They gather every week, bonding, sharing and supporting one another over the simplest of college staples ... coffee.

But this is more than just a group of students gossiping or studying for the next exam. The University of Hawaii’s weekly LGBTA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Allied) Coffee Hour and XYZ Gay/Straight Alliance is a lifeline many students desperately need while navigating a complex new world.

“It provides a closely-knit and supportive family group on campus,” says Camaron Miyamoto, the program's coordinator. Since Miyamoto became the first professional staff member dedicated to the group, he's seen it grow from a database of less than 100 names to more than 1,000 participants per semester, with 45 to 50 regularly attending the weekly coffee group.

At the end of every year, members of this ever-growing alliance celebrate their solidarity and achievements at a Rainbow Graduation. Students receive rainbow tassels and diplomas and share “touching and heartfelt memories of their struggles as they celebrate their academic success," says Miyamoto. "The most moving is the slide show...a combination of love and tears.”

Many come by after graduation and keep in touch, according to Miyamoto, who relates some comments left by students. They include remarks by GLBT and straight students alike, everything from “I made it through because of this group,” to “they helped me navigate life and grounded me and kept me on track,” to “as a straight woman, I found it difficult to find a place to talk openly. I was shocked when I found out how much pain he (a gay friend) was going through with his family.”

But the program's not just about the students. Miyamoto also reaches out to campus staff and educators.

“We want people to understand we have a policy of anti-discrimination and anti-harassment,” he explains. “This policy must go beyond what is just ‘the law’ to include an understanding of what is compassionate and right. Every student has the right to an education free of violence and everyone has a right to a workplace that is nurturing. That is the only way we can have a responsible and fully functioning community.”

Miyamoto started a “safe zone” program where staff members who complete a training course can use a sticker to signal that their office is a space students can come when in crisis or in need of support.

“Faculty are unaware of the simple things - such as calling roll that can out someone as transgender. Some things have subtle implications that lead to harassing behavior.”

The objective is to “expand networks of support so students have family beyond family or home away from home so that they can reach their academic goals and can support each other through stressful times or instances of harassment,” Miyamoto says.

And despite its branding as “The Aloha State,” Miyamoto reports that he is hearing more and more stories of harassment in Hawaii, something he also noticed when he was a graduate assistant.

“In the 1990s, there was an increase in harassment on campus,” he reports. “Faculty were not doing anything when students were harassed, as if they were saying these people are not completely human or not equal. It gives the green light to harassment.”

The recent activity at the Capitol surrounding the civil unions bill has been a mixed blessing for the students, further emphasizing the need for the program. On the positive side, the students “still talk about the first time there was the unanimous vote in the House (a 2009 12-0 House Judiciary Committee vote) ... hugging friends and strangers,” Miyamoto recalls. “Those are pieces these students still carry.”

The hearing during the Senate’s side of the bill was a different story. Listening to the venomous testimony from the opposition “takes a toll emotionally on anyone who goes through it,” Miyamoto admits. “Not enough people look at the damage they do when they make comments that are judgmental and hurtful.

"For the students it’s a learning experience on how to persevere. They learned tangible skills to create change. Some of the students started talking to the 'red shirts' (opponents of civil unions), and after talking, they apologized to the students for the testimony they gave earlier."

In the final analysis "It’s really promising," Miyamoto concludes. "These students are our next generation, and this tells of a promising future ahead.” •