Anti-Gay Editorial Spurs Commencement Action
Anti-Gay Editorial Spurs Commencement Action
In an article published a few weeks ago in the "CEP Perspective," the student newspaper of Centennial Educational Park in Canton, Michigan, the writer, John Minuth, endeavored to justify the light sentence meted out to Richard Lee Bednarski, who was convicted of murdering two gay men in Dallas. Minuth wrote: "Homosexuals are not inhuman and should be allowed to exist. But if someone does murder one or two they should not receive the same punishment as if they killed a heterosexual...With the recent AIDS scare, these men were asking for trouble and they deserved to be shot..."
LAGROC (Lesbian-Gay Rights Organizing Committee) immediately requested that an educational program about homosexuality be presented at the school. To our knowledge, the school administration has not responded affirmatively, although such workshops were given at the school several years ago by the U-M Lesbian-Gay Male Programs Office.
Further, the school administration allegedly has not allowed LAGROC to print, in the Perspective, an editorial response to Minuth's article. Consequently, on Sunday, June 11, more than two dozen members of our community gathered at Hill Auditorium (U-M), where Plymouth Canton High School's commencement exercises were being held, to protest Minuth's editorial and the non-response of school officials. Protesters distributed "commencement programs" listing the names of famous women and men known or presumed to be lesbians, gay men, or bisexual people. The programs also included educational material about harassment and discrimination, and information countering myths and stereotypical thinking about homosexuality. To register your own protest, please write to: Thomas J. Tattan, Principal, Plymouth Canton High School, 8415 Canton Center Rd., Canton, MI 48187, with a copy to John M. Hoben, Superintendent of Schools, Plymouth Canton Community Schools, 454 S. Harvey St., Plymouth, Ml 48170.
In East Lansing, the dormitory room of a gay male MSU-staff member was recently gutted by fire after the man participated in Pride Week activities. This action and other instances of harrassment and possible vandalism were discussed at an emergency meeting attended by members of various Lansing-area lesbian and gay men's groups, Michigan Organization for Human Rights, and MSU President John DiBiaggio We would urge our readers to contribute generously to the emergency fund set up for the student whose room and possessions were destroyed by fire. Please send your check to Jerry Mattioli, c/o MSU/Lesbian-Gay Council, 442 Student Union, MSU, East Lansing, Ml 48824. For more information call 517/353-9795.
The Crisis Line to report lesbian and anti-gay male violence has a new number, 1-800-SOS-GAYS. The line is staffed from 5 pm to 10 pm Mon.-Fri. and 1 pm to 5 pm on Saturdays.
Circe Productions will be producing the 4th Annual Women's Arts Festival in Lansing Nov. 3 to 5. Artists, craftswomen, performers--send a SASE for information to: Circe Productions, P.O. Box 6596, East Lansing, Ml 48826. Anyone wishing to place an ad or announcement in the Festival Program, please send an SASE to the same address.
Gay Liberation's Purpose is to provide information, counseling, and related social services for people concerned about sexual orientation. We maintain a Hotline for crisis intervention, peer counseling, and referral; help provide factual information to offset prejudice and misinformation about lesbians and gay men; work to obtain human and civil rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation; and help lesbian and gay men's groups organize.
Community Services include a Hotline: crisis intervention, peer counseling, referral. Education: workshops and conferences on lesbian and gay male concerns, with an emphasis on how people in the "helping professions" and "teaching professions" can work positively with lesbian and gay male clients, patients, students. Speakers Bureau: phone for information. Human & Civil Rights: information and referral to help people under discrimination because of their actual or presumed sexual orientation or because of their presumed "crossgender" characteristics; lobbying for human and civil rights. Community Organizing: information and assistance in organizing groups, setting goals, addressing conflict, linking with other groups and resources.
Gay Liberation Meetings vary according to purpose; we do most of our work in sub-committees (counseling, groupwork, education, civil rights). Call for time and place. Gay Liberation includes U-M students, staff, and faculty, and people from the larger community. We have a president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer. At present we have approximately fifty members. We're a registered non-profit organization.
Gay Liberation, c/o 4117 Michigan Union, Ann Arbor, Ml 48109, info: 763-4186; hotline: 662-1977.