LGB1992_2.pdf

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Part of LGBA strengthens despite acts of bias

Text: LGBA strengthens despite acts of bias
SHELLY MUSERLIAN
Spectrum Staff Writer

UB appears not to be immune
. to the ignorance of intolerance.
The Lesbian Gay Bisexual
Alliance (LGBA) has experienced many kinds of prejudice,
both in their office and around
campus. There was spray-painting in Baldy Walkway, with one
message stating, "D\e Fags."
LGBA has also received many
obscene phone calls, including
numerous threatening calls.

Flyers were also hung, saying that
AIDS is a gay disease and that
gays are the only ones that spread
it.
Last year, LGBA was mistakenly blamed for a large hole in
the bathroom near their old
office. There was also some graffiti sprayed in the bathroom, but
the matter was later cleared up by
Public Safety.

LGBA 'more visihle'
According to Liz Brooks, president of LGBA, one reason people
may take part in gay-bashing is
because "they could have problems with their [own] sexual oriMany acts of intolerance
According to the log books that entation or their [own] homosexLGBA keeps, there have been uality." Another reason why peomany acts of intolerance commit- ple might do this is because they
ted against the lesbian, gay and receive peer pressure from their
bisexual community on campus. friends, Brooks suggested.
"Since LGBA has been more
The old office in Talbert has been
defaced, and there is also an anti- visible this semester, people try to
gay message in the walkway to threaten us with backlash because
Bell Hall. Last year, there was an we've become more visible, but it
incident where someone walked won't keep us back," Brooks
by, picked up a garbage can and said. "It makes us work harder to
threw the garbage in the office. It organize collectively on campus."
LGBA has been working on
hit one person in the leg, but no
one was hurt. At the old office in- many projects this semester. On
Talbert Hall, someone attempted Friday, November 20, the organito take the nameplate off of the zation had an AIDS fundraiser
door, and the damage is still called "Red, Hot and Live" in
Talbert Bullpen, which featured
there.
Two years ago, people made up seven bands.
"We are currently working on a
anti-gay flyers and hung them up
on the Spine. They depicted a fundraiser for Christmas called
stick man and woman, and the Act-Up," Brooks said. "It's a
message read "God created Adam party to help the homeless and
and Eve, not Adam and Steve." . poor children."

There was also a Drag Show on
November 15 at the Katharine
Cornell Theatre, which also featured seven bands.

Promoting gay activism
LGBA also holds many coffee
houses during the semester,
which are social functions with
different themes. · "It's a chance
for people to come together outside of the official meeting setting," Brooks explained.
Recently, LGBA did a demonstration with the Freedom School,
called a "Kiss-In." It is a kind of

& SNEAKSl

formalized activism, in which
people kiss someone of the same
sex to promote gay activism.
Another important activity
LGBA has been doing is going
around to area high schools and
speaking. They have also spoken
in some UB classes, including the
University Experience and
Human Sexuality classes. LGBA
also dressed up as clowns for the
Camp Good Days and Special
Times Carnival.
Ways in Being Gay is a film
festival run at Hallwalls which
features different performers celebrating gay rights . Recently,
University Union Activities
Board (UUAB) and LGBA jointly conducted such a film festival
in Woldman Theatre.
"In the spring, we plan to get a
bus to go down to Washington to

march there," Brooks said. "We
are involved in many different
things, not just gay events," she
said.

Coming out at UB
Within LGBA, there is also a
women's discussion group, which
focuses on different women 's
issues. It is a chance for women to
feel more comfortable expressing
themselves. There is also a group
for people in the process of "coming out," or for people coming to
terms with their homosexuality.
Through the above efforts by
the organization and increased
education, LGBA is working
toward establishing an atmosphere on campus in which people
will feel more comfortable with
their own homosexuality and that
of others.