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QSU is which was formally called BAGLS. It is the first student organization that supported gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT ) people on campus. Lyra L. (Forde) Peterson is an Augsburg College alumnus and one of the co-founders of BAGLS. This article is in response to various articles about BAGLS and National Coming Out Week that appeared in the October 10, 1997 edition of the Echo.
BAGLS: A Herstorical Perspective
by Lyra L. (Forde) Peterson, LSW
More than a decade ago, a young, brash girl from a small town in Iowa came to Augsburg College in the "big city" to find herself. She knew exactly what she wanted-her life was all mapped out. She was going to major in English and teach at a high school in a small town. But, as she learned more throughout her intensive literature courses and met so many different people, this girl began to discover herself in ways that were very different from what she had originally imagined.
Toward the end of her sophomore year on campus, she got together with a small group of students whose sexual orientation was other than straight. As a group, they began to talk about the isolation they felt, and also their need to celebrate. This group decided that they wanted to formalize and publicize their efforts. During the spring and summer of 1988, they met weekly to figure out the process they needed to become a legitimate group on campus. There were applications to complete and specific forms that needed to be observed. A faculty patron was recruited, a name was chosen, and a proposal was written. The group tried to be low-key and non-threatening.
In Autumn, 1988, the Echo published several articles about BAGLS--this up and "out" new group. Some of the articles were written by students and faculty in favor of the new group starting, and some of the articles were written by students and faculty against BAGLS being formalized. The controversy mounted, and tension escalated.
I don't remember who called for the meeting, but somehow it was decided that there should be an "Open Mike" night for Augsburg persons interested in the BAGLS group to come and voice their opinions. As that newly-out bisexual woman from Iowa, it was very scary to be confronted with angry students carrying Bibles and quoting chapter and verse (and misquoting context) about this issue. But there was also much support for BAGLS as well. All things considered, the event went fairly well, facilitated by an experienced government student. And BAGLS was approved by the Student Senate. We were a strong, somewhat sporadic voice for equal rights and justice issues on campus, and hosted several events during our first two years.
Then the original core group graduated. It appeared that BAGLS had served its purpose for those who created it, and then was no more. BAGLS donated several books on sexuality to the Augsburg Library in 1990. How glad I am to see BAGLS has once again become a resource for students on campus to facilitate discussions about sexual orientation and related concerns. How gratifying it is to find that something I helped develop still exists several years later as a resource to students who come after me.