"Les/Bi/Gay" Activists Seek Results From U-M Bylaw Change
FROM THE GRASSROOTS
"Les/Bi/Gay" Activists Seek Results from U-M Bylaw Change
As we noted in our November AGENDA article, the U-M Regents have voled to include "sexual orientation" in their non-discrimination Bylaw 14.06. On October 22 the Universlty announced the membership of a committee that will discuss the possble effect of the bylaw change on employment benefits, family housing, financial aid packages, and student residency status. Bernard Machen, Dean of the U-M School of Dentistry, will chair the committee, which includes three students, three staff members, and four faculty members.
Lesbian, gay male, and bisexual students, together with other members of the "lesbigay" community, have expressed concern that only three members of the committee (including only one student) are out-of-the-closet "lesbigay." If U-M is seeking to protect the privacy of committee members, we need to remind the administration that there are many "lesbigay" members of the U-M community who are out of the closet and highly qualified to serve on the committee.
We can only ask, "Are a majority of the U-M Women's Commission men?" Contact U-M President James Duderstadt to voice your concern, as well as Student Affairs Vice-President Maureen Hartford and Provost Gibert Whitaker.
The Regents, in amending their non-discrimination bylaw, have given us a recipe tor the bread of justice. We now need to see the ingredients - nourishing ones - of the bread itself.
We hope that the holidays will be nourishing lor all of us in every way. We remember the overwhelming stress that many lesbians, gay men, and bisexual people experience at this time. How many families welcome to their festivities the "significant other" or domestic partner of their lesbian. gay male, or bisexual children? How many families have rejected the children who have come out to them? How many families refuse to acknowledge their children's sexual orientation? Silence renders invisible: silence equals death!
We are indeed fortunate that support groups for families with lesbian, gay male, and bisexual children have for many years addressed family concerns with compassion, care, and skill. Our local support group, Parents and Friends of Lesbian & Gays (P-FlagAnn Arbor) meets on the third Sunday of the month at 2 pm at King of Kings Lutheran Church, 2685 Packard just west of Eisenhower. If you need support, please consider attending the meeting. You will be warmly welcomed. If you can offer support, please attend. For info., call 741-0659. Best holiday wishes to all!
Gay Liberation Front's Purpose is to provide information, counseling, and related social services for people concemed about sexual orientation. We maintain a hotline for crisis intervention, peer counseling and referral. We help provide tactual information to offset prejudice and misinformation about Lesbians, Gay men, and Bisexual people. We work to obtain human and civil rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation. We help organize groups for Lesbians, Gay men, and Bisexual people and are a link to other community groups.
Community Services include: a Hotline for crisis intervention, peer counseling, referral. Education: workshops and conferences on concerns of Lesbians, Gay men, and Bisexual people with an emphasis on how people in the "helping professtons" and "teaching professions" can work positively with clients, patients, & students who are Lesbians, Gay men, and Bisexual people. Speakers Bureau: phone for information. Human & Civil Rights: information and reterral to help people who are being discriminated against because of their actual or presumed sexual orientation or because or their presumed "cross-gender" characteristics; lobbying for human and civil rights. Community Organization and Liaison: information and assistance in organizing groups, setting goals, addressing conflict, linking with other groups and resources.
Gay Liberation Front Meetings vary according to purpose; we do most of our work in subcommittees (counseling, groupwork, education, civil rights). Call for time and place. Gay Liberation Front includes U-M students, staff, faculty and people from the larger communities. We have a president, vice president, secretary and treasurer. We're a registered non-profit organization.
Gay Liberation Front, c/o 3116 Michigan Union, 530 S. State, Ann Arbor, Ml 48109-1349; 763-4186.