UNT sets its sight on education and awareness on domestic violence

October is national Domestic Violence Awareness Month and UNT is gearing up for a month of education, awareness, and prevention on this prevalent issue, as well as awareness around sexual assault and bystander intervention.

Renée LeClaire McNamara, Assistant Director for Student Advocacy, Crisis Intervention and Violence Prevention for the UNT campus, said her job consists of advocating on behalf of students who have been victims of violence and to let students know the resources available to them, whether it be counseling or criminal assistance.

“My job is to work with students who have been impacted by violence,” LeClaire McNamara said. “I can be their advocate, give them reporting options, and help them find resources. My job is also about violence prevention, so asking myself, ‘What can I be doing to make UNT a safer community?’”

The month of October offers students many opportunities to learn about domestic and sexual violence. Oct. 1 is the kickoff event on the Onstead Promenade, where representatives from the Dean of Students office will be tabling and spreading awareness. On Oct. 2, Denton County Friends of the Family will be hosting the Clothesline Project from 7-9 p.m. at the Denton Courthouse Lawn, which is a national campaign to address the issue of violence against women.

During the week of Oct. 12-16, UNT will host the Red Flag Campaign, which uses a bystander intervention strategy to recognize and address sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking on college campuses. UPC is hosting writer, public speaker, and social activist Beverly Gooden on October 12 from 7-9 p.m. at the Gateway Ballroom, where she will talk about her experiences with intimate partner violence. The Women’s Studies Department will host a showing of “Private Violence” at 4 p.m. in the Chilton Media Library as part of their monthly Fem Flicks series.

Many students aren’t aware of the abundant resources available to them on campus and in the Denton community. Dean of Students Maureen McGuinness, known to her students as Dr. Moe, decided it was time to change that. In June of 2014, Dr. McGuiness created the Committee on Prevention & Education on Sexual Assault & Intimate Partner Violence. The committee aims to educate students about domestic violence and sexual assault and to promote prevention and bystander awareness.

“The big push was the Violence Against Women Act, and looking at it from a perspective of, ‘We need to do more to educate our students and find preventative measures,’” Dr. McGuiness said. “I believe it’s our responsibility to educate students about things like that while they’re still in college.”

One resource that offers counseling and a crisis hotline, as well as volunteer opportunities, is Denton County Friends of the Family. Friends of the Family is often involved in issues dealing with sexual assault on campus and is an invaluable resource to students and survivors.

“Denton County Friends of the Family is involved with UNT in multiple areas,” Friends of the Family representative Taylor Cameron said. “We have UNT students seek various services at our agency every year, and we also have UNT students volunteer and intern in each of our departments.”

Many students have been inspired to take action on campus to combat sexual assault and domestic violence. Junior Marketing major Daisah Riley, a peer advocate for the Dean of Students office, said she chose to join the Committee on Prevention & Education on Sexual Assault & Intimate Partner Violence because of her own experience.

“My personal experience as a survivor inspired me to advocate in any way I can while at UNT,” Riley said. “I enjoy working with others who are passionate about the issues surrounding Sexual and Intimate Partner violence. Ultimately, being a resource for students is what excited me the most about being a Peer Advocate with the Dean of Students office.”

Students are encouraged to get involved in measures to educate and bring awareness to issues surrounding domestic violence and sexual assault on campus. One way to get involved is to join the Committee on Prevention & Education on Sexual Assault & Intimate Partner Violence. For any questions about meetings or resources, or other ways to get involved, please email Renée LeClaire McNamara at Renee.LeClaire@unt.edu, or visit the Dean of Students website about sexual violence at http://deanofstudents.unt.edu/compliance/title-ix.

If you or someone you know has been impacted by domestic violence or sexual assault on campus, email SurvivorAdvocate@unt.edu, call the Dean of Students office at 940-565-2648, or call Denton County Friends of the Family’s 24-hour crisis line at 940-382-7273 for more information on resources and what to do next.

UNT hosts event on Marriage Equality and Religious Liberty to honor Constiution Day

Hundreds of students gathered in the auditorium building Thursday to listen to a debate by guest speakers on the Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decision on marriage equality.

The debate was hosted by the University of North Texas Honors College and the Department of Political Science in honor of Constitution Day. Rebecca Robertson, legal and policy director of the American Civil Liberties Union in Texas, argued on behalf of the decision while Chelsey Youman, associate counsel for the Liberty Institute, argued on behalf of religious liberty. 

"I think all of us have different views on the issue, which is why we're excited to hear from both sides today," Honors College representative Rafael Major said.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that the right to marriage is a fundamental liberty guaranteed to opposite-sex couples as well as same-sex couples. The 5-4 decision held that exclusion from same-sex couples from the right to marry violates the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment as well as the Equal Protection Clause. 

First to the stage was Robertson, who argued that the right to marriage for same-sex couples does not interfere with religious liberty. 

"The court wasn't being asked to decide whether same-sex marriage was Godly or moral," Robertson said. "There's nothing about the Obergefell decision that forces any of those people [people of faith] to change what they believe."

On the other side, Youman argued that the decision has caused religious people to be called out for their beliefs, to the extent that many are being sued if they speak out against the decision or refuse service to same-sex couples. 

"Should the government force people to go against their conscience?" Youman said. "The irony for me is that, in the name of exclusion, religious minority groups are being asked not to participate in the public sphere."

Both Robertson and Youman argued that that both sides of the issue can find a way to coexist.

"I think our Constitution is big enough for both [issues]," Robertson said. 

One student said that he enjoyed the debate and that he thought both of the speakers argued their sides well. 

"I think both people defended their sides well," he said. "I think the woman from the ACLU had an easier time because she's at UNT, which is a more liberal school."

The debate was held at 11 a.m. in the Auditorium building.