20120307web

BY JOHNATHAN SILVER The Shorthorn senior staff A disorganized apartment, stolen wallet and homophobic message spray-painted outside greeted Alohilani Valdez’s household last fall semester. Her roommates moved to another apartment. But she still lives... More

BY JOHNATHAN SILVER The Shorthorn senior staff A disorganized apartment, stolen wallet and homophobic message spray-painted outside greeted Alohilani Valdez’s household last fall semester. Her roommates moved to another apartment. But she still lives there. “I refuse to let someone scare me from my home,” said Valdez, a scenic design sophomore and UTA’s Gay-Straight Alliance president. Valdez, who is openly gay, hopes a White House conference that UTA will host and encourage people to be more open-minded about nontraditional lifestyles. Registration for the event is open until Monday or when capacity is reached. UTA will host the White House LGBT Conference on Safe Schools and Communities March 20. The conference will be an opportunity to hear and discuss the Obama Administration’s efforts to ensure the safety and security of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in schools and throughout communities across the country, according to a White House announcement. The confe Less