International student on campus adjusts to OU’s lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender and queer community

CASSI TONEY

Oct. 8, 2012

Atiba Williams, an OU international student who identifies as a queer male, traveled the world and experienced varying levels of acceptance as a member of the queer community.

Williams, a music composition senior, said when he tells people he is queer, there is a spectrum of responses from apathy to disgust.

“When I came out to people as a queer man, they would either be like, ‘Cool, you’re gay.  What’s for dinner?’ or ‘Let me think about this for three months to see if I still want to be your friend,’” Williams said.

Willams said there are differing of responses to the queer community at the University of Oklahoma.  He said many OU students are conservative, but college towns and metro areas tend to be more receptive of the queer community.

A report by the Daily Beast says six out of seven same-sex couples live in non-rural areas.

“At OU, many students from rural communities do not have exposure to the queer community, so their responses vary,” Wiliams said.

Williams grew up in Trinidad and Tobago, a Caribbean island.  He said he knew he was gay from a young age, but did not say anything because his culture did not allow same-sex relationships.

“There was no such thing being queer in Trinidad,” Williams said.  “There is no sophisticated view of sexuality.  People in Trinidad don’t even acknowledge that gay people exist.”

Williams said he wanted to move out of Trinidad and Tobago into a more accepting community.   He won an international scholarship to study at an Italian high school and at OU.

Williams is constantly looking for ways to improve his experience in life at OU with passion and enthusiasm, according to his friend Parker Manek, history senior.

“He has made life better by his sense of realistic optimism and positivism,” said Manek, president of the OU club for gays, lesbians, bi-sexuals, transgender and friends.

Williams said he defends other people in his community by standing against those who speak hurtful words or act offensively.

Atiba Williams holds a candle at a candlelight vigil on the South Oval on Wednesday, Oct. 3.  The Sooner Allies hosted the candlelight vigil to show unity and support for gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender and queer OU students.

“I call people out on things because some things are just not OK to say in certain situations,” Williams said.  “I have a thick skin so most comments don’t bother me, but I try to protect other people in the audience who might be more sensitive and will be hurt more deeply.”

Williams’ friend and former roommate Robert Wild, said, Williams is a great representative for the queer community because of his honesty and strength.

“If somebody says or does anything that is out of line, he quickly lets them know that what they've done is hurtful and wrong,” Williams said. “He doesn't tell them that it's just wrong, he tells them why it's wrong.”