From alaura@u.washington.edu Mon Feb 24 13:34:51 1997 Received: from jason03.u.washington.edu by lists.u.washington.edu (5.65+UW96.08/UW-NDC Revision: 2.33 ) id AA12508; Mon, 24 Feb 97 13:34:51 -0800 Received: from homer17.u.washington.edu (homer17.u.washington.edu [140.142.76.1]) by jason03.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW96.12/8.8.4+UW96.12) with ESMTP id NAA14248 for ; Mon, 24 Feb 1997 13:31:48 -0800 Received: from localhost (alaura@localhost) by homer17.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW96.12/8.8.4+UW96.12) with SMTP id NAA86376 for ; Mon, 24 Feb 1997 13:34:49 -0800 Date: Mon, 24 Feb 1997 13:34:49 -0800 (PST) From: Suzanne Klinger To: uwtpride@u.washington.edu Subject: STRAIGHT at Penn State(3 items)] (fwd) Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Yet another message for everyone. Suzanne ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 24 Feb 1997 13:32:26 -0800 (PST) From: slowney@u.washington.edu Reply-To: glue@u.washington.edu To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: STRAIGHT at Penn State(3 items)] (fwd) STUDENT COURT FOUND ANTI-GAY GROUP'S PURPOSE `VERY TROUBLING' By VICKI CHENG Centre Daily Times UNIVERSITY PARK -- A Penn State student government court said Tuesday it refused to recognize a new student group called STRAIGHT because its purpose is to oppose homosexuality. "Homosexuality is a lifestyle that is accepted by a great number of people in the Penn State community, and the fact that STRAIGHT says that its purpose is to `provide students with an official and formal organization in which they can express their view regarding the refusal to accept or support homosexuality' is very troubling," the Undergraduate Student Government Supreme Court said of STRAIGHT, which stands for Students Reinforcing Adherence In General Heterosexual Tradition. The Supreme Court, consisting of six students appointed by the university president, denied formal recognition to the group Sunday during a hearing attended by 75 students and two police officers. The court had never before denied a group approval, which allows organizations to use campus facilities and logos on letterheads. Darin Loccarini, president of STRAIGHT, which has about 50 members, wants to appeal the decision to the Student Organization Appeals Board and called the student government court a "kiddie court." "This is a public institution," he said, pointing out that there are two groups supporting gay and lesbian rights recognized by the student government but none for heterosexual rights. "If there's ample student support and we've not done anything wrong, then it's basically oppression." Letters published in The Daily Collegian have characterized recognition of STRAIGHT as a free speech issue. But all sides agree that STRAIGHT's first amendment rights are not compromised by the court's rejection. The debate has drawn the attention of at least 10 news organizations, including The Philadelphia Inquirer and Washington, D.C. media. At stake is not so much a slice of the $1.1 million divided among about 400 student groups, since a group needn't be recognized to receive funding, the court said, as much as the right to use the official Penn State name and logo. Duane Gildea, political co-director of Penn State's Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Student Alliance, said, "I can't be affiliated with this university if we're going to stamp hate statements ... I don't want a bomb strapped to the back of the Nittany Lion and sent to New York." He was referring to an anti-gay e-mail circulated last week about a trip to New York City to "do some serious gay bashing." Loccarini said the e-mail was a fraud, sent by students who were not members of STRAIGHT to sabotage the group's acceptance by the student court. William Asbury, Penn State vice president for student affairs, took a hands-off approach to the issue. "Whatever they decide goes," he said. "We will let the process play itself out. This is a learning experience for all those involved -- that's what being a college student is all about." Sophomore Jit Chatterjee, the student court's associate justice who wrote the decision explaining why the court ruled unanimously against STRAIGHT, said: "This was the hardest decision I have ever made, not only as justice but in my life. You alienated segments of the Penn State population either way you voted on it. There are die-hard supporters on either side." The document says STRAIGHT would not have benefited the university, one of the requirements for group recognition. Instead, STRAIGHT would probably hurt the university, it said. He didn't think any other student organization at Penn State included opposition to another group in its mission statement, except Students Against Drunk Driving. Another reason for rejection was that STRAIGHT's officers seemed to have no clear long-term goals, and some disagreed on STRAIGHT's principles, Chatterjee said. But Loccarini said of the court: "They arbitrarily decided what's good for the university. But the students will decide. I will decide. This is my money and this is my state." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE CENTRE DAILY TIMES February 21, 1997 Box 89,State College,PA,16801 (Fax 814-238-1811, print run 26,320) (E-MAIL: pcarty@knightridder.geis.com) (http://www.centredaily.com) ACLU defends anti-gay group By VICKI CHENG Centre Daily Times First amendment experts say a Penn State student government court violated STRAIGHT's constitutional rights by denying the anti-gay group official recognition. "You have to be willing to tolerate speech of people you disagree with," said Larry Frankel, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Pennsylvania chapter in Philadelphia. The Undergraduate Student Government Supreme Court decided this week that denying official recognition to STRAIGHT, which stands for Students Reinforcing Adherence In General Heterosexual Tradition, doesn't infringe on the group's first amendment rights of free speech and freedom of assembly. But in a telephone interview Thursday, Frankel said part of freedom of assembly was "the right to associate with others ... "Once the student government at the university starts recognizing groups and giving them something for that recognition, they can't decide who to give it to on the basis of the views of that group." Colleen Kelley, an assistant professor of speech at Penn State's Behrend College and experienced with first amendment issues, said denying STRAIGHT official recognition might have a "chilling effect" on the group. "Even though you say they can meet somewhere else, they can't except behind closed doors," she said. "There's not an open exchange of ideas. Even if they do meet ... they still have to look over their shoulders because these 'P.C. police' are going to be looking for them." Darin Loc-carini, president of STRAIGHT, has said he's willing to take the issue beyond the authority of the university if he must. Frankel said it was premature to answer questions about potential legal action, but theoretically a case could go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Kelley said that because Penn State is a state-related university and therefore not completely public, that could complicate matters. "If it were truly a public university, he could go all the way to the Supreme Court," she said. "But sometimes Penn State seems to be a public university, and sometimes it's private." Jon Feinberg, co-coordinator of the Penn State chapter of the ACLU, said his organization was divided over the issue at first, but now believes STRAIGHT should be recognized by the student government. "Whether or not we like STRAIGHT is not an issue," Feinberg said. "The most important issue is they want to be a student organization. "They have a unique viewpoint, and we have to let them express that viewpoint. "They have the exact same right to be a group as members of the ACLU had the right to go to a vigil supporting tolerance and acceptance of diverse people at Penn State." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- This message was originally submitted by sanlo@UMICH.EDU The Penn State Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual Student Alliance is seeking the support of LGBT organizations (and organizations representing other under-represented or minority groups) from around the country. Our Undergraduate Supreme Court recently denied student organization status to a proposed group called S.T.R.A.I.G.H.T. (Students reinforcing adherence in general heterosexual tradition). From S.T.R.A.I.G.H.T.'s constitution: "The purpose of STRAIGHT is to provide students with an official and formal organization in which they can express their views regarding the refusal to accept or support homosexuality, as well as provide peer support for inter-heterosexual matters. STRAIGHT will also function as a lobby organization providing such students the ability, and means, to participate in furthering their related political agendas. Furthermore, STRAIGHT is committed to deterring the inclinations of intolerant individuals who engage in any actions that are not purely political, or in any way suggest animosity." The last line of this statement was added after we intercepted an email message between STRAIGHT members in which specific gay-bashing acts were discussed. We are proud of our student Justices, and hope this major step toward a tolerant and respectful campus community sets the standard for other Universities. We agree with the Court's decision which in no way infringe' s upon the rights of individuals to exercise their First Amendment rights to free speech and freedom of assembly. There are several things you and your organization can do to help. 1.) Pass this message along to other minority organizations. Here at Penn State we are witnessing something spectacular....this controversy has galvanized the spirit and hope of our many diverse organizations; we feel this can happen at other Universities as well. 2.) Send letters of support to our Justices, who have courageously established an unprecedented standard of hope. 3.) Send us your suggestions, advice, comments, and hopefully, support, as we prepare for the legal battle that looms ahead if the leader of STRAIGHT takes this matter to court. 4.) Make this issue the focus of a discussion group at your next meeting or workshop event. We've found many of our members were inspired and empowered by this campus-wide debate. 5.) Contact your campus media and encourage them to cover your group's reaction. The media attention surrounding this story is growing; use it to enhance visibility of your group on the local level. To email our brave Supreme Court Justices, please contact: Jit Chatterjee, Dawn Brown, Desha Girod, Aaliya Bokhari, Tonilyn Chippie, Bryan Weis, and Winfield Turpin. Emails: bxc137@psu.edu, dnb106@psu.edu, dmg190@psu.edu, tmc143@psu.edu, bcw118@psu.edu, wnt103@psu.edu Thanks for your time, Duane Gildea Lesbian Gay Bisexual Student Alliance 310 HUB University Park, PA 16802 lgbsa@psu.edu 814-865-3327 --------------45A45E757B8E-- --------- End forwarded message ---------- .