Higher Education LGBT
Articles Digest #127
#1
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN - MADISON
Job Posting: LGBT Campus Resource Center Director
Working Title: LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER (LGBT)
CAMPUS CENTER DIRECTOR
Official title: STUDENT SV PR MGR I(P75NS)
Degree and area of specialization:
Master's degree required in Student Personnel Administration, Social Work,
or related field. Minimum number of years and type of relevant work
experience: A minimum of four years full-time professional experience in
student services. Prefer experience in the administration of student service
programs at a large university with a strong history of shared governance.
Candidates must demonstrate knowledge, experience and understanding of LGBT
issues and diverse populations, and strong theoretical and practical
understanding of LGBT identity development, student development, student
cultures, and organizational development in student affairs. Applicants must
have proven ability to provide effective supervision and leadership to
student staff (and possibly permanent staff), and attend to organizational
detail. Ability to work effectively with individuals and groups from a
variety of identities, cultures, backgrounds, and ideologies, as well as
personal and social orientations is essential. Strong candidates will
possess excellent communication skills (written, oral, electronic), as well
as effective conflict mediation and resolution skills. Ability and
willingness to maintain flexible workload, handle multiple tasks, and
ability to work evening and weekend hours will be necessary for the
position.
Principal duties:
Position Background
The UW - Madison LGBT Campus Center had existed for 10 years as a
student-led, student controlled gender and sexuality resource center. The
student staff of the LGBT Campus Center formally requested a full-time
advisor during the summer of 2002 in order to provide more consistency and
stability for the Center's operations. In fall of 2002, after discussion
between the staff and the Dean of Students Office, it was determined that a
full-time Director was needed in order to formalize the relationship between
the two entities to better meet the needs of LGBT students and their allies
on campus. The full-time Director reports directly to the Dean of Students,
and as a member of the Dean of Students management team, will support the
development of the Campus Center in a manner consistent with the mission and
goals of the Dean of Students and campus-wide strategic goals and
initiatives. The LGBT Campus Center Director will assume the
responsibilities for administering the Campus Center's day-to-day operation
as well as providing training, supervision and leadership for programs
initiated through the Campus Center student programming staff. The Director
is to act as a stable and consistent presence and resource within the Campus
Center and throughout the campus community on issues of importance relating
to the well being of LGBT students and allies on campus. The Director will
demonstrate a commitment to fostering an inclusive living-learning-working
community. The Director will also demonstrate willingness to work
collaboratively and respectfully with other team members. Administration of
Center Operations and Direct Services (40%)
+ Provide oversight for the development and implementation of strategic
plans for the Center's operations and programs.
+ Conduct regular assessment of the Campus Center operations and services to
ensure they are best meeting the needs of individual students and
organizations.
+ Supervise the coordination of support and discussion groups and other
direct services, including training for volunteer facilitators.
+ Develop and maintain annual operations budget, including purchases of
equipment and
supplies, prepare annual budget for approval by the Dean of Students. Advise
program staff in
preparation and maintain oversight of student programming budget.
+ Oversee reception and peer support operations within the Center.
+ Provide individuals with campus resource and referral information and
assist students in
obtaining services from campus offices.
+ Collaborate with the student staff to develop and maintain resources in
the Campus Center for
use by departments and agencies across campus and present workshops on LGBT
issues for
students, faculty and staff.
+ Maintain all operations with regard to the physical space of the Center,
including scheduling
of activities in the Center. Be responsible for communication with Memorial
Union staff about
space needs for the Center.
+ Convene and facilitate LGBT Campus Center Advisory Board meetings.
Supervision and Management of Campus Center Staff (40%)
+ Provide leadership through the hiring and training of all student
programming staff.
+ Oversee all programs and services provided by the Center.
+ Directly or indirectly supervise the student programming staff and their
activities.
+ Directly supervise any future additional permanent staff hired to serve in
the Center.
+ Coordinate and facilitate regular meetings with the student programming
staff, including
meetings with individual staff as needed.
+ Anticipate and respond to issues occurring within the student staff,
utilizing student
development and LGBT identity development models and theories to determine
appropriate
resolution.
+ Develop and maintain methods of accountability for student staff in the
implementation of
programs and services for students.
+ Train and supervise student staff in providing individual support and
assistance to students
visiting the Center.
+ Collaborate with the student staff to ensure the Center is a resource for
all LGBT and ally
student organizations; provide information, resources, and trainings that
develop leadership
skills for students in these organizations.
Support for Campus-Wide Programs and Services (20%)
+ Coordinate the Campus Center's activities for Wisconsin Welcome for LGBT
students and allies
at the beginning of each semester.
+ Collaborate with the GLBT Alumni Council of the Wisconsin Alumni
Association to co- sponsor
the LGBT Graduation Reception each spring.
+ Serve as advisor for the campus-wide Allies Program and provide technical
assistance to the
program steering committee.
+ Facilitate ongoing relationships between the LGBT Campus Center, Dean of
Students Office,
LGBT Faculty Senate Committee, LGBT Studies Certificate Committee, GLBT
Alumni Council,
and OutReach, the Madison Community LGBT Center.
+ Provide technical assistance to managers and supervisors within the Dean
of Students offices
as well as in programs around the campus to enhance the quality and presence
of LGBT themes
in those programs.
+ Advise and assist the leaders of LGBT organizations on campus in matters
of programs,
strategic planning and problem solving.
+ Serve as an active member of the Dean of Students staff, participating in
all-staff and
Management Team meetings, as well as other committees as appropriate.
+ Other duties as assigned.
A period of evaluation will be required
Appointment type:
Department(s):
Academic Staff
Full time salary rate: Minimum $36,475 ANNUAL (12 months)
Depending on Qualifications
Term:
Appointment percent:
Anticipated begin date:
Number of positions:
To insure consideration, application must be received by:
July 1, 2003
HOW TO APPLY:
NOTE: Unless confidentiality is requested in writing, information regarding
the names of applicants must be released
upon request. Finalists cannot be guaranteed confidentiality.
UW-Madison is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. We promote
excellence through diversity and encourage all qualified individuals to
apply.
For UW Madison Campus safety information and crime statistics/annual
Security Report see
http://www.wisc.edu/students/safety/clery.html, and for drug and alcohol
information see
http://www.wisc.edu/students/safety/alcohol.html, or call the Equity and
Diversity Resource Center
at 608/263-2378 for a paper copy.
This is a renewable appointment.
Send resume and cover letter referring to Position Vacancy Listing # 44755
to
DOS / ADMINISTRATION
WILL SMITH
DEAN OF STUDENTS OFFICE
75 BASCOM HALL
500 LINCOLN DRIVE
MADISON WI 53706-1380
608-263-5700
608-263-2400
608-265-5646
WJSMITH@BASCOM.WISC.EDU
#2
Oregon Daily Emerald, May 12, 2003
University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
(Fax: 541-346-5821 ) (E-Mail: ode@oregon.uoregon.edu )
http://www.dailyemerald.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/05/12/3ebfd6728b77c
[Anti-gay] Commentary about homosexuals didn't rise to level of hate speech
Michael J. Kleckner, The editor's office
In the three years I have been working
at the Emerald, I have never
once shied away from honestly expressing my opinions. I think this is
a
good thing - the world would be a better place if people would be more
upfront with each other about what they think is right and wrong.
I'm about to do it again, although it
may not be an answer some of
our readers want to hear. So what's the question? Well, on
Friday, we
printed a guest commentary by Vincent Martorano ("Homosexual men should
hide
their disgusting acts") that has created a bit of a ruckus.
I have received e-mails and phone calls
about the piece, some
supportive and others admonishing me for printing it. For the record,
I
directly decide what to print on the Commentary page every day. So far
this
year, we haven't rejected any submissions based on content.
Before I gave it the go-ahead, I
scrutinized Martorano's piece and
gave extensive thought to the pros and cons of running it. The
arguments
I've heard against publishing the piece run like this: It was
homophobic,
it creates an environment for hate crimes, it was poorly argued, it was a
personal attack - and we would never have run the piece if it picked on some
other group, such as people of color.
I considered those issues, and in this
particular case, I
respectfully disagree. I am gay, I have been the target of homophobic
violence, and I agree that our community standards shouldn't include
allowing people to express hatred toward any individual group.
However, Martorano's piece does not
rise to that level. He does not
express hatred or include any sort of call to action against homosexuals
(whether a physical attack, a legislative change or anything else); rather,
he offers his own opinions about homosexuality - that it is morally wrong,
and as such, that seeing it displayed publicly offends him.
Do I disagree with him?
Absolutely. There are logical holes in his
argument, and I think his opinion displays an incredible amount of
ignorance. But it isn't my place as a newspaper editor to say he
doesn't
have the right to say it in public.
Actually, I am offended by the number
of open-minded, tolerant people
who have said that Martorano should have been silenced. I would agree
if he
had told others to be violent. Interestingly, we received two items of
feedback on our Web site suggesting violence against Martorano. Even
if in
jest, such suggestions are inappropriate, and as soon as I discovered them,
I removed them.
I readily acknowledge there is a fine
line between hate speech and
one's personal disapproval of others. It's a difficult rope on which
to
balance, but the U.S. Supreme Court has set a high bar for determining what
qualifies as hate speech, and I agree with that principle. (For a
further
discussion of this issue, see the American Civil Liberties Union's
"Hate
Speech on Campus" at
http://www.aclu.org/FreeSpeech/FreeSpeech.cfm?ID=9004&c=87).
I am a big fan of John Stuart Mill.
One of my favorite parts of his
"On Liberty" is Chapter IV, where he talks about the proper
authority of the
public to legislate or disapprove of personal conduct. While we should
not
have the right to make illegal personal conduct that does not involve
others, Mill argues, we have the right, and perhaps the duty, to tell people
when we think their behavior is wrong.
That's the joy of this entire
situation. Here's an opportunity to
express to the community different, contrasting opinions about
homosexuality. So step forward and tell Martorano that he is wrong.
Educate him, make friends with him, tell him his ideas are ignorant - if
that's what you believe.
But please don't say I should have told
him he wasn't allowed to
express his opinion. After three years of speaking my mind on the
Commentary page, I would have been hypocritical to do so.
P.S. Letters and guest
commentaries about this topic are
forthcoming, and many of them were written before I wrote this column, so
they aren't necessarily engaging my argument directly.
#3
The Daily Barometer, May 12, 2003
118 Memorial Union East, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331-1614
(Fax: 541-737-4999) (E-Mail: baro.editor@studentmedia.orst.edu )
( http://barometer.orst.edu )
http://barometer.orst.edu/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/05/12/3ebfd36210185
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: SEARCH FOR SELF IN A HETEROSEXUAL SOCIETY
GROWING UP GAY IN A CATHOLIC FAMILY AND BLACK IN A LARGELY WHITE WORLD
By Ceressa Crawford, Barometer Staff Writer
Imagine growing up in a home where you
were afraid to speak because
everything you said got you into trouble. Imagine tip-toeing around
your
parents because you felt like everything you did was reprimanded.
Derron Coles, a graduate student in
civil engineering, lived a lie
growing up: throughout his childhood he pretended to be straight.
Coles defined his childhood simply as
"straight-training."
"If I did anything effeminate
growing up I would be punished for it,"
he said.
If he hugged his brother, giggled with
a friend or had feminine
mannerisms, his parents would yell at him and often take away privileges.
"There wasn't anything I said that
didn't get me into trouble in some
way," Coles said. "I had a very hard childhood."
Coles believes that homosexuality is
not a choice, but something
determined at birth.
"Despite all that training, I
still ended up being gay," he said.
Coles said everyone around him knew he
was gay because he was more
effeminate than he is now.
"I got harassed for being gay even
though I didn't think I was," he said.
"My mom thinks homosexuality is an
evil spirit that takes over
people's bodies," he said.
It was not until late in high school
and early in college that he
began to realize he had different beliefs.
"It was hard trying to come into
my own as far as spirituality was
concerned," he said, explaining that he did not feel like he could
change
who he is.
"I had to realize that I'm
different from my mother and we have
different views," he said.
Coles dated girls in the past, but
those relationships felt more like friendships.
He enjoyed hanging out with them, but
the idea of intimacy did not
appeal to him.
"That was one of the clues to me I
wasn't straight," he said,
"because other guys really want to do all that stuff with girls."
Coles received the straight-training
until he left for college, where
he became better acquainted with himself.
Coles thought he would be disowned for
not conforming to the norms of
society, which was a threat his mother issued.
So he decided to keep his secret until
he was independent, free from
the scrutiny of his parents.
It was not until Coles came out to
Oregon that he decided to come out
to his family and friends.
Coles was dating a man in Portland.
His mother called early one
morning after he had spent the night. When she found out he was not at
home
he sensed her suspicions.
"She knew before I did that I was
gay," he said.
She had confronted him before, and he
decided the next time she asked
him about it, he was going to tell her.
"She didn't talk to me for eight
months," he said.
But Christmas rolled around, and Coles
received a care package from his mom.
"She called it
'Christmas-To-Go,'" he said.
There was a note that said she still
loved him, but believed that an
evil spirit possessed his body.
"That's her way of dealing with
it," he said.
Coles said that he felt a weight lifted
after coming out.
"When I came out I could totally
be myself," he said. "It didn't
matter that I dressed differently or spoke differently or had feminine
mannerisms.
"Before, I had to hide my
feelings, hide my emotions and guard
everything I said," Coles said, "and I was unhappy."
He said he has compassion for straight
men because it is socially
unacceptable for them to show emotion.
"I can tell when someone is upset,
or ecstatic, and it's hard to
watch a man try to conceal those emotions," he said.
"When you see someone holding back
it makes you think, 'I wonder how
he would be acting if he were gay,'" he said, laughing.
Being a double minority - a black
homosexual - Coles finds it even
harder to live a gay life, and especially in Oregon, because the vast
majority of the population is white.
One of the hardest parts about being
out, he said, is the prejudice
he never anticipated.
"I expected discrimination from
the straight community because I'm
gay, and I expected discrimination from the white community because I'm
black," he said, "but I never expected discrimination from the gay
community
because I'm black."
He came to realize that white men he
had been dating had been dating
him solely because of the stereotype that black men are good in bed.
"That was the straw that broke the
camel's back," he said. "That
seemed like something that would only happen in the straight
community."
Coles said he withdrew from the gay
community because he was so ashamed.
He stopped going out. He stopped
talking to his gay friends that
were not black.
"I don't understand how people who
know what it feels like to be a
minority, to be hated just because of who you are," he said.
"I don't
understand how they can discriminate like that."
After a few weeks, Coles returned to
his former life, though he will
never forget that feeling.
Now involved with the Queer Resource
Center, he finds the group to be
a good source of support.
He is currently putting together a
proposal to start a support group
for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered) people of color.
He said people of color may feel it
will be very difficult to come
out. "It feels like it will be harder to come out because you
feel like you
will be rejected by everybody," he said.
However, Coles did not think the
rejection was as extreme as he
thought from the black community, and he wants a group available for those
who have the same fear he once did.
Coles would also like to see more
allies at the QRC. "Allies are
even more important than support from LGBT people," he said.
Despite all Cole has been through, he
still takes pride in the person
he is today.
"I'm happy with who I am," he
said. "I wouldn't change my race and I
wouldn't change my sexual orientation."
Today, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. the
Black Cultural Center will be
hosting "In the Borderlands." Issues facing people of color
in the LGBT
community with respect to one's sexuality, coming out and living as a LGBT
person will be informally discussed.
. Ceressa Crawford covers news for The
Daily Barometer. She can be
reached at baro.news@studentmedia.orst.edu or 737-2232.
#4
The Daily Barometer, May 13, 2003
118 Memorial Union East, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331-1614
(Fax: 541-737-4999) (E-Mail: baro.editor@studentmedia.orst.edu )
( http://barometer.orst.edu )
http://barometer.orst.edu/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/05/13/3ec11ba1ae0a4
PROUD PARENTS, PROUD PROFESSIONALS
TWO OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS SHARE A LIFELONG
COMMITMENT WITH EACH OTHER, THEIR
CHILDREN
By Niki Sullivan, Barometer Managing Editor
They met while teaching at OSU and fell
in love. They've been
together for the 12 years since then and now have two children.
At the dinner table they are like any
other family - they help Lynn
eat and try to keep Ricky's apples out of his grape juice.
Like most parents, they can't seem to
stop the inevitable dinnertime
play: Ricky laughs incessantly and declares victory over etiquette.
"My fork is in my apple and my
apple is in my grape juice!"
The phone rings and five-year-old Lynn
answers in her most polite
impression of a receptionist, then hands the phone to her mother - or, more
accurately, one of her mothers.
Lynn and Ricky are the children of Mina
(Mee-na) Carson and Mina
(My-na) McDaniel, who have shared their lives for 12 years as life partners.
Mamma and Mommy - as McDaniel and
Carson are called by their two
children - are also both OSU faculty members. McDaniel is a professor
in
the food science and technology department, while Carson is a history
professor.
They plan on spending the rest of their
lives together, raising Lynn
and Ricky.
Proud parents
"As parents, it's just the same
celebrations and disparity as with
any couple - you're just trying to do the best you can to give them a great
life and raise them to be well-educated, confident," McDaniel said,
suddenly
interrupted by a bout of laughter from Ricky and Lynn, after which she adds
"civilized," to her list.
She then continues the thought, adding
that "it's hard, it's a big
job," then pauses again with a laugh.
"Lynn's sticking her fork in her
ear."
Carson agreed that the everyday trials
of raising children overshadow
sexual orientation.
"Our experience has been that
parenting is the hard job, not lesbian
parenting," she said.
She also jokingly added that recent
political events have helped to
overshadow issues of sexual orientation.
"Gays and lesbians are getting a
little break from being the poster
children of progressive politics," she said, explaining that
international
policy has taken center stage in political thought.
The two have garnered attention in the
Corvallis community, however.
"We're the lesbian welcome wagon
in town," McDaniel joked, of their
status as the local lesbian socialites.
"Realtors seem to know that we're
here and they literally bring
(lesbian couples) to us," she continued. A few of these couples
have become
some of the family's closest friends.
As for Ricky and Lynn, they have given
their parents both
incomparable joy and a newfound respect for parents in general.
"They're the most beautiful,
wonderful children on earth: absolutely
delightful, totally frustrating, very enchanting - a total education,"
McDaniel said.
Professional life
Carson and McDaniel have both known
they were different since a young
age - Carson around age 12 and McDaniel around age 10.
Carson, however, says she didn't
"do anything about it" until 20
years later. She came out at OSU during the gulf war, after a student
hung
a sign out of his dorm window that read, "Saddam is gay."
The sign was the source of campus
controversy over the derogatory use
of the word, which prompted Carson to write a letter to The Daily Barometer.
"So I was out."
After that, controversial political
measures, advising the gay and
lesbian student association and Teletubbies kept her involved in the gay
community.
"I had a million laughs about (the
Teletubbies)," she said,
explaining that she watched the show avidly with her daughter Lynn at the
time Reverend Jerry Falwell claimed the purple Teletubby was gay.
Soon after, The Chronicle of Higher
Education ran a profile of
Carson, along with other homosexual professors. She said she felt it
was
odd that a detail of her personality would warrant that kind of attention.
During this time, Carson also began
teaching a course on gay and
lesbian history, which she still teaches at OSU.
"It's a very important class to me
as a professor because it helps me
get in touch with the community on campus."
Carson also said the class is
increasingly filled with both gay and
straight students.
McDaniel had a slightly different
coming out experience on campus.
"It wasn't until I met Mina and
then I had no choice," she explained, laughing.
"I think it's always difficult
being out but it's a better choice of the two."
Carson said that, despite being out,
she still gets "butterflies"
when she tells her gay and lesbian history class that she's gay and is
sometimes afraid that someone will dislike her because of her orientation,
but said that she's overcoming that fear.
"If you allow yourself to feel
multidimensional in people's eyes, you
are multidimensional," Carson said.
. Niki Sullivan is the managing editor
for The Daily Barometer. She
can be reached at (541) 737-2231 or baro.campus@studentmedia.orst.edu.
#5
DiversityInc.com, May 12, 2003
http://www.diversityinc.com
MOREHOUSE COLLEGE'S HOMOSEXUALITY SURVEY CALLED
CULTURALLY INCOMPETENT
By Yoji Cole
Morehouse College's administration is
coming under fire from gay
students and gay and lesbian groups in Atlanta after it e-mailed a survey to
alumni, students, faculty and staff seeking to judge their attitudes on
homosexuality.
The survey, a series of 22 questions,
was sent out April 7 and was
due back April 18. It included a letter from Walter E. Massey,
president of
Morehouse College, a renowned historically black college, which is all male.
The administration is expected to make the survey's results public in June
along with the results of focus groups and forums on homosexuality,
diversity and inclusion held since a gay student was beaten with a baseball
bat on campus in November.
"I am committed to fostering an
environment at Morehouse where no act
of violence regardless of its motivation is tolerated," said Massey in
the
statement. "The college will devote the high level of resources
this issue
deserves. The college is adhering to its long-standing institutional
values, which include civility, community, compassion and respect for
diversity in all its manifestations."
Morehouse officials would not provide a
copy of the survey, but
DiversityInc obtained the list of questions from the Web site of New
York-based gay advocate Keith Boykin. The questions included the
following four:
How far should Morehouse go to separate
heterosexuals and homosexuals
in the residence halls?
How much have you experienced negative
encounters with people who
are homosexual?
How much should Morehouse punish
individuals who abuse people because
of their sexual orientation?
To what degree does Morehouse's
tradition of producing strong men
affect your views about homosexuality?
"I don't think the survey was
necessarily put out with any ill intent
but there wasn't a lot of thought put into it," said Kevin Bynes, a
member
of Advocating for Safe Spaces Everywhere for All (ASSEFA), an Atlanta-based
gay and lesbian advocacy organization.
The survey was constructed by research
psychologist George Roberts
who is a member of the college's local advisory committee - part of
Morehouse's Task Force on Tolerance and Diversity - and is an alumnus.
Before it was distributed, it was evaluated by the college's Institutional
Review Board, the Morehouse Research Institute, the college's National
Advisory Committee, which boasts at least three social scientists as
members, said Walter Earl Fluker, director of Morehouse's Leadership Center
and chair of the Task Force on Diversity and Tolerance.
"We felt comfortable distributing
the (survey) because it was not
done lightly," said Fluker.
Regardless, Bynes said, the survey's
questions indicated that the
Morehouse administration lacks the cultural competence to address the
matter. He and members of ASSEFA were concerned that the questions
sounded
homophobic, which indicated that the administration didn't take into account
that in e-mailing the survey to alumni, it also was e-mailing it to gay and
bisexual men.
"So the e-mail was not
acknowledging that Morehouse has gay and
bisexual alumni," Bynes said. "Morehouse has tried to ignore
its gay
population until November 2002. The shower incident was a pretty rude
awakening."
Nov. 3, 2002, was the day that a
communal shower at the college
became the site of a gay bashing and a "black-on-black" crime when
Aaron
Price, 19, allegedly beat fellow student Gregory Love with a baseball bat
after Love opened his shower-stall door.
Price currently faces hate-crime
charges in addition to charges of
aggravated assault and battery that could result in a 20-year sentence if
convicted and an additional five years if also convicted of a hate crime.
Anyone convicted under the hate-crime law also has to serve 90 percent of
the sentence. His case is expected in Fulton County Superior Court on
June 2.
Love told police he wasn't wearing his
glasses when he went into his
dormitory bathroom to take a shower and that he looked into Price's stall
because he mistakenly thought Price was his roommate. Price, however,
thought it was a sexual advance. He left the shower and got a bat to
beat
Love, according to police reports. Love suffered a fractured skull and
recovered in the Morehouse infirmary. Price was expelled from school
and
released on his own recognizance on $10,000 bail.
Since then, Morehouse has come under
national scrutiny for how it
addresses sexual-orientation issues.
Morehouse, in response to the incident,
announced the formation of
its Task Force on Diversity and Tolerance, which is expected to create
policy recommendations for Massey in the areas of strategic diversity and
violence prevention. The task force is comprised of a group of local
representatives and a group of national representatives. "The
national
group is comprised of experts in various fields and three of those members
are openly gay - Alan Gilmore, Ford Motor Co., Peter Gomes of Harvard
University and Phillip Rush from The Community Foundation of Greater
Atlanta," said Fluker. "On the local group we have openly
gay and lesbian
students and faculty."
Fluker added that Morehouse's response
to the beating has been guided
by three objectives: to identify best practices from similar institutions;
to assess the Morehouse culture through public forums and the survey; and to
provide a list of recommendations on how to address the issues of homophobia
and inclusion.
"[Morehouse] is one of the few
places in the world where
African-American men can meet without fear or threat and people worked very
hard to create that environment," said Fluker. "We're
careful to protect
it. We think we're doing good work and we think that people are
excited
about the work we've been doing."
In addition to the task force, in
December the administration
appointed a residential dean to live on campus and manage and implement a
comprehensive six-week mandatory training program for all students with
sessions held in residence halls that covered harassment, sexual harassment,
anger management, diversity and homophobia. The results will be
released in
the overall report in June.
In January, the Office of Student
Services launched a campus-wide,
student-focused campaign under the theme "Expect Respect."
During the
campaign, which is scheduled to last through May, Morehouse is holding
student forums, table-tent discussions, hosting guest speakers who will
address diversity, tolerance and respect, and small-group discussions.
Morehouse students also have also
become involved. Following the
April 18 deadline to return the survey, a gay-student organization, Safe
Space, was allowed to organize a forum on campus to address homophobia and
religion, which also was sponsored by ASSEFA, said Elise Durham, media
relations manager for Morehouse.
While those efforts are laudable, Bynes
insisted they'll only work if
they aggressively address "the climate of anti-gay and misogynist
violence
on the [Morehouse] campus."
Bynes said the survey would have been
more effective if it had
required a response from those who received it.
"Only the most homophobic and the
most gay-friendly people will weigh
in on the survey, while those who are in the middle will not
participate,"
said Bynes. "Everyone who is enrolled in Morehouse College,
regardless of
their sexuality, deserves to be safe."
Below are all the survey's questions:
How comfortable are you with
homosexuals that you know?
How far should Morehouse go to separate
heterosexuals and homosexuals
in the residence halls?
How much should Morehouse punish
individuals who abuse people because
of their sexual orientation?
How comfortable are you with having
homosexuals as friends?
To what degree do people in your social
group speak favorably about
homosexuals?
How safe do you think homosexual
students feel on campus?
How "out" do you think
homosexuals are on campus?
To what degree do you think
homosexuality is immoral?
How much does the Morehouse environment
allow students to be open
about their homosexuality on campus?
To what extent should Morehouse devote
extra resources to make sure
that homosexuals are safe on campus?
To what degree does Morehouse's
tradition of producing strong men
affect your views about homosexuality?
To what degree do people talk openly
about homosexuals on campus?
How much should homosexuals and
heterosexuals be treated the same?
How much does Morehouse's reputation
for enrolling homosexual men
affect your pride in the College?
To what extent is it possible for
homosexual and heterosexual
Morehouse men to live together as brothers?
How much have you experienced negative
encounters with people who are
homosexual?
How much does Morehouse's emphasis on
manhood affect how people react
to the college?
What do you think is the level of
hostility toward homosexuals on
campus?
How much are homosexual and
heterosexual students treated equally at
Morehouse?
To what degree should the topic of
homosexuality be incorporated into
classroom discussions?
To what extent do your religious
beliefs affect how you treat people
who are homosexual?
How much should Morehouse allow
students to be open about their
homosexuality on campus?
#6
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 14, 2003
Box 947, Pittsburgh, PA, 15230
(Fax: 412-263-2014 ) (E-Mail: letters@post-gazette.com )
( http://www.post-gazette.com/ )
http://www.post-gazette.com/localnews/20030514samesex0514p7.asp
LAW FACULTIES BACK SAME-SEX BENEFITS
By Bill Schackner, Post-Gazette Staff Writer
Ninety-three members of the law school
faculties of the University of
Pittsburgh, Penn State University and Temple University have signed a letter
urging Pennsylvania's public universities to offer same-sex domestic partner
benefits.
The professors say offering such
benefits would show moral leadership
and live up to campus anti-discrimination policies. They said the
schools
should form a united front. Temple's recent decision to offer the
benefits,
they said, means that "no other university will stand alone on this
issue"
should legislators or others make good on threats to cut off funding.
Copies of the letter were sent to the
head of each institution. By
signing it, the faculty members have stepped into a debate that has gotten
the attention of the Legislature and governor's office, in part because of a
7-year-old lawsuit involving Pitt.
"Treating all employees fairly and
equitably will assist our
universities and their regions in attracting and retaining young
professionals - both gay and straight," the letter read.
"A truly great university must
provide more than just academic
excellence - it must also provide moral leadership," the letter read.
Seven current and former Pitt employees
have sued Pitt for the
benefit. The city's human relations commission found probable cause
that
discrimination had occurred, but an Allegheny County Common Pleas judge
issued a temporary injunction halting the case, saying he found no evidence
of intentional discrimination.
A campus panel appointed by Chancellor
Mark Nordenberg to study the
idea of extending the benefit cited potential opposition from the state
Legislature in recommending against the move.
Pitt spokesman Robert Hill said
Nordenberg "has seen the letter. He
thinks it's reasonable."
Hill alluded to the panel's
recommendation that Pitt work with other
campuses to find a statewide solution and said "the chancellor has
taken the
lead in initiating those conversations."
The signers included 32 of Pitt's 48
full-time law faculty, 38 from
Temple and 23 from the Penn State Dickinson Law School, said Anthony C.
Infanti, an assistant professor in Pitt's law school who organized the
letter along with a colleague in the school, Lu-in Wang.
"We felt that law professors in
particular might hold some weight
given some of the issues that are involved," Infanti said.
. Bill Schackner can be reached at
bschackner@post-gazette.com or
412-263-1977.
#7
The Daily Emerald, May 14, 2003
University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
(Fax: 541-346-5821 ) (E-Mail: ode@oregon.uoregon.edu )
http://www.dailyemerald.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/05/14/3ec2554ceafc8
GUEST COMMENTARY: HOMOSEXUALITY ISN'T THE ILLNESS - BIGOTRY IS
By Daisy Perkins
I am writing in response to the guest
commentary entitled "Homosexual
men should hide their disgusting acts" (ODE, May 9). I am ashamed
that the
Emerald, after recently winning an award as the best college paper in
Oregon, would print such hate speech.
I put the words "black,"
"disabled," "woman" or "foreign" in the
place of "homosexual" and think that 10 to 50 years ago, an
article written
in the same light about any one of those groups would have been acceptable.
Times have changed, and people are learning that bashing any identity group
is not OK.
The group that is under attack today is
homosexual men. Some people
hold the idea that unless a person is straight, white, male and upper-class,
they do not deserve the freedom to walk comfortably through the streets.
People who have hate and contempt for others are encouraging oppression.
It is not appropriate for a public
institution, this newspaper, to
embrace this hate speech. The language being used and the outright
hatred
harbored are dangerous and do not encourage dialogue.
To the commentary's author, Vincent
Martorano:
I understand you may not like
homosexuals. There are people I do not
like; however, writing an article in which you openly bash a group of people
is frightening. We all have to live in this world.
A person can either acknowledge
difference or embrace it, or they can
hate. Do you realize what an unsafe, potentially violent environment
articles like the one you wrote create? Do you realize the culture of
violence in our society and how you are adding to it?
By aligning yourself with
"conservatives" you make it sound as if all
conservatives think homosexuality is "disgusting." Hatred
and bigotry are
not "conservative values."
Put yourself in the shoes of a person
reading your article who is
either homosexual or has a friend, relative, parent or professor who is gay.
How do you think you made them feel?
Please think before you vocalize
hateful feelings. Think about how
it makes people feel; think about the kind of world you are encouraging and
creating by writing and speaking such ideas.
Think about the murders, rapes,
oppression and other violent acts
committed daily because people think it is OK to hate. Violent actions
are
condoned by your words.
Think of the people who battle with
becoming who they are or the
people searching for happiness, who may read your article and harm
themselves or someone else because you define them as worthless and
abnormal.
Think of someone else beside yourself.
Think about the kind of world
you want to create for your children and your children's children. If
at
the end of the day you feel the same, there is always the saying we were
taught in kindergarten, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say
anything at all."
Finally, we all have a right to a safe
place on this planet. If
someone's actions do not harm anyone else, leave him or her be, live your
life, and let others live theirs. I hope you find peace within
yourself.
And remember: Hate, not
homosexuality, is an illness. Homosexuals
have as much of a right to this planet and this country as you do.
. Daisy Perkins is a senior philosophy
and women's studies major.
#8
The Daily Barometer, May 14, 2003
118 Memorial Union East, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331-1614
(Fax: 541-737-4999) (E-Mail: baro.editor@studentmedia.orst.edu )
( http://barometer.orst.edu )
http://barometer.orst.edu/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/05/14/3ec1f1df0f182
SUGGESTIONS FOR A HOMOSEXUAL AGENDA
Sanjai Tripathi
The Supreme Court is considering the
case of Lawrence and Garner vs.
State of Texas. Lawrence and Garner are men whose neighbor called the
police to report a man with a gun in their apartment. Little did the
police
know what type of "gun" to which the neighbor was referring.
The men were inside their apartment
having sex, and were arrested for
violating Texas' anti-sodomy law. They were fined $200, pled no
contest and
took their case to the Supreme Court.
Some people are trying to pass hate
crimes legislation. There was a
wave of laws passed after the Matthew Sheppard incident. Others are
advocating for laws encouraging the inclusion of sexual preference, to go
along with race, gender, creed (whatever that is), nationality and
disability, in the nation's anti-discrimination laws.
In Vermont a few years back they
created the "civil union." This
allows a state-sponsored gay marriage.
The movement for queer civil rights
will be seen as one of the most
important causes of our time. Dislike, distrust and extreme hatred for
homosexuality are widespread.
In this movement, it would be useful to
refocus the efforts into
those endeavors that have the most impact. The "homosexual
agenda" has been
used as a pejorative term for some sinister conspiracy to usurp the nation's
morality. I suggest we, the people who believe the current paradigm is
unjust, reclaim the term. We should have an agenda, to isolate the
most
fruitful causes, and we should state it openly and boldly.
I wouldn't try arguing for hate crime
legislation. Someone once
said, "all crimes are hate crimes." The addition of other
penalties only
gives the courts the preposterous task of trying to prove a person's intent.
This is usually impossible and in itself somewhat against the principles of
our Constitution. What one does defines a crime, not their bad
thoughts.
Similarly, I wouldn't put energy into
workplace discrimination laws.
For one thing, again it is hard to prove intent. How can one develop
evidence to clearly show why someone does something? There is no good
record of a person's inner thoughts.
For another thing, these laws may even
serve to discourage people
from hiring those the law seeks to protect. Whenever there is a
discrimination case, the public presumes the guilt of the bosses and it is
bad press for the company, whether they did anything wrong or not.
This in turn forces them to accept a
plea to make the case go away.
So, the anti-discrimination laws could logically cause potential employers
to see those "underrepresented" people as potential lawsuits, when
they
might have simply seen them as potential workers.
There are four things I would put on
the agenda. The first is the
simple overturning of the anti-sodomy laws in all states. There are 14
states that have them according to sodomylaws.org. Oregon's was
repealed in
1972. In most cases, very few legislators will come out in support of
them,
but very few will come out against them. It is a hot potato issue
nobody
will address.
These laws are rarely enforced, but
they still need to go.
Arbitrarily enforced laws are like an evil lottery, and in no way serve the
interests of justice.
The second issue is the right to
marriage. This more than anything
else would serve to effectively "mainstream" homosexuality, by
allowing gay
and lesbian couples to lead "normal" monogamous lives and form
families.
This mainstreaming is exactly what gay-haters are afraid of.
They crow about diminishing the
"sanctity" of marriage.
Sanctity is defined as holiness or
sacredness, which in turn are
defined as being like or paying tribute to God. So basically they are
saying that marriage is a religious institution.
In fact, however, marriage is also a
state institution. Those who
argue that gay marriages would defame the holiness of marriage probably
don't clearly see the state of marriage today anyway. Half of them end
in
divorce and half of the rest involve at least one cheating spouse.
In spite of all this, the holiness of
one marriage isn't defined by
the holiness of all marriages. That argument implies that somehow, by
association, all marriages will be diminished in their sanctity if we allow
some unholy unions to occur. This idea in turn implies that God could
not
distinguish between the righteous and the wicked. Each person is free
to
live their marriage at any level of holiness they see fit. If there is
an
all-powerful One out there, I guarantee you He can sort it out, and doesn't
need the help of state governments.
The third thing is then the right to
adopt children. The desire to
raise progeny, if not conceive them, is deep and meaningful. There is
no
reason why loving couples should not be allowed to adopt children who need
parents. There are many in the world to go around, if one does not
specifically seek a blond-haired white child.
The last is the most important.
We must convince the world that
homosexuality is not immoral, with no equivocation about it. We can do
this
by deconstructing the arguments against it.
When they say it is immoral, I ask for
clarification. They will say
that it is "unnatural." This is simply refuted by pointing
out that moral
and natural are not equal. We dye our hair, eat margarine and sit in
climate-controlled rooms, and these things receive far less righteous
bluster. Additionally, we can examine our nearest evolutionary
relatives,
the chimpanzees, to see natural primate behavior. I can assure you
that
their activity is far more perverse than many could imagine. Although,
if
you haters want to try to deprogram them, have fun.
They will say that homosexual behavior
is dangerous. This has a
grain of truth, as male-male intercourse does have a high rate of disease
transmission. However, female-female activity has an extremely low
rate of
transmission of most STD's. Overall, any sex is safer with proper
precautions than heterosexual sex without.
Some will point out the apparent
statistical sadness of homosexuals.
Their depression, high suicide rates, multiple partners, drug use and such
are used as evidence of their immorality. However, I would point out
that
these things are easily explained as the response to living in an
environment where one's society, peers, or even parents react hatefully to
the person simply acting naturally. All people react badly to severe
stress.
The last argument they will use is that
it is an abomination before
God. One can't argue with a person with Hellfire on the tongue.
To them I
would simply say that there are many people with different interpretations
of God.
Once the pallid arguments against
homosexuality are deconstructed, a
truth will be revealed. Those who fight so hard against it don't do so
out
of logic. They do it because they see something that is disconcerting
to
their understanding of the world, and it frightens them. They struggle
to
find ideological justification for their primal fear.
It is shameful the way homosexuals are
often treated in our society.
With the advent of a clear agenda, perhaps we could change this.
. Sanjai Tripathi is a columnist and
assistant forum editor for The
Daily Barometer. The opinions in his columns, which appear every
Wednesday,
do not necessarily represent those of The Barometer staff. Tripathi
can be
reached at sanjaitripathi@netscape.net.
#9
The Daily Barometer, May 14, 2003
118 Memorial Union East, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331-1614
(Fax: 541-737-4999) (E-Mail: baro.editor@studentmedia.orst.edu )
( http://barometer.orst.edu )
http://barometer.orst.edu/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/05/14/3ec1f1570a3f9
IT'S HETERO PRIDE EVERY OTHER WEEK [AT OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY]
Kathy Greaves
Dear readers:
Today's questions are in honor of Queer
Pride Week. I am frequently
asked why the word "queer" is used today when in the past it was
considered
a derogatory term. In general, queer is an umbrella term encompassing
all
individuals who are not strictly heterosexual. Therefore, queer could
refer
to someone who is lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, transsexual,
intersexed and even individuals who are unsure of their sexuality, but do
not want to limit themselves to the heterosexual box.
With that said, also realize that not
every non-heterosexual
identifies with the term "queer." There are many individuals
who identify
themselves as homosexual or bisexual and are offended by the word
"queer."
Equally, even those individuals who are members of the queer community do
not agree on what the term means. So, while I gave you a general
description of how queer can be interpreted, understand that you may find
others who feel very differently. Now, on to the questions.
Dear Dr. Sex:
Why is there one week on campus
dedicated to homosexuality? When do
heterosexuals get their week?
- Signed, Feeling Left Out
Dear Feeling Left Out:
While you may not recognize it, we live
in what is called a
heterosexist society. Heterosexism is the biased and discriminatory
assumption that all people are attracted to members of the opposite sex.
This culturally condoned heterosexism fosters antihomosexual attitudes by
providing a system of values and stereotypes that seem to justify prejudice
and discrimination. Such an atmosphere assumes everyone is and should
be
heterosexual and, as a result, everything around us is heterosexual in
nature.
For example, the vast majority of
movies and television shows are
about heterosexuals and their relationships, advertisements illustrate
heterosexuals using products, heterosexual workers can put photographs of
their loved ones on their desk at work, heterosexuals can publicly display
affection, etc.
As a result, homosexuals many times do
not feel like they fit in, nor
do they feel like their lives are adequately represented. In fact, a
lot of
the time their lives and experiences are very much misrepresented using
stereotypical homosexual behavior. Therefore, they have one week out
of the
year where their lives and relationships can be adequately and properly
represented on campus. In essence, heterosexuals have the other 51
weeks
out of the year to illustrate their lives.
Dear Dr. Sex:
How do lesbians have sex?
- Signed, Confused
Dear Confused:
You are confused because you probably
think that sex is a man and a
woman participating in penile-vaginal intercourse. As a society, we
focus
most on that activity when we think of the phrase "having sex."
This
illustrates the concept of heterosexism that I discussed in the first
question.
"Having sex" is participating
in any number of sexual activities
either alone or with a partner. Sexual activity is about expressing
feelings or participating in sexual acts that feel good. You don't
need to
have an opposite sex partner to do this.
Sexual activities include solo
masturbation, mutual masturbation,
kissing on the lips, kissing other parts of the body, touching, fondling,
fingers in orifices, cunnilingus (oral stimulation of the vagina), fellatio
(oral stimulation of the penis), anal intercourse and, yes, even
penile-vaginal intercourse.
With that said, lesbians "have
sex" in pretty much the same fashion
that heterosexuals do. Granted, it is difficult for lesbians to have
vaginal or anal intercourse without a penis, but some lesbians perform those
sexual acts with fingers or a dildo, as do many heterosexuals. Still
other
lesbians are not interested in simulating "intercourse." To
assume that
"having sex" is limited to penile vaginal intercourse is doing a
great
disservice not only to homosexuals, but also to heterosexuals who enjoy a
variety of activities beyond "the standard."
Dear Dr. Sex:
If a guy likes anal sex, does that mean
he is gay?
- Signed, Am I Gay?
Dear Am I Gay?:
If you like anal sex, all that means is
that you like anal sex. If
you are a male and you are sexually attracted to other males, that might
indicate that you are gay. It really is that simple.
The connection people make with anal
sex and gay men is quite strong
and quite a stereotype. Many gay men have never participated in anal
sex
and for those gay men who have, anal sex is the third most popular sexual
activity in which they participate, not the first as many people assume.
The nerve endings in the rectum are
densely concentrated. As such,
the rectum is classified as a primary erogenous zone because it is very
sensitive. The key issue is what does stimulation of those nerves mean
to
you? For some people it means, "Yuck," while for others it
means, "Oh,
yeah, baby, give me more."
For the heterosexual man who likes anal
sex, it is probably because
the rectum is tighter than the vagina, giving the man a tighter grip, so to
speak.
. Dr. Kathy Greaves is on faculty at
OSU in the department of human
development and family sciences. The opinions in her columns, which
appear
every Wednesday, do not necessarily represent those of The Barometer staff.
Dr. Greaves can be reached at kathy.greaves@oregonstate.edu, or by placing
questions in the box at the MU information desk. All questions
submitted to
Dr. Greaves are subject to being answered in her Dr. Sex column.
#10
The Daily Emerald, May 14, 2003
University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
(Fax: 541-346-5821 ) (E-Mail: ode@oregon.uoregon.edu )
http://www.dailyemerald.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/05/14/3ec2720cf00f1
GUEST COMMENTARY: MARTORANO'S OPINIONS DON'T REPRESENT TRUE
CONSERVATISM
Timothy Dreier
Vincent Martorano, in his guest
commentary ("Homosexual men should
hide their disgusting acts," ODE, May 9), manages to call himself a
conservative while completely ignoring what are truly conservative
principles.
I will not begrudge him the right to
hold such opinions because he is
certainly within his rights to do so, but the modern political philosophy of
conservatism has no need for political views designed to use personal morals
as a template for proper societal behavior.
True conservatism, as a broad political
philosophy, rests on the
sanctity of the individual, of individual rights and individual freedoms.
Furthermore, conservatism is founded upon the individual right to choose.
A
society is simply a group of individuals who have, for whatever reason,
chosen to live together under a set of guidelines. Proper governance,
therefore, ensures that the sanctity of individual rights is protected; and
that people do not go around doing this which will rip society apart (e.g.
theft, murder, etc.).
The second duty is really an extension
of the first - for instance,
individuals have a right not to have their things stolen or their lives
taken. Martorano apparently does not understand this and wishes to see
the
rights of some individuals limited. There are no societal costs of
homosexual relationships, but there are great costs for the liberty of those
individuals being limited. If some individuals are told to stay in the
closet, individual freedom is on a slippery slope to hell. For a
discussion
of exactly why there are no negative societal costs for homosexual rights,
including marriage, check out James Miller's Information Sexternalities
(available at
http://www.techcentralstation.com/1051/techwrapper.jsp?PID=1051-250&CID=1051
-042403G).
The violations of personal freedom that
Martorano would like to
inflict upon homosexual individuals are egregious. And, as a
conservative,
I find them incredibly disturbing. Not as disturbing as recent
comments by
Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., because Martorano's opinion is only his, but his
opinion amounts to "well, be gay, just don't be gay."
It is sad that someone calling himself
a conservative would want to
limit individual freedom, a freedom that has no costs for society, in such a
way. As the old adage goes, "Get (the government) out of my
bedroom and get
out of my armory." Perhaps Martorano should spend more time
reading truly
conservative thinkers than being offended by two individuals' display of
affection for one another.
"On Liberty" by John Stuart
Mill would not be a bad place for
Martorano to start, nor would anything by John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, Thomas
Jefferson or Jean Jacques Rousseau. Even David Hume or Adam Smith
would not
be poor choices, although the latter is more of an economist than a political thinker.
Whatever he chooses to do, Martorano
should realize that he has no
business calling himself a conservative because he obviously does not
respect individual liberty enough to do so.
. Timothy Dreier is a junior economics
major and is managing editor
of the Oregon Commentator.
#11
UWIRE.COM, 05/15/2003
The Dartmouth Free Press (Dartmouth College)
http://www.uwire.com/content//topops051503002.html
Column:
STUDENTS RESPOND TO CAMPUS HOMOPHOBIA [AT DARTMOUTH]
By Steven Zyck
(U-WIRE) HANOVER, NH -- A series of homophobic incidents have taken place on
campus over the spring term, though most members of the Dartmouth community
have yet to hear a word about them. In East Wheelock a penis was drawn on a
student's dry erase board above the word "faggot." In the Choates,
a student put up posters on his hall with a picture of Erik Estrada and the
words "You're a Homo" printed underneath. This incident was
resolved by the intervention of the community director.
Similar, more frequent events have been based in the River cluster. Anti-gay
messages have been scrawled on personal message boards throughout the
cluster on several occasions. One River resident's door was urinated on, a
defiling likely related to anti-gay messages left on the same door. Safety
and Security has been investigating anti-gay incidents in the River which,
according to Assistant Dean of Student Life and Advisor to Lesbia, Gay,
Bisexual and Transgender students Pam Misener, have taken place in
conjunction with increased vandalism, substance abuse and noise complaints.
Some people question to what extent the anti-gay incidents are consciously
targeting Dartmouth's gay community as opposed to being thoughtless,
insensitive actions undertaken by inebriated students.
Students who attended an open meeting on the incidents held two weeks ago
were among the few who were informed of what had transpired outside of the
related residence clusters. The meeting featured Misener and other college
employees and administrators and drew about a dozen students.
The central questions that now exist regard the silence and lack of
information that has surrounded these incidents. In the winter of 2002 when
a swastika was drawn on a Jewish student's dry erase board, the uproar was
tremendous. This stands in stark contrast to the lack of discussion or
outrage regarding this recent string of anti-gay activities. Dean of the
College James Larimore sent a blitz to the campus following the swastika
incident. The Dartmouth gave it coverage for more than a week. Several
discussions and meetings were held regarding the incident, and the Student
Assembly created a new committee and executive position to deal with
diversity as a result.
The recent homophobic vandalism has resulted in no letter or blitz to the
entire student body from anyone in the administration. The Dartmouth ran a
300-word article on page seven regarding it. Three small meetings were held:
one for members of the LGBTQA community, one for a Choates floor, and
another meeting for residents of River buildings where incidents had
occurred. Why has the response been so different in the case of anti-gay,
homophobic incidents from that of anti-Semitism?
The use of the swastika makes an allusion to the holocaust of millions of
Jews and therefore could be construed as a more serious and threatening
incident. Another distinction between the incidents, emphasized by Misener,
is the fact that the incidents in the East Wheelock and Choates clusters
have not specifically targeted members of the LGBTQA community while only
some of those taking place in the River have. The reasoning has been that
most of the events may not be anti-gay, especially in the case in the
Choates' Estrada posters, because the intent may not have been to threaten
or intimidate LGBTQ students. But why is the perpetrator's intent important
in these situations?
These incidents were public displays in all cases and had the effect of
sending anti-gay, or at least highly inappropriate, messages to the students
who saw them. As Misener highlighted, one of the most negative effects of
these incidents was to send a message to students questioning their sexual
orientation that being gay may not always be safe or acceptable at
Dartmouth.
A statement, submitted to the DFP via blitz, by Senior Associate Dean of the
College Dan Nelson recognizes the influence of the incidents on the greater
College community: "Acts of intolerance, no matter what individuals or
groups they might target, are simply unacceptable. They are an offense not
only to those at whom they are directed, but they are an affront to us all.
They undermine this community's values and goals. They have no place at
Dartmouth."
Of course, the fact that Nelson realizes the effect of the homophobic
incidents on the whole community begs the question of why no response or
information has been provided to the campus by those in Parkhurst. Other
explanations for the lack of an administrative response involve the fact
that the events were part of an ongoing investigation by Safety and Security
and that the recurrence of the events did not allow an opportunity to draft
a letter to the community.
Despite this, administrators had begun on several occasions to draft such a
letter when another incident would distract their attention, according to
Misener. The first explanation seems to be either false or incomplete since
a letter was drafted after the swastika incident despite an ongoing
investigation. The next response raises the question of just how long it
takes to draft a letter to the community and what it says that informing the
campus and decrying the incidents was not made a higher priority.
According to a Misener, a letter to the Dartmouth community and another
specifically to members of the LGBTQA community are currently being worked
on by a group of administrators. Another reason for the lack of a response
is the lack of a consistent, standardized procedure for reporting and
responding to incidents such as those that took place. While Misener said
the College had a firm set of "emergency protocols" in place, she
said that these incidents showed the need for the "bias response
protocol" which is in the process of being formulated and implemented.
This protocol cannot come fast enough. Though whatever improvements are made
in the future, the question of why this situation remained cloaked in
silence should not be forgotten. The fact that such incidents occurred at
Dartmouth is disturbing, and the fact that they went unreported, and largely
undiscussed, prevents our community from learning from them and preventing
them from happening again.
#12
The Daily Barometer, May 15, 2003
118 Memorial Union East, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331-1614
(Fax: 541-737-4999) (E-Mail: baro.editor@studentmedia.orst.edu )
( http://barometer.orst.edu )
http://barometer.orst.edu/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/05/15/3ec34005831cf
SPEAKER COMES FULL CIRCLE IN ADDRESSING OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY,
CORVALLIS FORMER BEAVER AND NFL STAR SPEAKS ON HOMOSEXUALITY
By Chris Godwin, Barometer Staff Writer
Esera Tuaolo, OSU alumnus and former
nose tackle for the Green Bay
Packers, spoke Wednesday night to an enthusiastic audience.
Tuaolo is one of a handful of former
professional athletes who has
come forth in the media and professed his homosexuality.
The event was sponsored by the Asian
Pacific American Education
Office, Asian Pacific American Student Union, Casa Educacional, Dean of
Students, Intercollegiate Athletics, MUPC and VP for Student Affairs.
The evening opened with members of the
OSU Hula Club performing two
dances, one of which was from the Disney movie "Lilo and Stitch."
Once the dancing finished, Tuaolo took
the podium and explained what
it was like being a gay Asian Pacific football player at OSU and in the NFL.
His speech started with heartfelt
praise of OSU and how good it felt
for him to be back. The energetic crowd settled down once Tuaolo began
to
tell his story.
"There were times when I could
almost have committed suicide. If you
haven't seen a miracle before, you're looking at one right now 'cause I'm
supposed to be a statistic. I shouldn't be here," Tuaolo said.
He told of
how sometimes after going to a club or hanging out with teammates, driving
home at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour, he would contemplate turning
sharply in hopes of ending his life.
The former athlete continued on to
explain his downward spiral into
alcohol addiction and the anxiety attacks he experienced.
What was causing the capable athlete's
anxiety was the lying he had
to do. He recalled when the first anxiety attack occurred. It
was in his
first game with the Packers after he had sacked "unsackable
Cunningham."
The fear that someone would see his
name or hear about him and would
"out" him took over.
Tuaolo changed his tune after awhile
and talked about how great his
life had become after he decided to out himself in the public sphere.
"I am living that American dream,
I have that American dream, the
biggest fence, I have two dogs, I have got two kids . . . minus the
wife," he said.
Once Tuaolo finished his speech, he
opened the floor for a
question-and-answer period. The first two questions were about what it
was
like to be gay in the NFL, and Queer Pride Week.
When Tuaolo heard the first question,
the expression on his face
became very solemn and the behemoth man began to hang his head. He
recalled
when rumors were going around the locker room that certain players were gay
and how players would point and call each other faggots.
The factor that caused Tuaolo to come
out was when he was approached
by fans during a rafting trip. Tuaolo was with his husband, children
and
family. Tuaolo had to conceal his relationship with his husband and
could
see the pain it was causing for everyone, including his husband, his
husband's family and himself.
Tuaolo now travels the country trying
to help students cope with
being LGBT and encouraging students to eliminate the words they use.
"That's another thing. It
starts not in college, not in high school,
but younger. In the younger generation," Tuaolo said.
"We need to get rid of all those
negative words ... getting rid of
all those negative things, now - that's where you stop
it, like racism. You
stop racism with all the negative words. Well, that's what we need to
do;
we need to eliminate some of the language out there."
Throughout his speech and the
question-and-answer period, Tuaolo
explained that he was travelling around the country talking to students and
faculty in order to help any person he could. Tuaolo feels that if he
can
help even one person in a crowd of 600, then his travelling is well worth
it.
When asked what was next for the OSU
grad, Tuaolo simply said that he
wanted to live his life.
. Chris Godwin cover news for The Daily
Barometer. He can be reached
at baro.news@studentmedia.orst.edu, or at 737-2232.
#13
The Daily Barometer, May 15, 2003
118 Memorial Union East, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331-1614
(Fax: 541-737-4999) (E-Mail: baro.editor@studentmedia.orst.edu )
( http://barometer.orst.edu )
http://barometer.orst.edu/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/05/15/3ec3414b3bf91
LGBTS HOST CAMP OUT OF A QUEER SORT [AT OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY,
CORVALLIS]
CAMP OUT MARKS HALF-WAY POINT OF CELEBRATION OF QUEER PRIDE WEEK
By Chris Godwin, Barometer Staff Writer
Students gathered Wednesday night for a
camp out of a queer sort.
Queer and straight students spent the night in the MU quad as part of Queer
Pride Week.
Students in the Quad Wednesday may have
noticed the behemoth white
tent near Milam Hall. Tonight, students, if they ever tire, will be
nestled
in that tent as apart of the Queer Pride camp out.
The camp out started at 9 p.m.
Wednesday night and finished Thursday
morning with round-the-clock security.
By 10:30 p.m., students were huddled
around a small fire roasting
marshmallows to make s'mores while Counting Crows and Who Let the Dogs Out
blared over the radio.
The structure of the evening was laid
back with no organized events
except a movie or two and, of course, scheduled fun and games.
Some may remember the conflict that
arose during last year's camp out
when four members of Sigmi Pi fraternity threw firecrackers into the
festivities. Despite fear that such things would repeat themselves,
the
event was attended by nearly 40 people, a turnout deemed average by Andi
Charlton, co-director of the Rainbow Continuum.
The camp out signifies the half-way
mark for Queer Pride Week, which
began Sunday night with a candlelight vigil and culminates Friday night with
a drag show.
"I think [Queer Pride Week] has
gone really excellent," says
Charlton. "There has been high participation, lots of students
have turned
out and asked questions at the booth and it has been really good."
Charlton continued to explain the camp
out is a great way for
students to form connections with each other whether they be lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender or straight.
"It is nice to just hang out with
other people," said Charlton, when
asked how she felt about the event. "And who can say no to
spending the
night in the Quad? How many times do you get to do that in
college?"
Once the camp out concluded, only five
events remain, including the
drag show. Trans 101, a discussion surrounding issues as they pertain
to
transsexual and transgendered people, a bisexuality work-shop, a discussion
and work-shop about bisexuality and biphobia, heroic past, an event honoring
the leaders of the queer and allied communities for their work, and sex toys
101, a safe and respectful demonstration of adult sex toys presented in
fashion with humor, will all be put on through Friday.
Queer Pride Week will conclude with the
annual Eddie Hickey Memorial
Drag Show and Dance in the Memorial Union ballroom. The event is free
of
charge and will last from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
. Chris Godwin cover news for The Daily
Barometer. He can be reached
at baro.news@studentmedia.orst.edu, or at 737-2232.
#14
Gallup News Service, May 15, 2003
http://www.gallup.com/poll/releases/pr030515.asp
SIX OUT OF 10 AMERICANS SAY HOMOSEXUAL RELATIONS SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED AS
LEGAL BUT AMERICANS ARE EVENLY DIVIDED ON ISSUE OF LEGAL CIVIL UNIONS BETWEEN
HOMOSEXUALS GIVING THEM THE LEGAL RIGHTS OF MARRIED COUPLES
by Frank Newport, Gallup News Service
PRINCETON, NJ - Attitudes toward
homosexuality and homosexual
relations continue to be one of the more complex areas of public opinion
that Gallup measures. The issue is not only one of significant concern
because of its traditional moral and religious overtones, but in recent
years it has been at the center of state and federal legislative battles,
highly publicized court challenges, and political debate.
Gallup's recent Values and Beliefs
survey shows that a majority of
Americans accept the idea that homosexual relations between consenting
adults should be legal and that homosexuality is an acceptable way of life.
The acceptance of homosexuality as legal is now at the 60% level, up from
52% last year and 43% when Gallup first began asking about it in 1977.
The
recent survey also finds that almost 9 out of 10 Americans agree that
homosexuals should have equal rights in terms of job opportunities, although
opinions on allowing homosexual couples to legally form civil unions, giving
them some of the legal rights of married couples, are evenly divided.
A plurality of Americans believe that
homosexuality is something that
is a result of one's upbringing or environment, rather than being a genetic
trait with which a person is born, although opinion on this has been
somewhat inconsistent over time.
Should Homosexuality Be Legal?
Gallup first asked about the legality
of homosexuality in 1977, with
a basic question worded as follows: "Do you think homosexual relations
between consenting adults should or should not be legal?" At that
point,
Americans were evenly divided on the issue, as 43% said yes, 43% said no,
and 14% were not sure. In Gallup's recent Values and Beliefs poll,
conducted May 5-7, the public has clearly become more moderate toward
homosexuality than was the case two decades earlier: 60% of Americans
now
say that homosexual relations should be legal, 35% not legal, with 5%
unsure. During the mid-1980s, the percentage saying that homosexual
relations should be legal dropped to as low as 32%, perhaps resulting from
either the conservative environment ushered in by the Reagan administration,
or the beginning of widespread publicity surrounding AIDS and its prevalence
in the homosexual community.
Equal Job Opportunities
Over the same time period, there has
also been significant change in
attitudes about employment rights for homosexuals. The specific Gallup
question asks: "As you may know, there has been considerable discussion
in
the news regarding the rights of homosexual men and women. In general,
do
you think homosexuals should or should not have equal rights in terms of job
opportunities?" The percentage saying yes is now 88%, similar to
recent
years, but significantly higher than the 56% when first recorded in 1977.
As recently as 1992, fewer than four in five Americans felt homosexuals
should be given equal treatment in hiring.
Thus, there is a gap between the 60% of
the public saying that
homosexual relations should be legal, and the 88% saying that homosexuals
should have equal rights in the workplace. These two questions may
play to
different norms that exist in contemporary America. The legality
question
may tap into a general sense of morality, and a reluctance of a more
conservative segment of society to sanction what they consider to be deviant
behavior. The question about equal opportunity, on the other hand, may
invoke the public's attitudes about discrimination, fair play, and equal
treatment.
Homosexuality as an Acceptable
Lifestyle
Indeed, a sizable percentage of
Americans continue to frown on the
homosexual lifestyle. In 1982, Gallup distinguished between Americans'
personal feelings about homosexuality from their opinions about its legality
by asking this question: "Do you feel that homosexuality should be
considered an acceptable alternative lifestyle or not?" At that
time, just
34% said yes. Public acceptance on this measure
has increased incrementally
since that point, and our latest poll shows that a small majority, 54%, now
agrees that homosexuality should be considered an acceptable lifestyle.
Still, that leaves a substantial minority of 43% who disagree.
Nature or Nurture?
Part of the argument about
homosexuality through the years has
focused on the issue of how much control an individual has over his or her
sexual orientation. Many gay and lesbian leaders stress the fact that
homosexuality is an inborn trait, and - similar to gender or race - is not a
decision over which an individual has direct control. The classic
Gallup
Poll question designed to get at this issue - first used in 1977 - asks if
homosexuality is "something a person is born with or is homosexuality
due to
other factors such as upbringing or environment?"
In 1977, the public was more likely to
agree with the argument that
homosexuality is due to factors such as one's upbringing and environment,
rather than the argument that homosexuality is something with which a person
is born - by a margin of 56% to 13%. Twenty-six years later, in 2003,
the
percentage of Americans accepting the genetic argument has more than doubled
to 38%, while the percentage agreeing that homosexuality is environmentally
caused has dropped to 44%. Thus, a slight plurality of Americans now
agrees
with the "nurture" argument over the "nature" argument.
Still, unlike other
trend questions that have moved to a more liberal orientation in this year's
survey, the "upbringing/environment" alternative in response to
this
question is more prevalent now than it was in either 2001 or 2002.
Should Homosexual Couples Be Given the
Same Legal Rights as Married Couples?
The answer to this question is a clear
"yes" if the issue is simply
whether gay or lesbian partners should be able to share healthcare and
Social Security survivor benefits. Americans are less supportive if
providing legal rights is done in the context of establishing a right of
civil unions for gays and lesbians, akin to marriage.
Polling in recent years has
consistently shown that at least 6 out of
10 Americans are opposed to the recognition of marriages between homosexuals
as legally valid unions, with the same rights as traditional marriages.
If the question is re-phrased to
emphasize giving "some of the legal
rights of married couples," but without the assumption that they would
in
some ways be "married," public opinion breaks even. In May
2002, 46%
favored a law that would "allow homosexual couples to legally form
civil
unions, giving them some of the legal rights of married couples," while
51%
opposed. This year, opinion is exactly divided, with 49% in favor and
49% opposed.
At the same time, a question that asks
about giving homosexual
couples the same legal rights as married heterosexual couples
"regarding
healthcare benefits and Social Security survivor benefits" finds 62% agreement.
Survey Methods
These results are based on telephone
interviews with a randomly
selected national sample of 1,005 adults, aged 18 and older, conducted May
5-7, 2003. For results based on this sample, one can say with 95%
confidence that the maximum error attributable to sampling and other random
effects is ±3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error,
question
wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error
or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.
[Note: Additional charts and
graphs accompany this article on the
Gallup website: http://www.gallup.com/poll/releases/pr030515.asp ]
#15
Advocate.com (glbt), May 16, 2003
http://www.advocate.com/new_news.asp?ID=8659&sd=05/16/03
CIVIL RIGHTS CHARGES LEVIED IN EGGING INCIDENT [AT CAL POLY IN SAN LUIS
OBISPO, CALIF.]
Two college students who threw eggs at
a gay student club's booth at
Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, Calif., on February 13 now face charges of
civil rights violations. District attorney's office spokeswoman
Michelle
Goula said crimes of that nature are cited from the same section of the
state penal code as hate crimes, even when they are
not labeled as such.
One of the attackers, William Bugenig, 22, expressed remorse for the
incident. "I didn't mean any harm to anybody," Bugenig told
The [San Luis
Obispo] Tribune. "Anyone that was there, I totally apologize for
it. I
know I was in the wrong."
Bugenig, who lives in Morro Bay, and
Nicolas Taliaferro, 20, who
lives in San Luis Obispo and attends Cuesta College, are charged with one
count each of violating civil rights and damaging property. The two
are to
be arraigned June 9. If convicted, each could face up to one year in
jail,
a $5,000 fine, and 400 hours of community service for the misdemeanor
charge. Court and police records show that Bugenig and Taliaferro each
threw two eggs at a booth staffed by the group Gays, Lesbians, and Bisexuals
United. "I viewed the booth to be located in a free speech area
on campus,"
Bugenig said in a statement submitted to police, "and I guess you could
say
that this was my attempt to express my opinion, which, obviously, I went
about in totally the wrong way."
#16
The Daily Barometer, May 16, 2003
118 Memorial Union East, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331-1614
(Fax: 541-737-4999) (E-Mail: baro.editor@studentmedia.orst.edu )
( http://barometer.orst.edu )
http://barometer.orst.edu/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/05/16/3ec4f523299c4
OUT OF THE CLOSET, INTO DISGUISE: A TRANSGENDERED MALE'S STORY
ONE OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENT GRAPPLES WITH BIOLOGICAL CONTRADICTIONS
By Niki Sullivan, Barometer Managing Editor
Biologically, Eric Grey is a female.
But in his mind, he is a male, and he
has been living as a
transgendered male for the past year.
At age 14 or 15, Eric knew that he
"wasn't exactly on target" in
terms of sexuality.
He came out to himself as a lesbian at
that time, but he still was a
long way from realizing that he was a transgendered male.
"When I was a kid I always watched
my Dad shave and thought to
myself, 'I'm going to do that someday.'"
Eric never explicitly identified as a
male until a year ago, after
hearing a trans male speaker at the 2002 Queer Pride Week.
"I was always what they call
'butch,' but I felt a yearning - an
overwhelming need to act out my male side more," he said.
After hearing the trans speaker, he
said something clicked.
"My feelings, thoughts,
interactions and dreams all made sense."
It was difficult for him to reveal this
to his family, however.
Especially his 6-year-old daughter, Eden.
"She was mad at me at first, but
she got used to it after a while."
"Trans" is a blanket term
used to describe many different types of
people, including, but not limited to, people who were born one sex, but
feel they identify more with the opposite.
However, Eric said everyone has the
right to self-identify, and trans
is a continuum, just as he feels sexuality is a continuum. Some
options for
body modification include breast removal and taking testosterone, both of
which Eric may do.
"The breasts have got to go,"
he said, adding that they are a
constant reminder that he is not a man.
He may begin taking testosterone
sometime in the next year, but
emphasized that the permanent health risks are making him think twice.
Testosterone induces what Eric
described as male puberty on the
female body. Facial hair, a widening of the jaw, a shift in body fat
from
the hips to the abdomen and other physical changes all occur when one uses
the hormone. Some of those changes, however, are permanent.
Eric faces countless challenges every
day in relation to his sexuality.
"The bathrooms - those are a big
problem," he said, noting that there
are not many non-gender specific bathrooms on campus. He sometimes has
to
wait to use the bathroom for an extended period of time because he does not
want to offend anyone by his choice of male or female restrooms.
"I have what I like to call 'trans
moments' when I am acutely aware
of the fact that I'm not where I want to be," Eric said, of times when
he is
referred to as a woman or "discovered."
"When someone calls me 'she' or
'her' it's like a slap in the face
because my identity as a guy is so fragile," he said.
"I want to have a sense of
self."
Every day, Eric wears undergarments
that help hide his breasts, which
he still feels are apparent. He also wears his hair short and dresses
in
men's clothing. However, he's still discovered by people from time to
time.
"My daughter gives me away a lot
because I told her it's OK to still
call me Mom," he said.
Eric noted that there are many
misconceptions about trans males and females.
"People think that every trans
person will have surgery, but that's
not the case," he said, noting the difference between transgendered
individuals and transsexuals, who generally plan to or have already
undergone body modification surgery.
Eric will graduate with a dual major in
philosophy and biology this
spring. Next fall, he will start school at Purdue to pursue a PhD. in philosophy.
He is glad to be moving somewhere where
trans men are not so rare.
"I'm the only out trans male at
OSU that I know, so I tend to be
tokenized," he said.
Chicago, two hours away from the Purdue
campus, has a fairly large
population of trans males, according to Eric.
While Eric said he worries about the
safety of him and his daughter,
he has generally been treated well in Corvallis.
"No one has ever said anything
derogatory," he said.
However, he does constantly consider
their safety.
Today from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Eric
will present "Trans 101" at the
Women's Center.
. Niki Sullivan is the managing editor
for The Daily Barometer. She
can be reached at baro.campus@studentmedia.orst.edu or 737-2231.
#17
Advocate.com (glbt), May 17, 2003
http://www.advocate.com/new_news.asp?ID=8685&sd=05/17/03-05/19/03
THE REVEREND PERRY HONORED AMID CONTROVERSY [AT EPISCOPAL DIVINITY
SCHOOL]
A Cambridge Episcopal seminary's plans
to award an honorary degree to
the Reverend Troy Perry, founder of the predominantly gay Metropolitan
Community Church, is stirring criticism among church conservatives who say
it's meant to antagonize them at a time that a tense vote on gay unions
looms at the church's annual meeting. Perry is set to receive an
honorary
Doctor of Divinity degree from Episcopal Divinity School on May 22.
The
school president, Bishop Steven Charleston, called Perry one of the most
important Christian church leaders in recent decades, noting that there are
approximately 300 MCC congregations worldwide. "He has granted a
whole new
access to religious life to...thousands of people around the world,"
Charleston said.
The honor comes as officials prepare
for the General Convention of
the Episcopal Church, which starts in July in Minneapolis. A
resolution to
create a ceremony for blessing same-sex unions has been submitted for
consideration at the meeting after a narrow defeat by clergy and lay
delegates two years ago. The Reverend David Moyer, president of the
North
American chapter of Forward in Faith, a conservative Episcopal group, said
the seminary's choice of Perry is an "in your face" statement to
conservative Episcopalians as the convention approaches. Charleston
said
the timing of the honor is not about "silly plots" but rather
because Perry,
62, is nearing retirement.
Perry said the degree from a seminary
in a major denomination shows
that gay Christians have in fact made remarkable progress in winning
mainstream acceptance, adding that Jesus Christ never condemned
homosexuality. "It's very interesting that 35 years ago, about no
one would
talk to us," Perry said. "Here we are 35 years later, and so
much has
changed."
#18
Hartford Courant, May 18, 2003
285 Broad St., Hartford, CT, 06115
(Fax: 860-241-3865 ) (E-Mail: letters@courant.com )
( http://www.courant.com/ )
http://www.ctnow.com/news/local/hc-wesgender0517.artmay18,0,6881445.story
GENDER WON'T COUNT IN NEW DORM [AT WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY]
By William Weir, Courant Staff Writer
MIDDLETOWN - Zachary Strassburger came
to Wesleyan University looking
forward to the camaraderie of life in a college dorm.
But there was a problem. Though
physically female, Strassburger
lives as a male. Under Wesleyan's policy, any roommate assigned to
Strassburger would have to be female. Housing officials offered
Strassburger the alternative of a single room. Reluctantly,
Strassburger
took the offer.
"I wanted the experience of having
a roommate and I'm sad that I
didn't," said Strassburger, whose name was legally changed to Zachary
last
fall. Strassburger would not reveal her birth name.
Starting in September, students such as
Strassburger won't have to
make such a choice.
Transgender freshman will have the
option of living in a
"gender-blind" hall - one floor of a dormitory for students who
don't want
to be categorized as one gender or another. The new mission statement
says
freshmen who choose to live in the gender-blind area "will be assigned
a
roommate without the consideration of gender."
University officials say they believe
the hall is the first of its kind in the nation.
The move, they say, came at the urging
of students who feel the
university needed to do more to accommodate the living needs of transgender students.
Mike Whaley, dean of student services,
estimates there are 12 to 15
transgender students on campus. Capacity of the gender-blind hall was
kept
to 12 because there's no way to tell how many students are going to opt for it.
The hall will be on the first floor of
one of the Foss Hill residence
complex buildings. It will consist of two single rooms and five
"doubles" -
a single unit with two rooms. The bathrooms will be unisex.
When the idea was brought to
administrators, Whaley said, he and
other university officials welcomed it as a solution to a tricky matter.
Other universities have been grappling with the issue in the last few years.
"I think people were beginning to
become aware of it 10 years ago,"
he said. "In the last three to five years it has been showing up
in
practical terms."
Selina Ellis, one of the students who
campaigned for the new housing,
said she was surprised by how open administrators were to the idea.
"We figured that this would be too
much for them to handle but they
were really eager to understand and meet the needs of transgender students
on campus," she said.
"Transgender" is an umbrella
term, said Whaley, who serves as
co-chairman to the gay and lesbian student group on campus. The term
could
apply to people born with ambiguous genitalia or to people who don't
identify with their physical sex. Whaley said he doesn't believe any
students on campus have undergone surgical alteration of their sex.
The gender-blind housing was partly the
result of a recent amendment
to the university's nondiscrimination policy, which now includes the terms
"gender identity and gender expression."
In many ways, Whaley said, the
gender-blind floor isn't much
different from other living options that Wesleyan has offered incoming
students. For instance there's a "substance-free" area in
one of the
residence halls.
"It's just another one of the
different living options that we offer
for first-year students," he said.
In considering the new housing,
students and officials discussed the
possibly of heterosexual students looking to pair up with someone of the
opposite sex. Emily Polak, co-chairwoman of the student life
committee,
said she expects students will honor the spirit of the hall.
"You have to sign an agreement and
the language really kind of deters
anyone who wants to do that," she said.
Wesleyan has offered coed rooms since
1995, but never to freshmen. A
few other universities offer coed rooms, but few, if any, offer them to
first-year students.
Students and officials at Wesleyan say
the term "coed" oversimplifies
the purpose of the gender-blind hall.
"We don't really use the word
'coed,' because 'coed' implies one of
two genders and a lot of people don't identify with either gender,"
Strassburger said.
The new housing
is "ideal for students whose gender identification
and/or gender expression varies from the standard paradigm and for students
who believe that their gender should not factor into the decision of whom to
live with," the mission statement says.
Peter LaBarbera of the Culture and
Family Institute, a conservative
group, called the new housing a case of "politically correct
anarchy" that
would ultimately draw more students into "gender confusion."
"I'm sure other students will try
to imitate it," he said, adding
that he expects to see similar policies on other campuses. "They
will
imitate it, and it will be all the rage on campuses."
A famously liberal school, Wesleyan has
garnered publicity in recent
years for a course on pornography, a "queer prom" and rumors of a
"naked
dorm." Often, the publicity has been accompanied by criticism
from the
general public or alumni. Wesleyan spokesman Justin Harmon said he
doesn't
expect that kind of fallout in this case.
"I think if people understand the
issues and the needs of the folks
we're trying to help, I don't think there's much to react to," he said.
Strassburger won't be living in the
hall next semester, but is glad
that other students will have more of a choice when it comes to housing.
At
least one transgender freshman has already signed up for it, Strassburger said.
Having always felt like a male,
Strassburger said living in a female
room wasn't an option.
"I know that I would be really
uncomfortable and I think the people I
was living with would feel really weird about it."
#19
Associated Press, May 18, 2003
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/news/05182003_nw_stjoes.html
PROTESTERS LEAVE SANTORUM SPEECH
DEMONSTRATIONS AT ST. JOE'S GRADUATION
PHILADELPHIA - About 100 graduates
walked out of Saint Joseph
University's com