The Associated Student Government recently passed legislation endorsing the campaign for a full-time staffer at the LGBT Resource Center. The center, which acts as a safe space for the LGBT population, supplies the university community with education and training about LGBT issues. As it stands, rising demand for LGBT resources has made a full-time staffer necessary. Doris Dirks, the current coordinator for the center no longer has the time and resources to fulfill all the requests that the center receives leaving LGBT students underrepresented.

According to signs promoting the Resource Center, 10 percent of students identify as LGBT. Many other student organizations such as the Women’s Center and the Multicultural Student Affairs office who service a comparable student population, have more than one full-time staff member. It is only fair that the LGBT center receive an additional employee to handle the rising amount of work that the center receives.

The University has recognized the legitimacy of a demand for an additional staffer. Rick Thomas, executive directory of Norris has stated that the center is a priority of the University, and that the addition of a second full-time position has the potential to be a reality sometime in the future.

The introduction of a second coordinator should continue to be a priority for the University. Although not directly tied to funding a full-time employee, ASG too should continue to emphasize this issue. The groundwork has been laid for this staffing increase, but now it is vital that both the University and ASG follow through on these preliminary steps. The LGBT Resource Center has the potential to make great strides, but without an additional employee, the center will not be able to address all of the issues facing the LGBT community at Northwestern.