Many of the students attending the Governors LGBTQ Conference today say they’ve heard some of the controversy surrounding the event, but say it doesn’t impact their decision to attend. Victor Diaz, is a senior and part of a group of students from Sioux City West High School who attended the conference.
“Everyone has their right to their own opinion, and if they don’t support it, they don’t support it, you know. We are not shoving it in their face…they don’t necessarily shove it in our face,” Diaz says. Diaz says the amount of people at the conference shows ideas about gay and lesbian issues are changing.
LGBTQ issues are very import to support and there’s students from all over Iowa that come. So it’s kind of incredible to see that society did change, and it’s becoming more accepting,” Diaz says. Jackie Mendez was also in the group, and says those who oppose their views shouldn’t condemn them.
“It’s something we really believe in. And it doesn’t really affect them, we don’t harm them, we don’t do anything to them, we are all equal. So why discriminate against us anyway?,” Mendez says.
A conservative group and several legislators spoke out against using taxpayer money as part of the funding for the conference, as they say some of the conference sessions bullied those who don’t support gay issues.