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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 12, 1996)
The Battalion iy • April 12,1})i ;e to land side $1 a day,»f the Lotto t ealize that it’stli that really count; tents have realite: ions to the ranck ms blessing,” skt have put on fum]. 100I, and we hatt ay-” ’ the Aggie Meks unications majot, to make a dife out and eat wit! jp up relations t is being able re called to do- chairman andja- r, said it is benei i college students, to be discipline! ly good role moi- en need to ban necessarily ban .nteering at Still It treehouses an! helped prepare (ot ude a raffle, crai egin at 10 a.m.at isaster 4 Tim Moog, The Bait.# junior kinesiolog dead person in) sh at Easterwoo! evening. iop udent Center | Night News W* :life Editor Sports Editor io Editor ch, Graphics Editos phics Editor lohn Lemons, rd & Chris Yung iy, Mandy Cater, Ap aid Building, Tex* FRIDAY April 12, 1996 Expressing true self creates true happiness A sliver of a line sepa rates what we ought to be (or what others expect us to be) from what we really are. Occasional ly, we venture to that “ought to be” side. Some think they should be one way because it is better; others think they should be an al ternative way because that is what is expect ed of them. Soon, we lose all sense of reality; we for get ourselves entirely and — to compensate — construct new identities, new feelings, new lives. But the person that was there before never dies. It is still there, molding and shaping our beliefs and tinting our view of our surround ings and our world. I (more than once) have teetered on that line. The first time, my blackness was the bal ancing rod. The reality was that I was black (and still am), I grew up in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans (not a sterling neigh borhood), and I was poor (donations accept ed). Therefore, I had few choices. Stereotypes dictated that I should have been a felon, a high school dropout or dead by the hands of another. Of course, I’m none of those things. I deter mined and fulfilled those things I wanted to become, not what stereotypes told me I should have been. The second time I stood on that line, my gayness was the balancing rod. In this situa tion, I had many choices. Do I tell my friends? Do I tell my future roommate? Do I go to a gay organization’s meeting? What if someone sees me there? Then came the clincher: Do I tell my parents? My Southern Baptist upbringing answered a host of my questions. I really wasn’t gay, someone just tricked me. I must have been molested when I was younger. My mother probably was too dominant a figure in my household. I just needed a good woman. To most of the above questions, I checked off “no.” Then I found as many good women as I could. Nothing. I was amazed that I actually got through it. Then I turned to God — the popular last resort. The church pivoted my daily existence. I tried to make every action, every word, every syllable magnify the glory of God. I thought even the letters would do. The church, my parents and my family kept saying that I — being gay — should be unhappy. And I was unhappy, but not be cause I was gay, but because I wasn’t satis fied. Nothing seemed right. The only way I could be happy, it seemed, was if I admitted my being gay to myself and to my friends. Fortunately, I was fairly lucky. I went to a socially liberal high school in a very liberal city. Gay people were all over the place, and getting information about gay issues was easy. In addition, my first roommate when I came to A&M was also gay, so he also steered me in the right directions. But gay people come from all walks of life, and some are more comfortable with their sexuality than others. Gays are black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Christian, atheist, Muslim, conservative, liberal and any other thing you can think of, and these subgroups also affect their views on homosexuality. But being gay isn’t the depressing, danger ous or disgusting “lifestyle” that some would have us to believe. What is depressing, dangerous and dis gusting is when a group dictates how a per son should be instead of letting them be who they really are. H.L. Baxter is a junior geography major GGIE t j Jr# If II Page 3 ^ ^ _ ^ : 4/ Out of the closet, into the light Gay Awareness Week aims to open minds to homosexuals By Libe Goad and john LeBas The Battalion B eing gay once meant that a person was living a happy and contented life. But today, few would use the word to describe the feeling one gets on a perfect spring day with nothing to worry about. “Gay” means something else entirely. It now bet ter describes the population of people who prefer same-sex relationships. And gays, lesbians and bisexuals are working to wards living a gay life, in the old-fashioned sense —- free to live their lifestyle in an accepting environment. Society is divided over whether sexual orienta tion is a personal choice or determined before birth. The Supreme Court is now deciding on Roemer v. Evans, a lawsuit involving a Colorado state con stitution amendment that strips gays and lesbians of discrimination protection. Gays in the military also linger as a potentially volatile issue. Gay, lesbian and bisexual students at A&M are not immune to these national debates. Continually striving to foster tolerance and a spirit of cooperation among the heterosexual com munity, gay Aggies have spent the last few days celebrating Gay Awareness Week ’96. Melissa Wallace, a staff member of Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Aggies and a senior sociology major, said Gay Awareness Week is intended for the edu cation of heterosexuals on gay issues. “Gay Awareness Week is not for gay people,” Wallace said. “It’s for those who are not gay. It’s simply an educational avenue.” GLBA brings in special speakers for the event, she said, to discuss legal and societal problems gay people face. Wallace said the week has helped improve awareness of gays on campus. “There’s a more visible support base,” she said. “Lots of straights join in to show we’re normal. It’s nonviolent, peaceful education.” Wallace said that despite the conservative at mosphere at A&M, general sentiment toward gays is not as negative as some people might think. Lance Brister, a sophomore sociology major, has experi enced a similar sen timent on campus. “I haven’t had a single negative experience,” Brister said. “Even though A&M is very cons erv a - tive, I think it’s pret- t y friendly in general.” Jay Hooks, a freshman general studies major, said trying to breach neg ativity on campus is important because any one of an Aggie’s rela tives, friends or fellow students could be gay. “Gay Awareness Week is im portant because it shows that there are people at A&M who are gay,” Hooks said. “It’s not even saying, ‘We’re here,’ but it lets people know we could be anybody. We’re just like everyone else — we just happen to be gay.” Gay awareness march sur passes expectations Wednesday at noon, gays and heterosexuals gath ered at Rudder fountain for a rally and march spon sored by ALLY. The march, which Wallace said would be the “most telling” day of Gay Awareness Week, was What are you doing this Parent’s Weekend? visit /'theA ENCLAVE H HOLLEMRN Washers and Dryers Included • Icemakers • Microwaves • Ceiling Fans • Bike, Ride or Shuttle to Campus • Door to Door Garbage Collection • Private Patios • 2 Pools * Spa • Controlled Access Gates Paid Water, Sewer & Garbage ^1800 Holleman Drive Extended Office Hours for Parent’s Weekend: Saturday 10-5 p.m. Sunday 1-5 p.m. New Model Aparttnent Homes to Tour College Station, Texas a show of gay pride and solidarity on campus. According to Hooks, turnout was better than expected — a good sign of the week’s effects. Jeff Anderson, president of GLBA and an education graduate student, spoke at the rally about the challenges he and other gay students face. Anderson told of a friend to whom he came out last year. He hasn’t spoken to his friend since. T# our ^ granted,” he said. “We can’t take our families for granted, our jobs, our education or even our religion. “These are the things that we need to make peo ple aware of. So as we join hands here and walk across campus, you need to think of how you can ex plain to people you know how they should not take certain things for granted.” Winston Jones, a student development special ist in the Department of Student Life, also spoke to the crowd gathered for the rally. Jones, a het erosexual, said gay awareness is something that involves everyone. “I believe that we as a community must commu nicate to those who are oppressed that this is not a gay thing; it is not a lesbian thing; it is not an un der-represented group thing, but it is an oppression thing,” Jones said. “We all have a stake in this. “I want more straight people to be out here and be involved because there are more ‘straight’ people at this University, and they should be involved in this.” The crowd responded to Jones’ remarks with whoops and applause. Silence is sometimes necessary on campus The Aggie cheers are not so loud from other homosexual students. Many keep their lips shut, hold ing their “other” lives from fellow students. “Brie,” who is an active member in student activities, keeps his other world behind closed doors. “I don’t wear rings or publicize at all,” Brie said. He said he stays closed because there are many misconceptions about gays, and people will either try to convert him or shun him from their circles. “It closes too many doors,” he said. When he is among the gay community, Brie said he openly talks about his homosexuality. He has found many people to relate to at A&M. “There’s a large gay community here,” he said. “They’re in the Corps, fraternities, student council, teachers.” After spending time with the gay communi ty, Brie found a growing number of people in his same situation. But he said the “redneck university” keeps people from being free to be what they want. “It’s not discussed,” he said, “and if it is, it’s discussed in a derogatory manner.” He said events on campus led him to these conclusions. Brie said that once he went to Rudder Auditori um to watch the movie Threesome. Threesome, which deals with different sexual issues, shows a scene where a gay man kisses his straight friend. A woman in the theater reacted to the homosexual behavior and made a scene in front of the audience. “Some girl got up and about threw up over the whole audience,” he said. “I was thinking, ‘What did you come here expecting to see?’” Brie has also observed intolerant attitudes among member of the religious right. “The other day, I was by Rudder Tower, and there was this conservative speaker saying that ho mosexuals could not be Christians,” Brie said. The religious right is one enemy the gay commu nity targets. At events during Gay Awareness Week, speakers spoke against the Christian majori- the majority that refuses to accept the homosexual lifestyle. Brie said groups that think homosexuality is wrong do not accept professed homosexuals in their circles. Despite the homosexual revolt against Chris tians, gay Christians are trying to close the gap be tween religion and lifestyle. Brie and his friends fight the battle between the two groups. “Most of my close friends that are gay are all Christians,” Brie said. Once a week, Brie and his friends meet to study the Bible and support others who are gay Christians. “I think the two can be reconciled quite nicely,” he said. Homosexuals react strongly against intolerant Christian groups because they constantly face op position from them, he said. Last semester, religious groups ran full-page adver tisements featuring former gays and lesbians. The message told the gay community that their lifestyle was a choice and was another sign of opposition. Brie said for some people homosex uality is a choice, and for others it is an unavoidable option. He spoke of a woman who joined an anti-gay commu nity to change people’s minds about homosexual ity. After 20 years, she admitted the people were gay. Brie said the woman realized it was not a choice, whether the gays were Christian or not. “She finally had to ac cept the fact that that is the way it works,” he said. “Chad,” who is also a gay Christian, said groups at A&M push away gay Christians who are confused about their faith. “Almost every visible group is anti-gay,” Chad said. “Then you get the feeling that everyone is like that.” The same conservatism that attracts anti-gay sentiment drew Chad to A&M and into the Corps. He said he wanted to be disciplined by the Corps of Cadets and the conservative atmosphere and to be in a place that fosters old-fashioned values. “I think people have this image of gay people that they sleep around,” Chad said. “I know I don’t.” Chad struggles with being a member of the Corps. He joined, unaware of how unaccepting the military was toward the gay lifestyle. He said that since no one knows about his sexual orientation, no harassment has come his way. “But I think the potential’s there,” Chad said. “I don’t try to mix the two lifestyles at all.” Rumors about homosexuality are enough to start sparks flying in the ranks. Rumors help people get demoted in the Corps. Brie said he had a friend who was thrown out of the Corps after it found evidence he was gay. Fighting anti-gay sentiment also lies on the per sonal level. Homosexuals unsure of their belief sys tem must make peace within. The term “coming out” involves more than telling friends and family. It means reconciling with oneself about being a homosexual. Brie said many gay people do not think they have a choice in the matter. They are subjected to a life time of fighting their desires or accepting them. “Sometimes, it would be easier not to be gay,” he said. “If I had a choice, that would be the easi est choice.” 409-694-3700 D EXHAUST □ BRAKES □ SHOCKS □ STRUTS □ SPRINGS B C.V. 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