At last week's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender town meeting, plans for a course of study that deals with sexuality and gender issues were discussed. With many leading academic institutions already offering programs of study in this discipline, Penn State should turn these plans into a reality.

According to the details of the proposed minor outlined by Vince Lankewish at Thursday's meeting, the implication of a program in LGBT studies would use -- for the time being at least -- classes and courses that already exist.

By offering this proposed minor, the university would put itself in a class with a small, but growing, number of respectable institutions that offer programs of study dealing with LGBT issues. Schools such as Duke, Cornell, UCLA, and UC-Berkeley all offer, at the least, certificate programs or concentrations in programs centering on gender and sexuality studies. Queer theory, which is the formal name for the academic movement, is growing in popularity across the country.

But, in addition to showing a commitment to staying at the forefront of new academic fields, Penn State also can demonstrate an even greater commitment to diversity. As Lankewich said at the town meeting, approving the minor as a legitimate course of study within the university could help the success of LGBT activism on campus. At the least, having the minor will show that the university recognizes the importance of promoting awareness of diversity issues.

Implementing the minor is only half the battle in raising awareness and encouraging activism. The students who pursue the LGBT minor will, most likely, be the students who already have an interest in gender and sexuality issues.

However, just having the LGBT program as a choice is a step in the right direction. It shows that the university is not afraid to support the study of nontraditional, cutting-edge academic programs dealing with diversity issues. It also will eventually offer, as the program grows, enough to have its own courses, additional options and expanded choices to fulfill students' diversity requirements.

We encourage the university to add an LGBT minor to the curriculum.