28 —The Daily Collegian Friday, Dec. 5, 1986
Fear creates chilly climate for gays on campus
Editor's Note: This is the last in a three-part
series on gays and lesbian students at the
University. Today’s article deals with homo
phobia and the social problems facing homo
sexuals.
By ERIC SCHMIDT
Collegian Staff Writer
The signs are evident on campus. In Pattee,
the graffiti on the walls includes the word
“faggots” slashed out, and the party jokes
about the students who make up an estimated
10 percent of the University population con
tinue.
One of the major problems facing Universi
ty gays and lesbians is homophobia the
fear of homosexuals or homosexuality, said
Ray Bortner, a 1983 University alumnus who
works for an AIDS task force in Pittsburgh.
Bortner, who returns to the University
occassionally to speak to groups about homo
sexuality and homophobia, added that some
times people understand these difficulties.
“Occasionally you see a glimmer of light in
■someone’s eyes,” he said. “But it is rare.”
People are homophobic because they don’t
really understand homosexuals or homosex
uality, Bortner said.
Another reason, he said, is people’s inabili
ty to deal with their own homosexual feelings.
Because they are confused about themselves,
they talje it out on others.
Heidi, a sophomore who asked that her last
name not be used, realized that she was a
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lesbian about three months before coming to
the University.
Most of her friends in high school were
women, Heidi said, "and I knew I would do
anything for them. ... Hard as it is to tell
other people, it’s so much harder to tell
yourself.”
The University environment is difficult for
gay people to deal with, Heidi said, because
of its structure. The Office of Housing puts
students in residence halls at its own discre
tion, leaving the individuals with limited
control over where they live, Heidi said.
“It’s where you put yourself,” she said. “At
home, I put myself into this (lesbian) envi
ronment. Here, I’m put into the dorm.”
Because some homosexuals have to live in
the residence hall environment, where others
may react badly to their sexuality, they are
forced to curb their lifestyles, Heidi said.
Almost everything they do takes into account
the opinions of their neighbors.
The sheer number of students is also an
issue. “There are so many people so much of
the time that you notice the prejudice,” she
said.
At home, Heidi said, she can go to bars or
other places where being openly lesbian is
accepted. In State College, the number of
places is limited, she added.
Tracy Alderman, co-director of the Lesbian
Gay Student Alliance, said gays must deal
with a university whose statement of non
discrimination lacks a specific clause nam
ing gays and lesbians as a recognized minori-
with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the
National Command Authority and the
president.
Twenty-eight minutes later, NASA
launch commentator George Diller
reported the two-stage booster had
done its job and hurled the satellite
into a great elliptical orbit ranging
from about 103 to 22,330 miles high.
“All mission elements have been
accomplished; we’ve had a very suc
cessful mission,” Diller said. He re
ported good data was' being received.
ties. Another barrier is the fear of
homosexuals on campus because people do
not understand what it means to be homosex
ual.
Alderman said, however, that the Universi
ty is not more hostile than most other areas to
homosexuals.
Moises J. Torrescano, assistant affirma
tive action officer for the University, said no
clause protecting homosexuals exists be
cause in the absence of state and federal
laws that protect homosexuals’ rights
there is no way to enforce one.
Although the Office of Affirmative Action
will investigate any reported case of discrim
ination against homosexuals, he added, there
is no legal basis to enforce any code against
those cases.
Sim David Aberson, co-director of LGSA,
said that while no laws exist specifically
naming gays and lesbians as minorities,
certain legal precedents help strengthen the
legal standing of gays in discrimination
cases.
Among those precedents are a Philadelphia
law banning discrimination against gays and
lesbians, and an executive order from the
governor’s office doing the same.
He added that the University will look into
cases of gay and lesbian discimination and
deal with the discimination as an act of
sexual harrassment.
LGSA, in cooperation with the University,
is conducting a survey to determine the
India Parliament reacts to terrorism
NEW DELHI India (AP) The government er measures such as those revealed Thursday. ers if they are believed to be aimed at inciting
said yesterday it has begun opening private mail, The measures are intended to fight the terror- civil disorder. Foreigners found to have entered
tannine telephones and restricting the entry of ism centered in northern Punjab state, where India illegally face up to five years in jail, while
foreigners as part of its fight against Sikh terror- Sikhs predominate. communication with people assisting terrorists
ism The new measures let police tap telephones is punishable by a five-year sentence.
The announcement in Parliament said the lines, listen to conversations and take control of Punjab has been torn by four years of violence
government had assumed the special powers telephones if they are “satisfied or have reasona- by Sikhs demanding greater autonomy. More
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Disruptive Activities Prevention Act. to aid terrorism, Parliament was told. and the government on Wednesday declared
_. -1 ru« -Hoe nnri nnnnciiinn lawmak- Using a telephone to abet terrorism would be nearly half of Punjab disturbed,
ers have condemned the law, passed in May. 1985, punishable up to seven years imprisonment and 0n Sunday, Sikhs massacred 24 Hindu bus
because it permits detention of suspects for up to a ne - passengers in Punjab, sparking two days of
two years without trial. It also lets the govern- The measures also let police search for and violent anti-Sikh demonstrations in New Delhi
ment adopt, without Parliament’s approval, oth- confiscate letters or tape cassettes from travel- and other cities.
nature of the environment for homosexuals
here, Alderman said.
The survey includes questions such as: “Do
you know anyone who has been harassed, spit
on, beaten up or called names because of
their sexual orientiation?”
Aberson said the survey is aimed at deter
mining the effect that students’ sexual orien
tations have on their grades and employment
possiblities.
LGSA meets the second and fourth Monday
of each month and the meetings usually
attract between 30 and 70 people, Alderman
said.
The numbers of organization members
have remained much the same over the two
years that it has existed, Alderman said,
although the actual people who made up the
group have changed.
Those who want to attend a meeting can
contact LGSA at the HUB desk or call the
Gay, Lesbian Switchboard of State College
from 6 to 9 p.m. at 237-1950.
LGSA is not primarily a social group,
Alderman said, but it is a place where homo
sexuals can meet other homosexuals and not
worry about their sexuality becoming an
issue.
“At the meetings, we just sort of assume
that if you’re there, you’re gay,” Alderman
said.
Aberson agreed that the organization is not
primarily a social group it has several
purposes, including support and education.
However, the social aspect of the group is
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an important one because gay men and
lesbian women are not able to meet other
gays and lesbians in the same ways that non
gay students meet other non-gay students,
Aberson said.
Heidi said the area has only two bars where
homosexual students can socialize openly,
and they are open only to students over 21.
Students below the legal drinking age have
almost nowhere to go, she said.
LGSA provides a forum where gays and
lesbians can interact socially.
In addition, the group has an educational
function, Alderman said. It sponsored a pro
gram on AIDS at its last meeting, and other
functions include sponsoring dances and
movies.
LGSA receives its funding from the Univer
sity as a registered group, Alderman said,
and has also received a $2,500 grant from the
Chicago Resource Institute that it uses to rent
movies as fund raisers. University funds
cannot be used to raise money, she added.
Aberson said the University has not grant
ed the organizaton office space despite seve
ral attempts by LGSA members to point out
offices that could be used.
LGSA finally approached the Free Univer
sity without the help of University adminis
tration, Abersori said, and is sharing office
space with that organization in 223 HUB.
Alderman disagreed, saying that the Uni
versity administration has not given the
organization office space because none is
available, but that it has tried.