Students who belong to Ithaca College’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender student groups, prism and Created Equal, have mobilized in support of legalizing same-sex marriage in New York state.

After Gov. David Paterson announced Oct. 22 that he would support a bill to make same-sex marriage legal, the two groups conducted a poll to see how many students supported it. Representatives of the group have said they hope to educate the campus community about same-sex marriage and raise awareness about the lack of LGBT rights in the country.

Members of the LGBT community are encouraged to continue to bring state and national debates to the campus community. LGBT organizations are urged to reach out to more students through educational events, Intercom announcements and other means. In doing this, these groups will give students and campus community members the tools to make informed decisions about their stance on gay rights.

By starting more campuswide initiatives that bring national issues to campus, LGBT groups can not only mobilize support, but also inform more voters.