johnson hears the phrase “Gay is the new Black”. She thinks it’s a slap to people who are Black and gay.

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