Higher Education LGBT
Articles Digest #144
1. CAVALIER DAILY (University of
Virginia) Columnist talks herself into being OK with gay fraternities: Queer
eye for the frat guy
2. ARIZONA DAILY WILDCAT (University of Arizona)
Logic-challenged opinion: How to solve the gay employee benefit problem
3. MICHIGAN DAILY (University of Michigan) "How to
be gay" class draws ire again in its 3rd term
4. REUTERS HEALTH A British researcher at Brunel University
says many young gay British men are flouting safe sex and trying to catch
HIV/AIDS in their search for identity
5. THE DAILY COLLEGIAN (Penn State University) Penn
State is reviewing their current policies regarding benefits for partners of
its gay and lesbian faculty members
6. NORTH TEXAS DAILY (University of North Texas) New group
(GLBT) formed for - and I quote - "alternative lifestyles"
7. MICHIGAN DAILY (University of Michigan) Michigan Student
Assembly passes a resolution supporting the University's "academic
freedom in light of controversy over the English course "How to be
Gay"
8. DAILY NEBRASKAN (University of Nebraska) GLBT, campus
communities restore vandalized bulletin board
9. DAILY NEBRASKAN New LGBTA center director, D. Moritz,
vocalizes GLBT community through education
10. HATTIESBURG AMERICAN (Mississippi) Spawn of Phelps
Klan to protest University of Southern Mississippi's support of homosexual
organizations on campus
11. CAVALIER DAILY (University of Virginia) New group reaches
out to gay Greeks: Greek Men's Club offers 'space and place' for gay
fraternity men to meet, find support from peers, administrators
12. CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION The U.S. Senate on
Wednesday rejected proposed changes to a student-aid formula that would have
made thousands of students ineligible for federal assistance. The vote was
on an amendment to a spending bill, which will have to be reconciled with
legislation in the House of Representative before becoming law.
13. CHARLESTON POST & COURIER (South Carolina)
Unhappy with talk among faculty at the College of Charleston about creating
a minor in gay and lesbian studies, a state rep. turns on the blackmail by
saying that such a program could "jeopardize the school's funding"
14. ASSOCIATED PRESS San Francisco: Federal appeals
court rules that a gay doctor discharged from the U.S. Air Force may not
have to pay back $71,500 to the government for his medical education
15. BROWN DAILY HERALD (Brown University) Student leaders
call weekend assault a 'hate crime'
16. BROWN DAILY HERALD Editorial about hate crime: A
universal threat
17. BROWN DAILY HERALD Department of Public Safety trying to
reconstruct Saturday assault
18. MICHIGAN DAILY (University of Michigan) Viewpoint column
by Joe Kort: Gay initiation classes provide vital message
19. INDIANAPOLIS STAR Anti-gay comments spark debate at
Indiana University; Economics professor says on school Web site that gays
and lesbians aren't suited for certain jobs
20. GAY.COM / PLANETOUT The Point Foundation awarded 10
college students $132,000 in scholarships "as an investment in a better
world for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people."
21. OTAGO DAILY TIMES (New Zealand) University of Otago
researchers took a foray into the slang of popular youth culture and find
that gay is the new naff [Oxford English Dictionary: unfashionable, vulgar;
lacking in style, inept; worthless, faulty] and queer is the new gay. [In
other words, the term "that's so gay" has turned up in youth
culture as far away as the South Pacific.]
22. CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION A Queer Notion of
History: Research on gay and lesbian life makes its mark
#1
Cavalier Daily, September 8, 2003
University of Virginia, Newcomb Hall, Charlottesville, VA, 22901
(E-Mail: cavdaily@cavalierdaily.com )
QUEER EYE FOR THE FRAT GUY [AT UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA]
By Kimberly Liu, Cavalier Daily Columnist
When I found out the members of
the University were aiming to create
a "gay frat," my gut reaction wasn't good. Another minority
group
segregating themselves through the fraternity system is exactly what we
don't need. But further consideration reminds me that I fell into the
common fallacy that corrupts our idea of racial and sexual minorities: that
they are parallel. The distinction between the two is what legitimizes
the
formation of a fraternity aimed at homosexual interests and not racial ones.
Gays and Asian-Americans, for
example, share many characteristics.
Both are numeric minorities. Consequently both have faced prejudice
based
on their differences. Racial and sexual distinctions are both
indelible,
innate qualities rather than personal decisions. And then there comes
a
significant point of departure. Racial groups are distinguished only
by an
aesthetic quality: skin color. In contrast, gays and lesbians share a
common interest, though still an inherent attribute that distinguishes them
from the majority: attraction to members of the same sex. This
distinction
is a valid point to rally around.
In an ideal world, we would all
be colorblind. Making racial, not
to be confused with cultural, distinctions benefits no one and is the most
basic root of discrimination. But making people absolutely blind to
sexual
preferences is not only implausible, even in utopian terms, but irrational.
It is ignorant to say that our sexuality changes our humanity, but it is a
valid and significant part of our identities.
"Out on Rugby"
President Anthony Whitten said one reason for a gay
fraternity is to "create an environment where queer men could feel
comfortable within the Greek system." A system which
Whitten said can be
seen as "heterosexist." If the problem with mainstream
fraternities is
prejudice, then segregation of sexual identity is not the answer. That
simply is not acceptable. However, when it comes to a certain comfort
level, even an elimination of ignorance would justify the formation of a gay
fraternity.
Our sexuality is constantly a
factor in our everyday interactions
and for most is the driving force behind most social interactions.
"Out on
Rugby" proposes to become a social fraternity. This group is not
working
toward an all-gay a capella group or basketball team, which would be invalid
venues for segregating people by sexuality. The common interest
includes
relationships with people, which is relevant to sexual orientation.
Therefore in this particular realm, sexuality is a legitimate foundation to
build a group on.
It is not necessarily problematic
that gays do not feel completely
comfortable in a mainstream fraternity. Being gay should by no means
be a
bar to joining a fraternity due to feelings of discrimination.
Fraternities, after all, do have purposes that do not involve romantic
interests. In some instances, other personal attributes would surely
supersede sexual identity when it came to choosing where to pledge.
Whitten
points out that not all gay men will even want to be part of the group.
Being gay guarantees no absolute solidarity.
Unfortunately, Whitten's other
reason for wanting to form "Out on
Rugby" - to "diversify the Greek system" - isn't a likely
possibility.
Fraternities are nominal members of an umbrella organization, like the IFC,
but have limited interaction with each other. The only real way to
"diversify" the Greek system would involve intra-fraternal
heterogeneity.
Though Whitten wants to be open to straight men too, the chances of any
joining are probably slim. "Out on Rugby" could draw
straight men and women
to larger functions, but again a dissimilar stance on a significant interest
could deter many. For example, girls out looking for romantic interest
probably don't want to party with guys with whom they stand no chance.
But
then again, perhaps, "Out on Rugby" will call to women and
straight men who
want to party in a desexualized environment.
Despite the possible
counterfactuals, "Out on Rugby" is valid for
its service to the gay community alone. The choice of a fraternity
even is
superior to that of a CIO because it treats homosexuality as merely social
difference rather than a political stance. It is not in ignoring
difference, as we should with race, but in recognizing the nature and
limited scope of that particular difference, that will end prejudice of
sexual orientation.
. Kimberly Liu's column normally
appears Mondays in The Cavalier
Daily. She can be reached at kliu@cavalierdaily.com.
#2
Arizona Daily Wildcat, September 8, 2003
University of Arizona
Arizona Student Media, 1230 N. Park Ave. Ste. 201, Tucson, AZ 85721
(E-Mail: editor@wildcat.arizona.edu ) ( http://wildcat.arizona.edu )
http://wildcat.arizona.edu/papers/97/10/03_3.html
OPINION: HOW TO SOLVE THE GAY EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PROBLEM [AT
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA]
By Chad Mills, Arizona Daily Wildcat
If two married people hate each
other, are seeing other people,
filing for a divorce and one works at the UA, the other is entitled to
benefits for which the government will bear most of the cost. Gay
partners
and other people who could be closer to UA employees cannot receive such
benefits.
There are many different value
structures held by UA employees, and
with them come many views of marriage and commitment. Many people view
marriage as a sacred vow between a man and a woman to spend the rest of
their lives together, and to them, it is offensive to even consider allowing
gay couples to receive the same benefits as other people. On the other
hand, homosexuals explain that they are humans too, and should be allowed to
have their commitment honored in the same way any straight person's would.
No matter what position the
government takes on this issue, it will
be wrong - it will sanction one particular view of commitment.
Recently, gay rights advocates
have been pushing for UA employee
benefits to include homosexual partners for reduced tuition, health, dental
and vision insurance, among others.
The problem is that this conflict
cannot be resolved by the
government, since people's rights to express their own beliefs and
convictions are being violated either way. Should the government say
that
the more traditional views about marriage are correct? Should the
government decide that marriage is equivalent to homosexual partnerships?
Of course not - to both questions. The government shouldn't be
granting
anyone benefits based on their belief structure.
This means that the government
should not endorse traditional or gay
partnerships. Leave these issues alone; they are not the proper
business of
the government.
Benefits are a supplement to
salaries. Currently, employees are
hired with a certain pay, then allowed to choose which benefits they want to
purchase. For a small price on their part, employees can have the
state pay
them more by buying health, dental, vision, life and disability insurances.
For example, UA employees must pay only $25 of a $258.22 premium to get an
HMO through CIGNA.
The state pays more to people who
wish to buy insurance than to
people who don't. Since some people may get their insurance through
their
spouse's company or other sources, employees with equal salaries are given
different compensation for their equally valuable time.
What's even worse is that those
who have children, are married and
wish to buy health insurance for their family receive a benefit that
unmarried employees without children have no opportunity to receive.
Again,
the state is endorsing values that should be left for individuals to decide.
To resolve this situation, give
employees their salary; then, allow
them to purchase all the insurance they want with their own money.
Though
this seems like it would actually cost UA employees more money, quite the
opposite is true. Instead of the uncertainty that comes with employees
always being able to change the amount of compensation they receive, the UA
could pay people more and never worry about increasing costs.
Since there wouldn't be a
government contribution, anyone who the
employee wished to pay for could receive benefits.
This would allow a wide variety
of options not currently available.
Employees could shop around and try to find insurance programs that best
suit their needs, without worrying about the extra money the state would
have paid were a plan purchased there. Instead of worrying about
whether
homosexuals should be covered in a plan that the state is partially funding,
make the employees pay the whole thing and there won't be endorsement by the
state. If a UA employee does not particularly like the institution of
marriage but is deeply committed to another person, that employee could
purchase insurance for their partner. Close friends, other relatives
not in
the immediate family and any other person who the employee wanted to pay the
full cost of covering could be included, without any debate over whose
commitment is worthy of state sponsorship - and at no additional cost to the
taxpayer.
The question of benefits for gay
UA employees is really a non-issue.
Instead of imposing the values of whoever is making the decisions for the UA
at any one time, simply defer judgment, raise salaries and require the
employees to bear the full cost of their insurance decisions. That
provides
employees with more flexibility in choosing their insurance, allows people
to be compensated more fairly, and completely sidesteps the issue of whether
or not to endorse gay marriage and other forms of commitment that can only
result in problems.
#3
Michigan Daily, September 8, 2003
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
(E-Mail: daily.letters@umich.edu )
( http://www.michigandaily.com )
http://www.michigandaily.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/09/08/3f5bfd7127e1e
"HOW TO BE GAY" CLASS [UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN] DRAWS IRE IN
3RD TERM
By Abike Martins, For the Daily
The University course titled
"How to be Gay: Male Homosexuality and
Initiation" continues to receive scrutiny in its third year at the
University. Since the course's inception, it has received criticism
from
conservatives who claim material taught in the class is morally
objectionable.
This year, the course is raising
eyebrows once again, including
those of state Rep. Jack Hoogendyk (R-Kalamazoo) and the American Family
Association. AFA President Gary Glenn said that attention would
continue to
rise because "as more people learn about it, more people get
upset."
Hoogendyk said taxpayer dollars
should not be used to teach a
lifestyle choice such as homosexuality. "There is a difference
between
studying a culture or lifestyle, but it is not the same as an indoctrination
class."
The class instructor, English
Prof. David Halperin, said the English
Department has been very supportive of the course and class enrollment has
increased every year since 2000.
He added that the criticism has
not influenced the manner in which
the course is taught.
"None of these politicians
have ever contacted me to find out
anything about the course, to ask for a copy of the syllabus, to find out
what I'm doing in it or what the theory behind it is," Halperin said.
The three-credit course, a
section of English 317, is billed on the
University's website as examining "the role that initiation plays in
the
formation of gay male identity."
It "examine(s) a number of
cultural artifacts and activities that
seem to play a prominent role in learning how to be gay: Hollywood movies,
grand opera, Broadway musicals, and other works of classical and popular
music, as well as camp, diva-worship, drag, muscle culture, taste, style,
and political activism."
"The complaint is that
taxpayer money should not go toward a course
which is deemed by most to be morally objectionable or to promote a
lifestyle that significantly raises one's chances of a shorter lifespan or
mental illness," said AFA's Glenn. He said college men who are
gay could
die up to 20 years younger than the average population.
Noting that the University has
one of the best English programs in
the state, Halperin said, "Taxpayers have good reason to pleased about
the
direction in which the English Department and the University have been
moving, and to think their money is being well spent."
Hoogendyk plans to meet with
University officials in hopes of
auditing some of the class sessions and viewing the syllabus.
"I have heard that (English
317: How to Be Gay) is not about how to
be gay and if I am incorrect in my assertions, I would be the first one to
say so," he said.
#4
Reuters Health, September 9, 2003
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=571&ncid=751&e=5&u=/nm/20030
909/hl_nm/health_sex_dc
GAY MEN FLOUTING SAFE SEX, [BRUNEL UNIVERSITY] RESEARCHER SAYS
By Jeremy Lovell
MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - A
British researcher said on Tuesday
many young gay British men were flouting safe sex and trying to catch
HIV/AIDS in their search for identity.
But Europe's biggest HIV and AIDS
charity dismissed the claim,
saying there was no evidence to support it and that it would only serve to
further demonize gay men.
Melissa Parker of Brunel
University said the booming gay sex pub,
club and sauna scene in London had been growing since the mid-1990s, with
unprotected sex with multiple partners the rule.
Catching the AIDS precursor HIV
was not just a risk, it was a goal,
she told reporters at the annual meeting of the British Association for the
Advancement of Science.
"Being diagnosed with HIV is
a badge of recognition of being truly
gay," she said. "There is a sizeable number of young gay men
new to the gay
scene, exploring their sexuality but wanting to belong. HIV is seen as
a
bonus."
The combinations of therapies now
available for people with HIV
might even have exacerbated the problem.
"They have made HIV less
frightening," Parker said.
Admitting she had no figures to
support her claim, Parker said her
research consisted of several years of interviews with a large number of
sexually active gay men.
But Will Nutland, head of gay
men's health promotion at the Terrence
Higgins Trust, said the research was unreliable.
"Her assumptions will only
serve to further demonize gay men," he
said.
"Her comment that
unprotected sex with multiple partners is the rule
rather than the exception is not backed up by evidence," he said.
"On-going
surveys of gay men's sexual behavior since 1997 show that most men use
condoms most of the time with most of their partners."
He said that while levels of
unprotected sex have increased, gay men
still viewed HIV as a serious medical condition.
The Terrence Higgins Trust, named
after one of the first people to
die of AIDS in Britain, is the leading HIV and AIDS charity in the UK and
the largest in Europe.
#5
The Daily Collegian, September 9, 2003
Penn State University, 123 S. Burrowes St., University Park, Pa. 16801-3882.
(E-Mail: letters@psu.edu ) ( http://www.collegian.psu.edu/ )
http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2003/09/09-09-03tdc/09-09-03dnews-01.asp
PENN STATE UNIVERSITY REVIEWS SAME-SEX BENEFITS
By Meghan Gaffney, Collegian Staff Writer
In the wake of a recent Supreme
Court ruling, Penn State is
reviewing their current policies regarding benefits for partners of its gay
and lesbian faculty members.
Some people have raised questions
about the adoption of full
domestic partner benefits because of the court's controversial decision in
Lawrence v. Texas, which ruled that members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender (LGBT) community are allowed to be intimate in the privacy
of their own homes.
The ruling has excited many LBGT
groups and given them confidence to
make progress in other areas, like adoption of domestic partner benefits.
At Penn State, an Employee
Assistance Fund, established last fall,
provides financial assistance to full-time faculty and staff members in a
time of crisis.
The fund may also be extended to
provide assistance for same-sex
couples.
Billie Willits, associate vice
president for the Office of Human
Resources, said efforts to modify Penn State's benefits policy have been
steady.
Willits, who administers the
private fund, said the university is
working with other institutions and state legislators to change the policy.
She said faculty and staff continue to be supportive of the addition, and
that President Graham Spanier is a "very strong advocate."
Spanier could not be
reached for comment.
However, Terrell Jones, vice
provost of educational equity, said he
is unaware of current moves to change the university's policy and thinks
recent budget cuts may slow attempts to implement domestic partner benefits.
"Certainly we are
supportive," Jones said. "But we'd also like to
see us get a budget."
The question of domestic partner
benefits is currently important to
Penn State because of the university's ongoing pursuit to form an LGBT
minor.
Sara Ryan, co-president of
Allies, is working to establish the LGBT
minor. She is concerned that Penn State will not be able to bring in
some
high-quality faculty members to the university without the ability to grant
them benefits.
"The emergency [Employee]
Assistance Fund is a temporary fix for a
big problem," Ryan said. "In order to have an LGBT minor, we
need faculty
members to teach it."
Ryan said Penn State has lost
LGBT faculty members to other Big Ten
universities who have benefits programs in place.
The University of Iowa and the
University of Minnesota were among
the first to have them, while the University of Indiana is the most recent
addition to the list of universities with established programs.
#6
North Texas Daily, September 9, 2003
University of North Texas
P.O. Box 311277, Denton, Texas 76203
( http://www.ntdaily.com )
http://www.ntdaily.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/09/09/3f5d6536980a5
NEW GROUP FORMED FOR ALTERNATIVE LIFESTYLES [AT UNIVERSITY OF NORTH
TEXAS]
By Crystal Brown, Staff Writer
In a world of prejudice and
discrimination, like minds have pulled
together to create a safe forum for NT students to speak up on issues
affecting the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender community.
Sponsored by the Student
Methodist Center, Blue Haven held a casual
introductory meeting Monday night. The new campus organization is open
to
students regardless of their sexual orientation or connection with the GLBT
community.
NT junior Michael Stratton led
the meeting along with SMC music
director Trevor Shaw who will act as a liaison between Stratton and the
church.
"We are an open-minded
community that respects all kinds of people,
walks of life and lifestyles," Stratton said in a letter to the NT
Daily.
Shaw brought the idea for Blue
Haven to Denton after attending a
conference in Chicago two summers ago where he was exposed to the effects
GLBT groups and how campus ministries had reaching an "incredible"
number of
people when they worked together in the community.
"A lot of that community
does not feel welcome in church," Shaw
said. "Religion doesn't have a place for them. I don't
think that's fair."
Stratton became involved after
receiving an informative e-mail about
the group from the campus Division of Equity and Diversity. He then
worked
with Shaw to found the group.
"Being a young gay man I
think it is important campus ministry
reaches out to an overlooked community," Stratton said. Two NT
students
joined Stratton for the first meeting. The small turnout did not
discourage
Stratton from making his vision of Blue Haven reality.
While the group's main objective
is to discuss spirituality in the
GLBT community, Stratton said, the discussion will not always include God.
However, discussion will always focus on the GLBT community and topics
relating to campus events, court decisions and other current issues.
His projected outline for
meetings throughout the semester include
speakers from a variety of religious organizations both on and off campus
that would participate in open discussions with Blue Haven.
"Come with an open mind,
listen and discuss," Stratton said as words
of encouragement to increase attendance at the next meeting.
Jess Boss, NT senior, attended
the first meeting of Blue Haven and
responded positively to the idea.
"I really love the concept
of this group," Boss said. "It's
something people are afraid to talk about." The United Methodist
Church was
the focus of scrutiny in the past when several reverends officiated marriage
ceremonies between same-sex couples. Shaw said the United Methodist
Church
is fighting on a national level about the inclusion of the GLBT community.
"This is to help stop our
generation from the alienation of
fundamentalism," Shaw said. Blue Haven meets Monday nights at 9
p.m. at the
United Methodist Center on the corner of Avenue B and Maple Street.
#7
Michigan Daily, September 10, 2003
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
(E-Mail: daily.letters@umich.edu )
( http://www.michigandaily.com )
http://www.michigandaily.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/09/10/3f5eb42be6677
MICHIGAN STUDENT ASSEMBLY DEFENDS 'U' AUTONOMY AGAINST CRITICS OF 'GAY'
CLASS
By Andrew Kaplan, Daily Staff Reporter
Following a trail of controversy
over the University English course
"How to be Gay," the Michigan Student Assembly passed a resolution
last
night supporting the University's "academic freedom" in deciding
its
curriculum.
The resolution, which passed
without dissent, runs afoul of remarks
made by state Rep. Jack Hoogendyk (R-Kalamazoo), who has said the course
imposes ideology on students.
In addition to supporting the
academic validity of 60 courses
Hoogendyk has called into question - including the English 317 section - the
resolution also opposed the lawmaker's oversight bill, which would withhold
public funding from state universities that failed to comply with a
curriculum review system.
"We shouldn't be controlled
on what we're learning about and what is
or what isn't sufficient knowledge," MSA President Angela Galardi said.
"If
the enrollment is constant, then someone is obviously getting something out
of this course."
Although advocates of the
resolution had originally slated it for a
later vote, they said an upcoming conference of the Association of Michigan
Universities - which assembly representatives will attend - convinced them
to move the vote forward.
"I sent (the resolution) out
early because it's an issue that
students need to know about and I want to give people enough time to ask
questions," said Rules and Elections Committee Chair Pierce Beckham,
who
sponsored the bill. "I moved it because I heard state politicians
would be
at the AMU conference. ... MSA students needed to take a stand before
then."
Section 002 of English 317,
titled "How to be Gay: Male
Homosexuality and Initiation," discusses "the general topic of the
role that
initiation plays in the formation of gay male identity," according to
the
LSA website. The class also "examine(s) a number of cultural
artifacts and
activities that seem to play a prominent role in learning how to be
gay,"
but does not offer students an "introduction to gay male culture,"
the
website states.
On passing the resolution, MSA
agreed to send letters to state
politicians "expressing its stance on this issue."
Among other unopposed
resolutions, funding for the 2004 Association
of Big Ten Schools conference also gained assembly approval.
After months of planning, MSA
will hold a vigil to honor the victims
of September 11th. The ceremony will take place on the Diag tomorrow
at 8
p.m.
#8
Daily Nebraskan, September 10, 2003
P.O. Box 88044, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0448
(Fax: 402-472-1761) (E-Mail: dn@unl.edu )
( http://www.dailynebraskan.com )
http://www.dailynebraskan.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/09/10/3f5eab647cdbe
GLBT, campus communities restore bulletin board
By Amber Brozek, DN Staff Writer
Barbara DiBernard is a lesbian.
The University of
Nebraska-Lincoln professor of English is "out,"
and she says she's proud of her sexuality.
But last March, DiBernard's pride
and sense of security faltered for
the first time. She felt spooked by what she and others called a hate
crime
in Andrews Hall.
A bulletin board on the third
floor of Andrews - titled "GLBT and
Women's Studies Info and Events" - was stripped completely of its
once-colorful posters, announcements and events concerning the women's, gay,
lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities.
DiBernard and colleagues fixed
the display board.
But in May, the board was
vandalized again. And again in July.
After three instances of crime,
the GLBT and women's communities
have found a way to fight back.
On Tuesday, from 2 to 3 p.m.,
students came to the third floor of
Andrews and replenished the bulletin board for what they hope is the last
time.
Students hung posters and fliers
on safe sex, the women's studies
program, informational events, issues, Ally cards and even artwork on the
large board, which is now hanging on the west side of the building.
"We lost a lot of
stuff," DiBernard said of last spring's
vandalisms. "And the point of the party is to bring visibility to
campus to
let people know we are still here."
Kris Gandara, a second-year
graduate student studying English, said
she felt directly connected to what's happened in Andrews Hall over the past
six months.
"Coming together for this
event affirmed our right to be here,"
Gandara said Tuesday. "It created a sense that by affirming this
right, we
were bringing more hate to our attention."
Added Gandara: "We now have
the best bulletin board."
Michael Whelan, president of
SPECTRUM, the GLBT alliance and Ally,
said the vandalizing of the bulletin board created new levels of prejudice
and discrimination that occur on campus.
But he said there always would be
people who disagree with resources
publicly being provided to others - such as those on the bulletin board.
DiBernard remembers the
vandalisms clearly.
After police were called, she
said, officers came to Andrews Hall
searching for the papers they suspected might have been tossed in the trash
after being removed from the bulletin board.
Nothing was found.
"(The papers) were just
gone," DiBernard said.
After the next two vandalisms,
police officers came again, but found
nothing.
"No other bulletin boards
were touched in Andrews," DiBernard said.
She believes the crimes have left
the GLBT community fearful and
anxious.
"It affects the atmosphere
and feeling of campus," she said.
DiBernard said she advises any
student who experiences any hate
crimes or vandalism to report it immediately.
She also said there are many
resources on campus students could take
advantage of.
"Talk to people who are
supportive," DiBernard said. "It doesn't
even mean you have to be 'out.'"
#9
Daily Nebraskan, September 10, 2003
P.O. Box 88044, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0448
(Fax: 402-472-1761) (E-Mail: dn@unl.edu )
( http://www.dailynebraskan.com )
http://www.dailynebraskan.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/09/10/3f5eacd048acf
[UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-LINCOLN LGBTA ASSISTANT] DIRECTOR VOCALIZES GLBT
COMMUNITY THROUGH EDUCATION
By Amber Brozek, DN Staff Writer
D. Moritz said if the University
of Nebraska-Lincoln campus stopped
using the word "gay" in a derogatory manner, it would be a vast
improvement.
Moritz said she could only hope
for such a change, but she still
remains optimistic for the future she continues to try to mold.
Moritz, UNL's new assistant
director for gay, lesbian, bisexual,
transgender and Ally programs and services, said with the start of her first
full semester, there seems to be many issues that need to be addressed to
improve the climate for GBLT students and faculty.
Last year's campus climate
survey, showed UNL to be "silent on GLBT
issues."
"The campus survey serves as
a springboard for what I want to do
this semester," Moritz said. "With that piece of
information, my main focus
for the year will be to create more visibility on campus."
But it will be difficult to
address GLBT students because these
students are sometimes "invisible," she said.
"GLBT students do not look
any different from other students. You
can't tell they are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, and oftentimes
many students do not self-identify with it because of the fear of how they
would be treated if it was known," Moritz said.
Moritz began her mission early
this semester during half-day
training workshops with resident assistants. During the workshops, she
instructed the assistants on the needs of GLBT students.
"It's important for them to
know how they are to welcome GLBT
students," she said. "It ensures a safe campus for them and
ensures that
they are being treated with respect and dignity."
Throughout the semester, Moritz
said she hoped to continue the
workshops for faculty, staff and student organizations that want to learn
more about GLBT affairs.
But getting into her position has
been difficult.
Moritz began her position last
January, and was hired to work part
time.
Beginning in the middle of a
school year was difficult, she said,
because most of her time since then has been spent meeting people and
building relationships around campus.
"I also wanted to get a
grasp for what my position looked like or
what I would be doing here," Moritz said. "I needed to build
a definition
for the job I wanted to fill."
Michael Whelan, president of
SPECTRUM, UNL's GLBT and Ally student
organization, said the climate worsened on campus after Moritz's hiring
because of public notice of the creation of the position.
"People found out that she
had been hired, and it created a lot of
hostility on campus," Whelan said. "People were upset the
position even
existed.
After the initial reactions,
though, Whelan said he feels the
hostility has died down.
"There's still a lot of work
that needs to be done," he said. "A
lot of people have never met a GLBT person.
"They are either uninformed
or have never been exposed to it;
education is the key."
Many of these problems can be
solved by Moritz's position, he said.
"Just being there
helps," Whelan said.
But Moritz said some problems
involving the GLBT community couldn't
be solved.
"There is a fraction of
students who lack information on GLBT. GLBT
goes against their personal beliefs," she said. "These
individuals will
have to take a personal journey and step out of their comfort zone."
She said the individuals who need
the most education on GLBT issues
are the ones who are unwilling to come to the meetings and workshops.
"If we are going to live in
a climate where everyone feels valued,
we need to make decisions how to treat each other, regardless of how we feel
about each other," Moritz said.
Pat Tetreault, a member of UNL's
Committee for GLBT Concerns, helped
lobby for Moritz's position.
"The need was demonstrated
by the climate survey," Tetreault said.
"Actually having a physical, identifying person, with a physical title,
helps to create visibility of GLBT issues on campus."
Moritz said her position might
create some controversy on campus
because it is one of the first in the Midwest.
"But controversy is good; it
gets people talking, and they have to
have a conversation to do that," she said.
It also may help students who
know little about the GLBT community
understand being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender is "who they
are, not
what they do," she said.
Through her position, she hopes
she can get GLBT students to report
any incidents or assaults.
"It shows that UNL is
committed to creating a campus that is for
everyone, and this is a big step," said Ryan Fette, former president of
SPECTRUM.
"People need to value
diversity. It's something worth working for as
a community."
#10
Hattiesburg American, September 11, 2003
825 N. Main Street, Hattiesburg, MS, 39401
(Fax: 601-583-8244 ) ( http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com )
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/news/updates/926.html
ANTI-GAY GROUP PLANS PROTEST [PHELPS KLAN AT UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN
MISSISSIPPI]
Members of a Kansas church are
scheduled to be in Hattiesburg this
weekend to protest what members say is the University of Southern
Mississippi's support of homosexual organizations on campus.
"We want to make sure the
people at USM and the University of
Memphis don't live like the devil himself and to let them know that God does
not love everyone," said Shirley Phelps-Roper, an attorney and member
of the
Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan.
USM hosts Memphis at M.M. Roberts
Stadium.
Phelps-Roper and her clan have
spent the last 13 years traveling the
country protesting near areas that support gay and lesbian events and
organizations. She said about 15 members from her church will be near
USM
on Saturday picketing USM's support of a gay/straight alliance, an ALLIES
organization and a chapter of Amnesty International.
USM public relations director
Lisa S. Mader said the USM
administration was informed of the upcoming demonstration by the church's
pastor, the Rev. Fred Phelps, but quickly denied the groups direct access to
the USM campus.
Mader said USM officials informed
church leaders that a protest
could not occur on campus because the group lacked an on-campus sponsor and
the university would not have enough officers to monitor the protest due to
the more than 30,000 fans expected for the Saturday football game.
#11
Cavalier Daily, September 11, 2003
University of Virginia, Newcomb Hall, Charlottesville, VA, 22901
(E-Mail: cavdaily@cavalierdaily.com )
http://www.cavalierdaily.com/CVArticle.asp?ID=16652&pid=1039
NEW GROUP REACHES OUT TO GAY GREEKS [AT UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA]
Greek Men's Club offers 'space and place' for gay fraternity men to meet,
find support from peers, administrators
By Natasha Altamirano, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor
While a myriad of advertisements
and solicitations adorn bulletin
boards and columns across Grounds every day, flyers sporting the catchphrase
"Tired of Gay.com?" might have caught students' attention Tuesday.
These and other flyers
advertising the Greek Men's Club were posted
around Grounds and along Rugby Road Tuesday morning.
The club's purpose is to provide
"a space and a place" to foster
support for gay fraternity men, said Aaron Laushway, associate dean of
students and director of fraternity and sorority life.
"It is important because
these issues are not discussed openly in
general, and clearly not in many student organizations, including
fraternities and sororities," Laushway said. "In a
fraternity, which
emphasizes brotherhood, the atmosphere should always be one of support and
acceptance."
Club Chair Matt Maring, a
fourth-year Commerce student and member of
Delta Upsilon, proposed the idea of a support group to Laushway early this
semester.
"He approached me seeking
the support of the Office" of Fraternity
and Sorority Life, Laushway said. "I am happy to accept [the
proposal] and
support the group wholeheartedly."
The club is open to the members
of all fraternities, including
Inter-Fraternity Council, Black Fraternal Council and Multicultural Greek
Council fraternities, Maring said. IFC President Ryan Ewalt said the
IFC
cares about the group's concerns, noting he had visited one of the group's
meetings in the past.
In the two days the flyers have
been posted, they have generated
responses via the confidential e-mail account GreekMensClub@hotmail.com,
Maring said.
He pointed out that the club has
no affiliation with "Out on Rugby,"
the interest group exploring the possibility of starting a gay fraternity.
In addition to being a support
group for bisexual, homosexual and
questioning fraternity members, the club aims to provide an outlet for those
who are not openly gay, Maring said.
"I believe that there are
non-heterosexual guys in the Greek
system," he said. "I personally don't know anyone else who
is [openly gay]
in a fraternity and I thought that was a problem."
The Web site on the flyers,
Gay.com, is an anonymous online chat
community that includes a Charlottesville chat room, Maring said.
"A lot of closeted people go
there to meet other gays in the
Charlottesville area," he said. "What I'm trying to do is
provide a place
where [fraternity members] can get offline and go into the real world and
start dealing with these issues instead of hiding behind a computer."
Although in the past there have
been openly gay fraternity men, the
predominantly heterosexual fraternity system is not an open environment for
gay men to reveal their sexual orientation, Maring said.
Laushway said, however, that
there have been openly gay fraternity
members.
"There have been openly gay
men in [Inter-Fraternity Council]
fraternities who had the acceptance and support of their brothers, and were
not only active members but [in some cases] officers," Laushway said.
"In
the last few years, two gay men have been presidents of their
fraternities."
A similar informal group,
including both fraternity and sorority
members, existed two years ago but dissipated as its members graduated and
left the University, Laushway said.
Although the Greek Men's Club
currently is aimed toward fraternity
members, Maring said club members plan to discuss involving sorority
members.
"I would fully support a
similar effort among sorority women, but I
have not been approached," Laushway said.
The club has planned an initial
meeting, though for confidentiality
purposes the meeting time and place are undisclosed to the general public.
Those interested in attending can obtain information via e-mail, Maring
said.
#12
Chronicle of Higher Education
Thursday, September 11, 2003
http://chronicle.com/prm/daily/2003/09/2003091101n.htm
U.S. SENATE REJECTS CHANGES IN FEDERAL STUDENT-AID FORMULA
By Will Potter, in Washington, DC
The U.S. Senate on Wednesday rejected proposed changes to a student-aid
formula that would have made thousands of students ineligible for federal
assistance.
Lawmakers approved an amendment, tacked on to an annual spending bill, that
prohibits the Bush administration from changing the formula the federal
government uses to calculate a student's need for financial aid. Budget
officials at the Education Department have estimated that 84,000 students
would lose their eligibility for Pell Grants in the 2004-5 academic year if
the change, announced in May, went into effect.
The vote on the amendment was 50 to 45, with several Republicans voting with
Democrats to reject the administration's policy. The measure will have to
survive negotiations with the House of Representatives to become law.
Education Department leaders initially had said that the formula change -- a
routine update that had not been done in a decade -- would have only "a
minimal impact on a handful of students."
Sen. Jon Corzine, a New Jersey Democrat who proposed the amendment, said the
problem stemmed from the department's decision to lower the amount of state
and local taxes that families could deduct in the federal need-analysis
formula. As a result, many families would appear to have more money
available to pay college costs than they really did, and would seem less
qualified for federal aid.
"The changes proposed by the Department of Education would give
American families less credit for paying taxes when those taxes are going
up, and provide less financial aid to students when tuition costs are
skyrocketing," Mr. Corzine said in a prepared statement. "We need
to be providing more opportunity for students who want to further their
education, not less."
Mary Cunningham, legislative director of the United States Student
Association, called the Senate's approval of the amendment a "victory
for students."
"Students have called us about the department's change, and were
completely outraged that something like that could jeopardize their
financial aid," she said.
The amendment was attached to a $138-billion bill that would finance the
Departments of Education, Labor, and Health and Human Services in the 2004
fiscal year, which begins October 1.
The bill, along with the amendment blocking the changes to the eligibility
formula, next will go to a conference panel of senators and representatives.
Rep. George Miller of California, the senior Democrat on the House Committee
on Education and the Workforce, has said he hopes to stop the formula
changes, but it is unclear how much support he has from other
representatives.
#13
The Post & Courier, September 12, 2003
134 Columbus St., Charleston, SC, 29402
(Fax: 803-937-5579 ) (E-Mail: editor@postandcourier.com )
( http://www.postandcourier.com )
http://www.charleston.net/stories/091203/loc_12college.shtml
TALK OF COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON GAY, LESBIAN MINOR SQUELCHED
REP. ALTMAN WARNS COLLEGE'S PRESIDENT SCHOOL'S FUNDING COULD BE JEOPARDIZED
By Seanna Adcox of The Post and Courier Staff
Unhappy with talk among faculty
at the College of Charleston about
creating a minor in gay and lesbian studies, State Rep. John Graham Altman
III said Thursday that he warned college President Lee Higdon that such a
program could jeopardize the school's funding.
A day after Altman called Higdon
to complain, Higdon sent a letter
to the editor of The Post and Courier denying that the school ever seriously
considered such a move. Higdon could not be reached for comment
Thursday.
The speed with which Higdon
snuffed out the college's budding effort
to explore such a minor is drawing concern from faculty.
Altman said he called Higdon the
afternoon of Sept. 4, the day the
newspaper published a story about faculty pursuing the possible minor.
Altman said he made the call after talking about the story over lunch with a
half-dozen fellow legislators.
"The general feeling was
that the college was way off base," Altman
said Thursday. "That was an enormously inappropriate function for
a
taxpayer-supported college. So I called President Higdon and had a
thorough
chat."
The issue likely will arise
during a faculty senate meeting early
next month.
Decisions on academic offerings
should be made after an open debate
on their academic merits, not by "external political pressure,"
said
philosophy professor Larry Krasnoff.
"It is a matter of concern
on campus," said faculty senate secretary
Julia Eichelberger, an English professor. Existing policy gives
faculty the
"right to pursue and propose courses on areas of its choosing."
Meanwhile, many at the college
involved in preparing the proposal
stopped talking to the media this week.
Altman, R-Charleston, said he
received many phone calls from upset
college alumni. He said the possibility of a minor in gay and lesbian
studies could have undermined legislators' support for the state school.
"I think they would've had
problems with funding," Altman said. "We
as legislators have to guard the public purse. If college professors
want
to undertake social change, they're free to do it, but not on my nickel.
We're a conservative state."
School spokeswoman Virginia
Friedman said professors who discussed
their pursuit of such a minor were acting without Higdon's knowledge.
"These folks didn't share
their information with the president. How
can anyone have intimate knowledge of what professors are working on
professionally?" Friedman said. "The college has no
intention of moving in
that direction. The college is not weighing a minor. I can't
speculate as
to whether it ever will."
John Younger, who helped set up
Duke University's certificate
program in the "study of sexualities," said he came to the College
of
Charleston on May 13 to speak to a committee of professors researching a
possible minor at the school.
Younger and University of South
Carolina education professor James
Sears were guest speakers at the workshop; three College of Charleston deans
attended, he said.
This fall, Sears is hosting a
film series on gay, lesbian,
transgender and bisexual issues, titled "Southern Sexual
Identities," and is
teaching a course with a similar title at the College of Charleston.
The
Charleston-area resident is doing both without pay.
The films are part of a yearlong
film and lecture series on gay
issues. A press release from the coordinator of that series, Catherine
Evans, said they "complement a proposal for a new minor studies program
under development by the C of C faculty steering committee on LGTB (lesbian,
gay, transgender and bisexual) Studies."
Evans, also director of the
school Communications Museum, quickly
sent a follow-up e-mail saying the "committee has decided not to
mention the
proposed Lesbian/ Gay/Bisexual/Transgender minor in the newspaper since the
final proposal packet has not been finalized. They prefer to wait ...
before announcing it."
But Christine Hope, chairwoman of
the sociology and anthropology
department, said last week the faculty committee planned to develop the
minor this fall and present it to the school curriculum committee next
spring.
Students who plan to work with
high school or college students after
graduation might want to minor in gay and lesbian studies, though "we
really
see all our courses as broadening perspectives as much as practical
applications," she said last week.
Richard Nunan, chairman of the
philosophy and religious studies
department, said last week that he served on the committee researching the
possible minor. He will teach a philosophy course next semester titled
"gay
and lesbian rights," one he has taught twice before without
controversy, he
said.
The large student interest in
that course had prompted faculty to
offer more study in the subject, Hope said last week.
Robert Westerfelhaus, an
assistant professor in the communication
department, said Wednesday he was one of at least 50 people who attended the
May 13 workshop. A campus-wide e-mail invited all faculty to attend,
he
said.
But in a letter to the editor in
last Saturday's Post and Courier,
Higdon and college Provost Elise Jorgens said the story that appeared two
days earlier, which noted the proposal was in its preliminary stages,
"left
an erroneous impression" of misinformation."
"The College of Charleston
has no minor in gay and lesbian studies,
and there is no such minor in any stage of formal review process, which is
quite extensive," Higdon and Jorgens wrote. Neither returned
messages for
further comment this week. Friedman said she did not know the process
behind how a minor gains approval.
Hope, Nunan and others who
previously spoke about the possible minor
declined to speak again, and they referred all questions to Friedman, who
said she did not know whether the professors' work on the proposal had
stopped.
Altman said he was sure it had.
The professors were
"shooting themselves in the foot by alienating
the community and legislators I talked to," he said.
In a letter to faculty last
Friday, and obtained by The Post and
Courier, Higdon wrote, "We cannot support a proposal for a minor in gay
and
lesbian studies because it is not, for a number of reasons, in the overall
best interest of the college."
On Wednesday, Krasnoff sent an
e-mail to all faculty asking the
faculty senate to support a resolution at its Oct. 7 meeting.
"Decisions about the content
of the curriculum, including decisions
about what majors and minors to offer, are to be made after full, free and
open deliberation of the academic merits of any proposals submitted to the
appropriate faculty committees and to the faculty Senate," the proposed
resolution states. "Such decisions are not to be determined by
external
political pressure, and especially not when that pressure is based on
intolerance or bigotry."
"It supports a quite basic
principle of academic institutions,"
Krasnoff said. He stressed he was not part of the committee exploring
the
minor and did not know whether he would have supported it.
"The issue is how can we
make a decision before the faculty sees a
proposal and discusses its merits?" he said. "The president
and provost
seem already to have made that decision." People's disapproval of
homosexuality, he said, "is not a valid basis for deciding what is and
is
not a legitimate field of academic study."
Younger, who left Duke in 2001 to
teach at University of Kansas,
keeps a Web site tracking gay programs at colleges nationwide. For
South
Carolina, it lists College of Charleston as "in the early stages of
planning
a LGBT curriculum."
"State-funded schools are
more wary of starting such programs,
regardless of where they are, simply because state legislatures are wary of
spending their money in issues of sexuality," he said. "The
Bible belt is
more problematic, but it's a contentious issue everywhere."
He knew of no other college in
the South pursuing a minor.
#14
Associated Press, September 12, 2003
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/6757900.htm
COURT REINSTATES GAY DOCTOR'S CASE AGAINST AIR FORCE
By David Kravets, Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO - A federal appeals
court on Friday ruled that a gay
doctor discharged from the U.S. Air Force may not have to pay $71,500 to the
government for his medical education.
John Hensala, 38, obtained free
medical school funding from the U.S.
Air Force in exchange for a promise to serve four years as a military
doctor. But when he was ordered to report for duty, he notified the
service
that he was gay and told authorities he would be living with his boyfriend
at Scott Air Force Base in Kansas, where he was to report in 1995.
The military discharged him under
the "don't ask, don't tell" policy
barring service from homosexuals, and demanded he return the $71,500 the
government spent on his education. Hensala sued, saying he didn't have
to
pay.
The service promised to pay for
his education if he fulfilled his
four-year obligation. But the deal also demanded that he pay for it if
he
did not fulfill the deal.
The case does not test the
military's ability to discharge
homosexuals. That policy has already been upheld by the San
Francisco-based
9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which said the discrimination was
justified to promote "unit cohesion" and military preparedness.
But Judge Sidney Thomas and Judge
Richard Paez of the 9th Circuit
announced Friday it may be discriminatory to require gays to pay back the
government for their education if they were forced from the service against
their will.
In dissent, Judge A. Wallace
Tashima said the Air Force, under its
so-called "recoupment policy," does not discriminate against gays.
The Air
Force, he said, routinely requires repayment for education expenses if the
benefactors do not honor the terms of their contracts, irrespective of a
service members' sexual orientation.
The majority ordered the case
returned to U.S. District Judge
William Alsup, possibly for a trial. In 2001, Alsup dismissed
Hensala's
suit against the Air Force before trial. Alsup said Hensala should be
required to pay back the government because he voluntarily came out as gay
and should have known the consequences of violating the military's
"don't
ask, don't tell" policy.
Hensala claimed he had no reason
to believe he would be
automatically discharged after his announcement, but did so to come out of
the closet. The Air Force contended Hensala announced he was gay
simply to
avoid active duty.
"Making him pay is adding
insult to injury. It's a further penalty.
He wants to serve but he cannot," said Hensala's attorney, Clyde J.
Wadsworth. "That's not a justified reason to discriminate against
a gay
service member."
Maj. Karen Finn, an Air Force
spokeswoman, said the military branch
was not immediately prepared to comment.
Tashima, meanwhile, believed
Hensala announced his homosexuality
solely to get out of the service and therefore should pay. In
addition,
Tashima said that, between 1994 and 2000, the Air Force sought repayment in
23 of 28 cases in which an Air Force medical doctor or medical student
announced they were gay. During that same time, he said, the Air Force
sought repayment in 274 of 277 cases in which a medical doctor or medical
student did not abide by their contracts.
The case is Hensala v. Air Force,
01-16791.
#15
Brown Daily Herald, September 11, 2003
Brown University, Box 2538, Providence, RI, 02906
(Fax: 401-351-9297 ) (E-Mail: Mailer on their web page )
( http://www.browndailyherald.com )
http://www.browndailyherald.com/stories.asp?storyID=1258
STUDENT LEADERS CALL WEEKEND ASSAULT [AT BROWN UNIVERSITY] A 'HATE CRIME'
Staff Reports
A Brown junior was knocked
unconscious during an assault Saturday
morning in what student leaders are terming a hate crime.
The student was attending an
off-campus party held by Brown students
when she became involved in an altercation in which homophobic remarks were
directed at the victim, friends of the victim said.
Friends said the fight lasted
about 20 minutes, at which time the
victim left the event and was followed by a male partygoer. When she
reached Charlesfield Street near Brook Street, the suspect came up behind
her, yelled a homophobic comment and struck her on the right side of the
face, according to a campus crime alert issued Monday by Brown's Department
of Public Safety.
Friends said she was knocked
unconscious and left in the middle of
the street. She eventually regained consciousness, returned to her
room and
called DPS.
Brown Emergency Medical Services
transported the victim to a local
hospital, where she was treated for eye and head injuries.
The victim described the suspect
as of "college age with a heavy
build, dark eyes, short dirty blonde or brown hair wearing a collared shirt
and khaki pants," DPS reported.
Some members of the Brown
community are mobilizing in support of the
victim.
At least 20 students wearing
T-shirts that read "hate crimes have
happened here" were scattered across campus Wednesday passing out
copies of
the DPS incident report.
"The University does not
provide us with any kind of meaningful news
source to distinguish hate crimes from other much smaller crimes that
occur," said Lindsay Mann '03.5, one of the students handing out the
report.
She described the students as
concerned with a lack of awareness
about the incident on campus.
Undergraduate Council of Students
President Rahim Kurji '05 opened
the Council's Wednesday night meeting with a moment of silence to reflect on
the assault.
Kurji said he was taken aback
that the incident took place within
the confines of such an otherwise accepting community.
"It's gut-wrenching to see
that even at a school that bases itself
on tolerance and diversity, that has taken so many steps forward, has just
taken a huge step backward," Kurji said.
Kurji urged UCS members to attend
a candlelight vigil planned for 10
p.m. Thursday on the steps of Faunce House. The vigil, he said, would
serve
as a time for reflection on both the two-year anniversary of Sept. 11 and on
the hate crime over the weekend.
The Queer Alliance will join the
candlelight vigil against hate in
general, said Advocacy Chair Dan Bassichis '06.
The group also plans to hold a
community gathering next week. In
the near future, the Queer Alliance will also sponsor self-defense training
and a poster campaign sharing personal accounts of other incidents of hate
crimes that have occurred on campus. He said students would continue
circulating the incident report around campus.
"Our role is to facilitate
queer organizing . to help as many people
as possible," Bassichis said.
#16
Brown Daily Herald, September 11, 2003
Brown University, Box 2538, Providence, RI, 02906
(Fax: 401-351-9297 ) (E-Mail: Mailer on their web page )
( http://www.browndailyherald.com )
http://www.browndailyherald.com/stories.asp?storyID=1272
EDITORIAL: A UNIVERSAL THREAT
Early last Saturday morning, a
hate crime in the form of a violent
assault occurred on the Brown campus.
A student was seriously injured
and an entire segment of the
community felt threatened.
Nearly a week later, word is
slowly spreading about the severity of
the assault, and the campus is beginning to mobilize. Significantly,
the
first steps taken toward healing were to correct damage done by the very
University organization whose mission it is to ensure our safety.
The Brown Department of Public
Safety is required by federal law to
disclose relevant details of major crimes that involve members of the
University community to the University community. The Monday incident
report failed in that responsibility.
The bland description of Saturday
morning's events, sent to every
student, faculty member and administrator, did little to differentiate a
truly heinous and hateful assault from the almost routine reports of
harassment of early-morning weekend revelers that provide fodder for jokes
in the Ratty the next day.
Those concerned for the victim of
a hate crime should not be saddled
with the additional burden of raising campus awareness about homophobia, an
issue many students dismiss as irrelevant at a supposedly gay-friendly
school like Brown. A more informative e-mail to the Brown community
from
DPS would have helped the victim and her supporters know they had a powerful
ally, instead of potentially feeling ignored by those who had sworn to
protect them. The cult of secrecy surrounding DPS needs to be broken
before
more members of the community are hurt.
It is a frightening thing to have
such a glaring example of hate in
the midst of the Brown community. This assault puts smaller incidents
-
like homophobic slurs on first-year whiteboards - in a starkly different
light. Hate is a powerful force, alive even in the middle of this
supposed
bastion of liberalism.
#17
Brown Daily Herald, September 12, 2003
Brown University, Box 2538, Providence, RI, 02906
(Fax: 401-351-9297 ) (E-Mail: Mailer on their web page )
( http://www.browndailyherald.com )
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY TRYING TO RECONSTRUCT SATURDAY ASSAULT
With Herald staff reports
Department of Public Safety
officers are interviewing eyewitnesses
and reconstructing the events of Saturday morning's assault against a Brown
junior, but so far no one has approached police with the identity of the
assailant, according to Vice President for Campus Life and Student Services
David Greene.
"One of the things I'm
pretty confident of is someone in this
community knows who did this," Greene said. "It's time for
somebody to come
forward."
The victim was followed home by a
college-aged male from a party
where she had been in a 20-minute altercation involving homophobic slurs
directed at her. As she walked down Charlesfield Street near Brook
Street,
the suspect yelled a homophobic comment and hit her on the right side of the
head, knocking her unconscious.
Some time later the victim woke
up in the middle of the street and
returned to her room, where she called DPS. She was taken to an area
hospital and treated for eye and head injuries.
Greene said the University's
first responsibility was to the victim,
and that she received support from Health Services this week.
The University began examining
the facts of the assault Sunday
evening, he said. DPS is taking the lead role in the investigation,
with
Captain Emil Fioravanti as supervising officer. Campus police sent out
a
campus crime alert Monday evening when enough facts were known, Greene said.
The students who held the party
where the initial dispute took place
could also face disciplinary action, he said.
"Organizations are
responsible for the events they organize," Greene
said. "They could be (responsible). It depends on what the
investigation
reveals."
Many students were dissatisfied
with the crime alert, which they say
failed to denote the seriousness of the assault.
"The University does not
provide us with any kind of meaningful news
source to distinguish hate crimes from other much smaller crimes that
occur," Lindsay Mann '03.5 told The Herald Wednesday. She and at
least 20
other students wearing T-shirts that read "hate crimes have happened
here"
passed out copies of the crime alert around campus Wednesday and Thursday.
Greene said he agreed that
Saturday's assault deserved extra
scrutiny because it highlights a campus-wide failure to address the wide
range of homophobia experienced by many LGBT members of the Brown community.
"This puts mundane
scribbling (of homophobic graffiti) on
whiteboards in a different light," Greene said.
Brenda Allen, director of
institutional diversity, said past
acceptance of minor acts of hate may have contributed to Saturday's attack
and the ensuing silence about the identity of the perpetrator.
"(Acceptance of smaller
acts) gives some kind of open invitation to
move along the continuum of violence," she said.
The offices of Campus Life and
Institutional Diversity plan to
educate the campus on where to report acts motivated by hate, Allen said.
Both administrators were present
at a candlelight vigil held
Thursday night in remembrance of Sept. 11, 2001, that was expanded to
include a Queer Alliance-sponsored vigil against hate.
"Campus Life will support
the Queer Alliance," Greene told The
Herald.
Also present was University
Chaplain Janet Cooper Nelson, who said
she would title her Sunday sermon "Hate Happens Here."
"There's a sense of fear and
a disheartened sense of Brown," Cooper
Nelson said. "Any bigotry that produced violence must be
repudiated in the
most strong way by an intellectual community."
Like Greene, she called on anyone
with information about the
identity of the suspect to come forward.
"Communities of secrecy that
are hiding violence are not humane
communities either," she said.
But she cautioned students
mobilizing in support of the victim not
to divide the campus into "good" and "bad" people.
"There's a danger for a
self-righteous tone to emerge from
activism," she said.
#18
Michigan Daily, September 11, 2003
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
(E-Mail: daily.letters@umich.edu )
( http://www.michigandaily.com )
http://www.michigandaily.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/09/11/3f5ffce8eb2ab
VIEWPOINT: GAY INITIATION CLASSES PROVIDE VITAL MESSAGE [AT UNIVERSITY
OF MICHIGAN]
by Joe Kort
For the past seven years, I've
taught a course at Wayne State
University for master's-level social workers on how to help their gay
clients learn to be comfortable about their orientation. This class
could
be in jeopardy, if some folks here in Michigan have their way.
Fuss over a course "How To
Be Gay: Male Homosexuality and
Initiation," scheduled this fall at the University of Michigan, seems
to be
voiced loudest by Gary Glenn, president of the Michigan affiliate of the
conservative American Family Association. Glenn wants "to stop
letting
homosexual activists use our tax dollars to subsidize this militant
political agenda" to promote "queer studies." His
agenda is to stop Prof.
David Halperin's class because he feels taxpayers shouldn't be "forced
to
pay for a class whose stated purpose is to 'experiment' with the
'initiation' of young men into self-destructive homosexual lifestyle."
Could my class have been
something he would have prevented? I teach
my master's-level students in the field of social work to
"initiate" gays
and lesbians into achieving healthy self-esteem and becoming positive,
hard-working, responsible people. Maybe Glenn overlooked my class
because
its title, "Social Work and Sexual Orientation," doesn't imply
that it
"initiates" anybody or help anyone do so - even though I do
exactly that!
What would be the public outrage
if Glenn and his AFA supporters
felt the same way about university courses that "initiate" women,
African
Americans, Jews and other minorities into understanding of their own
specific political and cultural heritage? Should tax dollars be
withheld
from courses that teach these individuals to achieve healthy identities?
On my first day of teaching my
sexual orientation course at WSU, I
reviewed the class's gay-affirmative syllabus, along with informing the
students that I am gay. An African American woman politely raised her
hand
and said, "I had no idea I had enrolled in a gay studies class."
She needed
credits and my class was the only one available to her, adding that her
Christian beliefs did not support homosexuality and that it is a sin.
But
this was her last term and if she wanted to graduate in June, she had to
stay in the course.
Some of the other class members
felt that because of her
homo-negative views, she shouldn't be allowed to stay. But she said
she
related to gays and lesbians because when she "came out" with her
Christian
beliefs on homosexuals, others discriminated against her, and she felt that
my class did not want her.
I assured her that I was open to
her difference of opinion. All I
expected from her was that she learn the gay affirmative stance I teach, to
help gays and lesbians overcome homophobia and heterosexism. In her
papers
and class discussions, she could show that she'd absorbed my input and could
certainly add her own disagreements along the way. I urged the class
to
take the same stance - which they did. Our agenda was to honor
everyone's
opinions and not enforce our own, much less make any one of us feel
"bad" or
"wrong."
Each week, she listened to my
lectures and our guest speakers. She
wrote two required papers on the "initiation" of gays and lesbians
into
healthy, well-adjusted, affirmative lives. Yes, her papers did include
her
biblical views and moral beliefs that disagreed with my teachings -
particularly that gays and lesbians can become well-adjusted. I, in
turn,
honored her opinions and judgments, which made sense to me because of the
way she was raised and what she'd been taught throughout her life.
I empathized with her difficulty.
Heterosexism - believing that a
heterosexual orientation is superior, romantically and sexually, to all
others - is hard to overcome. We're taught this erroneous belief from
early
childhood and its imprint remains unless we work hard to challenge it.
I didn't agree with her, but was
able to see her outlook from her
point of view. By the end of the semester, she demonstrated her full
understanding of many facets of "initiating" gays and lesbians.
She hadn't
altered her moral or religious beliefs and still felt that homosexuality was
a sin. But she did graduate (in both senses of the word) with a wider
understanding of what gay people must go through and said the course
"humanized her thinking of what gay people were like. She
admitted she'd
been horrified to learn that I was gay, surprised that I seemed so happy and
well-adjusted - and troubled that I'd become so comfortable with
"living in
sin."
I told her that she'd opened my
eyes, too. What must it be like, to
hold strong religious beliefs and not be able to express them freely,
without others' discrimination?
Again, I have no problem with her
beliefs, or anyone's, only with
what people do with their personal judgments. I told her I hoped that
as a
social worker, she'd never provide treatment for gays or lesbians because of
her negative judgments. How could she assist them and help them feel
good
about themselves, if she herself didn't approve of them? Much as she
tried
to help them, she would just be committing homophobia in her conviction that
they were sinners. Thankfully, she agreed!
If only those like Glenn and the
people in the AFA could realize the
acts of homophobia they are committing! It's one thing to disagree
over a
class that helps students adjust to being gay and dealing with those who
are. It's quite another to try and prevent anyone, academic or not,
from
offering information to those who want it and need it. Shouldn't
universities offer a class for people who take their righteousness and wield
it as a weapon against others? To my mind, that is the biggest sin of
all.
. Kort is an adjunct professor at
Wayne State University's School of
Social Work and is the author of"10 Smart Things Gay Men Can Do To
Improve
Their Lives." [He is online at joekort@joekort.com]
#19
Indianapolis Star, September 13, 2003
P. O. Box 145, Indianapolis, IN, 46206-0145
(Fax: 317-444-6800 ) ( http://www.indystar.com )
(Online Mailer: http://www.indystar.com/help/contact/letters.html )
http://www.indystar.com/print/articles/6/073929-9066-009.html
ANTI-GAY COMMENTS SPARK DEBATE AT INDIANA UNIVERSITY
ECONOMICS PROFESSOR SAYS ON SCHOOL WEB SITE GAYS, LESBIANS AREN'T SUITED FOR
CERTAIN JOBS
By Barb Berggoetz, barb.berggoetz@indystar.com
An Indiana University professor's
anti-gay statements on his IU Web
site are sparking a debate that pits freedom of speech against the
university's efforts to promote diversity and tolerance of gays.
The furor has divided the
Bloomington campus, prompting questions
about how public money is being used and whether IU needs more stringent
policies on Internet use.
On the site - supported by the IU
server and with an IU address -
Eric Rasmusen, an economics professor in the Kelley School of Business,
contends gays aren't suited for certain jobs, such as teaching, preaching
and elected posts, because these are "moral exemplars."
He also states that gay men
"are generally promiscuous" and are more
likely than heterosexuals to molest students.
Rasmusen said he keeps the site -
not so much for others to read,
but as a journal to record his thoughts.
"I think the reaction is
extreme because some university people do
not have much exposure to people of differing opinions," he said.
Bloomington Chancellor Sharon
Brehm said university officials have
reviewed the site and found it doesn't violate law or IU's Internet policy.
"It is very clear . . . it
is not in violation," Brehm said. "But
it doesn't mean one has to like it. I deplore it, but it is protected
speech."
The review hasn't appeased some
students, faculty and staff, who say
the site sends the wrong message about diversity at IU and could make gays
think they aren't welcome.
"A lot of people see it as a
personal attack to the GLBT community
at large," said Edyta Sitko, president of OUT, a student union for gay,
lesbian, bisexual and transgender students.
5 official complaints
More than 50 students, faculty
and staff have called or e-mailed
IU's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Student Support Services office
with objections about the site, coordinator Doug Bauder said. At least
five
official complaints have been lodged with IU's anti-harassment team.
Many complainants have urged the
university to implement stricter
controls, require each site to carry a disclaimer that the views aren't
those of IU or get rid of the personal sites altogether.
Rasmusen, an IU professor since
1992, said he was surprised by "all
the stir" and that the university was right to allow wide latitude for
conservative sites such as his, as well as more liberal ones. His site
also
includes comments on religion, the death penalty and Iraq.
He has some support on and off
campus.
While Professor David Daleke,
chairman of the Bloomington Faculty
Council, said he objected to some of Rasmusen's views, he said freedom of
expression is important at a university and, as long as no laws are
violated, people should be able to speak their minds.
John Krull, executive director of
the Indiana Civil Liberties Union,
agrees - even if it involves tax-supported Web sites. "The Klan
gets to use
the Statehouse steps if they ask," he noted.
Krull said IU can decide what
appears and what doesn't. "But it
seems to me suppressing speech is the antithesis of what a university is
supposed to be about."
New IU President Adam Herbert,
who has pledged to increase diversity
on campus, is staying out of the fray. In a statement issued this
week, he
said it's a campus issue being addressed by Brehm.
Brehm said it's a university-wide
issue, and she wants the
University Faculty Council to take up the discussion.
That response falls short for
some.
A group of about 50 students,
faculty and staff has called for
Herbert and Brehm to issue statements on how irresponsible speech can hurt a
learning environment. The group also is planning a prayer vigil, a
T-shirt
campaign and a protest, said Bauder, coordinator of the GLBT office.
On other campuses
IU's policy, which allows
students, faculty and staff to post any
material on personal Web pages so long as it isn't "a violation of law
or
university policy," is not unique among public institutions.
Purdue and Ball State
universities also have policies that allow
nearly all content - unless it violates university policies, libel,
copyright, privacy and other laws or is for a nonuniversity commercial use.
"We think it's a positive
thing to . . . let people express their
ideas and let other people react to them," said Joseph Bennett,
Purdue's
vice president for government relations.
But Joseph Losco, past president
of the Indiana chapter of the
American Association of University Professors, said there should be a middle
ground.
Losco, a Ball State professor,
said information or opinions related
to a professor's class, assignments or research should be protected.
But if
professors want to discuss political views and philosophies of life, that's
best done on a private Web page, he contends.
IU senior Dan O'Neill, who is
gay, agrees. "The university needs to
tell him to put it on another Web site," he said.
Lucy Dalglish, a First Amendment
expert and director of the
Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press in Washington, D.C., said
public universities can decide what to post. They can, for example,
allow
professors to sponsor only Web pages in their area of expertise.
But restrictions cannot be based
on Web site content, and what goes
for one group must apply to all, she said.
"They can't yank him (Rasmusen)
just because he offends somebody."
. Call Star reporter Barb
Berggoetz at 1-317-444-6294.
#20
Gay.com / PlanetOut Partners Network
September 10, 2003
http://www.planetout.com/pno/news/article.html?date=2003/09/10/3
SCHOLARS GET FIRST NATIONAL GLBT-SPECIFIC AWARD [FROM THE POINT FOUNDATION]
By Ahmar Mustikhan, Gay.com / PlanetOut Partners Network
A second batch of 10 American college students were awarded $132,000 in
scholarships "as an investment in a better world for gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people," the San Francisco-based Point
Foundation announced.
Point Scholars, as they are called, are chosen for leadership skills,
scholastic achievement, extracurricular activities, involvement in the LGBT
cause and financial need -- often because their families and institutions
have withheld support in response to their coming out.
"Our vision is simple: We nurture and help prepare lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender leaders to create more respectful and accepting
institutions for future generations," said Bruce Lindstrom in a
communication to Gay.com/PlanetOut Partners Network. Lindstrom, along with
life partner Carl Strickland, co-founded the Point Foundation in 2001.
The award is America's first scholarship fund for LGBT students and their
allies not tied to a region, corporation or educational institution.
Lindstrom added, "Because of stigma, discrimination or loss of family
support, their struggles are very real, and that is exactly where the Point
Foundation makes the critical difference. Without financial and mentoring
help for each, we are convinced their full potentials would have been
lost."
Point Scholars are academic stars representing diverse educational fields,
classes, gender and gender identities, sexual orientations and racial and
geographic backgrounds.
"Without the Point, I would have faced impossible debt following
graduate school -- a debt very likely to erase my dream of teaching, writing
and developing programs for gay and transgender young people," said new
Point Scholar Cris Beam. "With the Point Foundation, I can proudly be
myself -- an out lesbian writer and leader -- and can be rewarded for the
social work that I believe is critical."
Other Point Scholars cite career goals including civil rights attorney,
member of Congress, nonprofit executive director, scholar-activist and
high-level university administrator. The foundation also provides mentoring
and a network of contacts to promote both academic and professional success.
This year, seven undergraduate and three graduate students from colleges and
states across the nation received Point scholarships. Over the last two
years, 630 openly LGBT students have applied to become Point Scholars.
"The Foundation's number-one priority today is to grow our donor rolls,
so that the supply of scholarships meets the overwhelming demand and need of
LGBT students," said the foundation's executive director, Dr. Tim
Wilmot.
"Mostly they are out -- and, of course, very active in the LGBT
community. Some of them had been kicked out of their homes and
excommunicated from their families after coming out," Wilmot told the
Gay.com/PlanetOut Partners Network.
He explained the donors themselves had faced discrimination in the past, and
do not want to see it happen to younger LGBT people. "Our generous
community appears ready to support this work."
Wilmot said the Point Foundation was trying to emulate the example of the
United Negro College Fund for LGBT scholars, and said the Point Awards had
met with success at a time of an otherwise-treacherous funds squeeze.
The Point Foundation is a publicly supported nonprofit organization. Last
year, $125,000 in scholarships was awarded to eight scholars -- six of whom
are continuing their educations, and two of whom have graduated with highest
honors.
#21
Otago Daily Times, 9-September 2003
PO Box 181, Dunedin, New Zealand
(Fax: +64-3-477-1313) (Email: odt.editor@alliedpress.co.nz )
( http://www.odt.co.nz )
http://www.odt.co.nz/cgi-bin/getitem?date=09Sep2003&object=M4E05G4585NN&type
=html
TOOTH FAIRY WOULD SURELY HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY
By Joanna Norris
University of Otago boffins had a
gay old time recently when they
attempted to define a word with a slippery meaning.
The researchers took an unplanned
foray into the slang of popular
youth culture when attempting to find out why adolescents are reluctant to
take good care of their teeth.
Gay is the new naff and queer is
the new gay, it would seem.
During focus groups, researchers
heard Dunedin high school pupils
whispering that the research was "gay, gay, gay".
"This was confirmed in
whispered back talking heard on the
audiotapes in which participants quietly responded under their breath to
each discussion topic with the phrase `because it's just so gay'," the
research paper by the oral sciences and anthropology departments says.
"The way the young students
were using that word was intriguing,"
co-author Dr Ruth Fitzgerald said.
About 300 first-year anthropology
students were asked to define the
word and came to a general consensus it meant neither homosexual nor the now
almost obsolete merry, but "boring or pointless" and "with a
sense of the
slightly feminine about it".
One university student responded:
"Gay in this sense does mean
pointless, but with the overtones of laughability and patheticness . . .
Perhaps a study should be done on why cranky old people are annoyed at the
new lingo kids are always making up."
Nathan Brown, co-ordinator of
Otago University gay and lesbian
support service UniQ, said he was first aware of the new-new meaning of
"gay" in the late 1990s.
"It's a sore point in the
gay community that the meaning has changed
so dramatically.
"It's derived from
homophobic origins when it was perceived to be a
bad thing to be gay and that negative connotation is put on to something
people don't like," Mr Brown said.
Since the new meaning emerged,
however, it had diluted and was now
used, particularly by school-age youngsters, to mean something slightly
uncool.
A couple of years ago, UniQ ran a
campaign to try to encourage
people to think before using the word in a negative context.
"But now you have even gay
guys using it," Mr Brown said.
That did not mean, however, gay
had been replaced as the generic
word of choice to describe the gay community, although increasingly
"queer"
was being used as an inclusive term.
Queer covered all members of the
community including gay men,
lesbians, transsexuals and transvestites among others, Mr Brown said.
#22
Chronicle of Higher Education, September 12, 2003
1255 23rd Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037
(Fax: 202-452-1033) (E-Mail: editor@chronicle.com )
( http://chronicle.com )
http://chronicle.com/free/v50/i03/03a01401.htm
A QUEER NOTION OF HISTORY
RESEARCH ON GAY AND LESBIAN LIFE MAKES ITS MARK
By Scott McLemee
It is not easy being gay in
Oklahoma. When a leading national gay
publication ranked the states according to their records on gay rights,
Oklahoma came in 50th. Not one locality in the state has passed an
ordinance against discrimination on the basis of sexual preference.
But
this inhospitable climate seems to have fostered true grit among local
pioneers in gay history. Since the Tulsa Center for Gay and Lesbian
History
opened, in January, Laura Belmonte, the director, has raised $25,000 from
private donors. "That's not counting the office space donated by
the
lesbian-and-gay community center," she adds, nor the labor contributed
by
archivists, librarians, and amateur historians in the area.
The center has started collecting
books on gay history, and plans
are under way to open a small museum. For now, though, any discussion
of
scholarship on gay and lesbian people in Oklahoma has to be conducted in the
future tense. "We know a great deal about gay life in places like
New York,
Atlanta, and Minneapolis," says Ms. Belmonte, who is an associate
professor
of history at Oklahoma State University at Stillwater. "But,
really, you
have a black hole with a place like Tulsa. Nothing much has been
written.
And it's not that there haven't been gays and lesbians here all along.
Remember, Oklahoma was the frontier. It was where people went to do
all the
things you weren't supposed to do elsewhere."
That sounds like a pretty good
description of the field of gay
history itself - at least in its early days. But now things have
gotten
downright civilized. A quarter-century has passed since a few scholars
organized the first ad hoc meeting of the Committee on Lesbian and Gay
History during the annual convention of the American Historical Association.
Today the committee has more than 270 members, each of whom publishes a new
book every year, or so it seems.
Aside from studying history,
scholars in the field have recently
helped to make some. In June, several works by gay historians were
cited by
the U.S. Supreme Court in Lawrence v. Texas, in which the justices ruled
that laws forbidding homosexual activity are a violation of "personal
dignity and autonomy." It was a decision that brought one era to
an end and
began another. "Even here in Tulsa," says Ms. Belmonte,
"the winds are
changing."
A History of the History
"Gay history has developed
very slowly," says John D'Emilio,
director of the program in gender and women's studies at the University of
Illinois at Chicago. His point is debatable. Thirty years ago,
the field
barely existed, apart from studies of homosexuality in ancient Greece and
Rome, and the occasional biography speculating on the private life of some
famous person. So, arguably, the historical study of gay and lesbian
people
has grown at a remarkable rate over a fairly brief period. But it
doesn't
seem brief to Mr. D'Emilio, perhaps because it overlaps with his entire
adult life.
When asked what it was like to do
research on gay history in the
field's early days, he begins to laugh. A minute or two later he
composes
himself enough to describe what it was like to work on his dissertation at
Columbia University in 1974. Its focus was the Mattachine Society - a
"homophile" organization, as it termed itself, that emerged in the
1950s to
campaign for tolerance, mainly through lectures and publications aimed at
professionals in law and medicine. Mr. D'Emilio recalls mentioning his
topic to a senior faculty member. The man leaned against a four-drawer
filing cabinet for support and said, in hushed tones, "Do you know what
this
will mean for your career?"
"And I just wasn't going to
engage him on that," says Mr. D'Emilio.
"I yammered something like, 'Oh, well, it'll be fine. Nobody's ever
written
on this. ...'" It was clearly an uncomfortable discussion for
both parties.
"My presumption, at least until the early 1980s, was that I would never
have
an academic career," he says.
He did finally land a
tenure-track job, at the University of North
Carolina at Greensboro, in 1983 - the same year that the University of
Chicago Press published a revised version of his dissertation as Sexual
Politics, Sexual Communities: The Making of a Homosexual Minority in the
United States, 1940-1970. He was an exception, though: Much of
the early
work on gay and lesbian history was written by independent scholars, because
there simply wasn't support for it in academe.
Scholars also faced the problem
of finding historical sources. "We
were trying to reconstruct something that, until the 1970s, was
characterized by silence and invisibility," says Mr. D'Emilio.
The agenda
for his early research was strongly influenced by the fact that the
Mattachine Society, as a public organization, had left a record he could
actually locate and study.
Other historians found traces of
gay-rights activism in Germany in
the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and rediscovered the work of Edward
Carpenter, a British writer of the Victorian era who proclaimed the dignity
of "the third sex." But aside from those rare signs of early
militance, the
history of gay and lesbian identity seemed to be a blank slate, especially
in the United States.
Not Exactly Straightforward
A second phase in the development
of the field, Mr. D'Emilio says,
was inspired by Carroll Smith-Rosenberg's essay "The Female World of
Love
and Ritual: Relations Between Women in 19th-Century America," published
in
the feminist journal Signs in 1975. The upper-class women whom she
studied
would not have considered themselves lesbian (if, indeed, they even knew the
word). But their letters and diaries showed that Victorian society had
tolerated, and even encouraged, intense emotional bonds and displays of
physical affection among women that were often more passionate than their
relationships with their husbands.
It seemed to confirm the findings
of John Katz, an independent
scholar who, upon examining the medical and psychiatric literature, drew a
counterintuitive conclusion: Only in the 19th century did experts
begin to
speak of "the homosexual" as someone whose erotic desire reflected
an
unusual physiological or psychological condition. In earlier periods,
certain sexual acts had been considered "crimes against nature," a
category
that also included nonprocreative forms of heterosexual intercourse.
Those
who performed such acts, however, were understood to be practicing a vice
rather than manifesting an identity or a pathology.
When the Supreme Court issued its
ruling in Lawrence, it cited
Katz's work in arguing that early crimes-against-nature laws had not been
directed specifically against gay and lesbian people - for, the court noted,
"according to some scholars, the concept of the homosexual as a
distinct
category of person did not emerge until the late 19th century."
That analysis is not beyond
dispute. Critics of the decision cite a
Connecticut statute from 1642 that reads: "If any man lie with mankind
as
with a woman, both of them hath committed abomination, they both shall
surely be put to death." And in his dissent from the majority
opinion,
Justice Antonin Scalia noted the existence of "records of 20 sodomy
prosecutions and 4 executions during the colonial period" - citing as
his
source the work of John Katz.
For Linda K. Kerber, a professor
of history and a lecturer in law at
the University of Iowa, who contributed to a supporting brief submitted for
Lawrence, such objections reveal an ignorance of the documentary evidence
and of the way historians go about reconstructing the past.
"When conservatives make
those arguments," she says, "I want to tell
them, 'We don't make it up. Check the footnotes, go read the sources.
If
you don't agree with the way I've interpreted things, my cards are on the
table.'"
Sex and the City
While some historians were
discovering worlds of ambiguous sexual
identity in earlier periods, others became interested in the ways that
distinct sexual subcultures emerged in urban areas. "The next
stage," says
Mr. D'Emilio, "was to reconstruct community histories for the
geographic
locales that, in the present, offer the greatest evidence of a lesbian and
gay world." There followed studies of the development of gay
neighborhoods
and institutions in such cities as Buffalo, Philadelphia, and San Francisco.
What really put this research on
the map - at least for people
outside of gay-and-lesbian studies - was the publication in 1994 of George
Chauncey's Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture, and the Makings of the Gay
Male World, 1890-1940 (Chicago), which won the Frederick Jackson Turner
Award from the Organization of American Historians. Drawing on
oral-history
interviews, newspaper accounts, and court records, Mr. Chauncey, a professor
of American history at the University of Chicago, revealed the existence of
a large and extraordinarily visible gay community in New York in the early
years of the 20th century. Well-advertised drag balls, featuring
cross-dressers of both sexes, drew huge crowds; and any urban sophisticate,
however straight, would have visited a "pansy nightclub."