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Part of The fight for gays rights: overwhelming oppression
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GLF and Tolstoy College
The fight for gay rights:
overwhelming oppression
by Dave Andrews
Spectrum Staff Writer
"I am oppressed!" Standing in
front of Squire Hall, Kevin
Mallinson, president of the Gay
liberaFon Front and coordinator
of the Gay Studies Program at
Tolstoy College, expressed his
discouragement concerning the
persecution of homosexuals.
Anita
Bryant,
recently
succeeding in reversing legislation
in
Dade
County,
Florida,
prohibiting discrimination against
of sexual
anyone because
preference, seems to have added
to the already overwhelming
oppression of homosexuals.
"She is a real fanatic; the
epitomy of a homophobic
(frightened of gays)," said
Mallinson. "The banished law
leaves gays unprotected from
discrimination in employment,
housing
and
public
accommodations.
Two
men
cannot live together in Federal
Housing, whether gay or not.
Legally,
I
cannot
practice
homosexuality in most of the
United States, specifically New
York State," Mallinson stated.
"Gay literature," "Creating A
Gay Perspective," "How to be a
Political Gay," and "Coming Out
Workshops," (coming out is a
term used by homosexuals
referring
to
their
outright
admittance of their sexual
preference) are among some of
the courses that have been offered
at Tolstoy (College F). They are
designed to help the gay person
feel more at ease and to inform
them about issues relevant to their
culture.
The vast majority of Tolstoy's
courses are oriented toward
non-gay issues. Some of these
include
"Desegregation ,"
"American Jewish Experience,"
and "Mens' Studies" (a series of
courses studying the historical
role of m~n in our society.
"College F's classes are very
informal;
based
on
anti-authoritarianism
and
collectivity," explained Mallinson.
"Some people think the "F"
stands for faggot ," he added
jokingly, "but they don't realize
it's not specifically a college of
gay men."
Informal coffeehouses
"The word faggot came from
the English school. Freshmen
were called this because they
would obey seniors' demands, and
were subsequently considered
very menial," noted Mallinson.
The Gay liberation Front
(GLF) was once a very political
organization at this University,
staging
demonstrations
and
lobbying senators for improved
gay rights laws. Presently, it is
more of a social organization.
Mallinson said he is the only
political activist in the group at
this time. Up to five faculty
members
and
twenty
to
twenty-ftve students attend GLF
coffee houses Friday nights at
Tolstoy College. "These coffee
houses are informal gatherings of
gay students, designed to promote
friendship and support among
homosexuals," said Mallinson.
Based on the Kinsey report
average of 15-18 percent gay
population nationwide , Mallinson
estimates that 2500 gays attend
this University. This figure
includes exclusive homosexuals
and
bisexuals,
also
those
occasionally
indulging
in
homosexual activities. "Most gays
won't come out," he said.
"Where did I go wrong" is a
common parental inquiry when a
son
or
daughter
admits
homosexuality.
George Weinburg, who coined
the term "Homophobia," believes
that most parents of homosexuals
are worried their children will not
carry on the family name. Many
gays do want children. "I think I
could raise a child well and be a
loving father ," said Morgan
deTarr ,
GLF
member.
"Homosexuals aren't sick. Society
won't give us much opportunity
to prove we're good people."
No procreation
One of the National Gay Task
Force's main goals is to reverse
the law which prohibits gays from
adopting children. There have also
"
;... VJ,&·'i~
-Jenson
Kevin Mallinson
been many court cases where a
child becomes a ward of the
court, because of a divorce
between the parents caused by the
homosexuality of one of the
"spouses."
"There is only one legal
homosexual marriage in the
United States," says Mallinson. He
claims that one of the spouses is
Australian and many years ago
was required to leave the U.S.,
unless he married. Laws then did
not bar homosexual marriages. He
married his gay lover and is still in
wedlock to this day.
Harvey
Rosenberg,
vice
president of GLF commented,
"Look at it environmentally. The
earth is crowded, and in the next
twenty years it will be drastically
overpopulated. I and people like
me
don't
contribute
to
procreation."
"I spent
five years in
psychotherapy trying to get cured
ot homosexuality," said deTarr.
"I didn't change, but found that I
was quite content being gay. The
therapist did discover that I was
punishing myself because of guilt
feelings about homosexuals , so
that was cured." Fifteen to
twenty years ago , shock therapy
was used to attempt to cure
homosexuals. The patients would
repeatedly get shocked if they
enjoyed viewing nudes of the
same sex on film. If they pressed a
button to reveal pictures of is struggling to- get 312 ,000
opposite sex nudes, there was no signatures by November 15 to
shock.
Patients
were
then repeal a law which pro~ects sexual
strapped to a chair and made to activities between two consenting
watch the latter ftlms. "There adults in private. Senator Jerry
of California,
were no
cures from this Brown, also
originally passed this legislation,"
experiment," stated Mallinson.
reported Alex Van Oss, faculty
member at Tolstoy College and
'Not to be ashamed of'
"Presently,
psychiatrists member of GLF.
proclaim that homosexuality is in
no way an illness. Their basic 'You homo'
If Briggs passes his legislation,
opinion is that a homosexual can
be a very stable member of this it would require dismissal from
society," claimed deTarr. Freud work of any person "advocating,
said in his famous "Letter to an soliciting, promoting, imposing, or
American Mother," in consolation encouraging gay activities." In the
of
Washington,
a
of the distraught mother of a gay, State
"Homosexuality is assuredly no homosexual ironically named
advantage, but it is nothing to be Gaylord, got fired for his sexual
ashamed of, no
vice, no preference. He fought it until the
degradation , it
cannot
be case reached the Supreme Court,
classified as an illness; we consider and they refused to hear it.
it to be a variation of the sexual
There is no clause protecting
function produced by a certain gays at this University. The New
arrest of sexual development."
York State Coalition of Gay
Out of hatred for homosexuals, Organizations (NYSCGO) recently
the Ku Klux Klan ·(KKK) have held a conference in Albany at
implanted a recording in many which deTarr represented GLF.
bookstore telephones, calling for NYSCGO is planning to hire a
the execution of all gay people. full-time lobbyist for gay rights.
''They rationalize this edict, by They want to repeal sodomy laws ,
claiming the Bible states that get gay rights legislation and an
homosexuals are degrading," said anti-discrimination clause written
deTarr. "The National Gay Task in New York State law.
Force (NGTF), an organization
Besides collective persecution
which attempts to protect gay of homosexuals, there is much
people, and coordinates calls to individual oppression. "A man
the President of the U.S. and once yelled across the cafeteria,
senators, has discovered that this 'You homo,' so I yelled back,
type of "murder" is illegal," 'The word is homosexual',"
Mallinson added. ·~ey are taking quipped Mallinson .
immediate action to ban this
"I have no idea why I'm gay. I
action, besides publicizing the fact don't think you can fmd any gay
widely."
who knows ," imparted Mallinson.
"California senator John Briggs
- continued on page 12-
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"mechanisms I have to deal with
don't mesh with the federal
at Amherst will meet the federal
requirements.
Gay rights
• •
"I dated a girl for a year and a
half, but it wasn't sexual. I never
felt
comfortable playing a
heterosexual role."
"I don't know if I was born
this way, if it's God's will or
what," said Rosenberg.
DeTarr stated, "I was living
with a girl for five years when I
went gay. I talked to my sister
about it and found out she was
officially bisexual which is rare in
the same family."
Even a painter?
There
are
definitely
occupational disadvantages in
being a confirmed homosexual.
Nearly 70 professions are closed
to
gays
because
of no
anti-discrimination
clause,
including those of policeman,
fireman, nurse, doctor, truck
driver and even sign painter. A gay
person cannot get a certificate for
these jobs as they stipulate that
the applicant be in "good mmal
standing and have acceptable
social standards," a class in which
homosexuals are apparently not
included. Government and civil
service jobs are also closed to gays
because they cannot get a security
clearance.
"Gay Churches" have formed
primarily because homosexual
persons have felt rejected by
established
churches.
These
churches are usually run by gay
clergy. Proponents feel the "Gay
Church" must exist until the
homosexual feels comfortable in
the midst of established churches.
The Metropolitan Community
Church in Los Angeles; Integrity,
an Episcopalian church in Niagara
Falls; Dignity, a Catholic church
in Niagara Falls; and the Gay
Community Synagogue are among
the many gay churches.
Rosenberg holds a counseling
center at Tolstoy Monday,
Wednesday and Friday from 10
.
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