For the first time in its history, the undergraduate Student Government Board of the University of Pittsburgh has elected an openly gay male student. Of the eight new members elected to the board April 10, Todd Brandon Morris received the fourth highest number of votes, according to a press release issued jointly by Pitt’s Student Government Board and the Rainbow Alliance.
“I wanted to be the gay role model that I didn’t have when I was coming out,” Morris said. “My main goal is to show that being out does not have to stop you from accomplishing anything you desire.”
Pitt’s refusal to grant benefits to the same-sex partners of its employees does not contribute to a gay-friendly environment on campus, Morris believes, which is why he is “extremely proud of my peers and am proud to be their first openly gay male elected representative.” Morris ran for the board seat after his first semester at the university.
Morris has written a weekly op-ed column for The Pitt News. His first two columns tackled the issues of gay identity and gays in fraternities. He also coordinated Pitt’s “Get Out the Vote” campaign, which received an award from the United States Student Association, the country’s oldest and largest national student organization.