Newspapers / Lambda (Carolina Gay and … / March 1, 1989, edition 1 / Page 7
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flnti-CGLBfl continued fnm page 1 Lesbians and Gay men are constant victims of discrimination from our society. Many employers, including our own federal government, can refuse to hire us because of our sexual orientation. We are often physically and verbally threatened because we are Gay--in 1988, North Carolina reported more instances of anti-Gay violence than any other state in the US. Because we are Gay, we cannot adopt children, buy joint life insurance with our partner, or receive other benefits given to heterosexual couples. As Gay people, this discrimination will follow us the rest of our lives (unless we have a revolution, which, unfortunately, looks unlikely). This is what makes us very different from bisexual people. Bisexuals can be discriminated against because they are participating in Gay relationships or in the Gay life, but bisexuals have the option to become involved in a heterosexual relationship and suddenly all this discrimination vanishes. At any time, a bisexual can say, "I can't take all this hatred and discrimination any more. I want to have a heterosexual relationship. I want to get married and make my grandparents happy, have 2.35 children and live a normal married life." A friend of mine said the other day that all the bisexuals he knew in college are now married. Lesbians and Gay men will never be able to pass for heterosexual and avoid discrimination. I will never be able to walk down the street holding hands with my lover without being harassed. It is because of this discrimination against Gay people that CGLA exists. I am very proud of the role CGLA has played and will continue to play here at UNC. I think that our single most important function is to make Lesbians and Gay men visible. I will never forget that as a first year studnet I was able to see what other Gay people look like--that they were not ugly losers, but smart, funny and damn cute. Adding bisexual to our name would weaken that message. We would no longer be the queers of Garolina. We could, possibly, have two co-chairs who were involved in heterosexual relationships. That would present a very different face to the UNC campus. I'm sure bisexual students have their own set of problems I know nothing about. There are plenty of ways to address these problems other than adding "bisexual" to the name of an organization formed for the support of Lesbian and Gay students. Lesbians and Gays have won the rights and support we have now because of hard work. If bisexuals are really in need of support, why don't they do^ something about it? A panel on bisexuality at Awareness Week (join our Awareness Week Committee--all applicants accepted), discussions at meetings, and perhaps separate meetings of bisexuals (akin to the now-famous Lesbian Lunch)(perhaps a Bisexuality Breakfast???) come to my mind immediately. Last year, a man came to CGLA who said he and several bisexual friends wanted to start a regular meeting/support group. We offered him the use of our name for reserving meeting rooms and some assistance with advertising costs. Unfortunately he never came back. However, I think that an individual with similar, but more persistent, initiative would again receive' the support of CGLA. Adding bisexual to our name would mean that as an organization we would work to address the specific needs of bisexual students. I love my bisexual friends dearly, but I have no desire to fight for their rights to have heterosexual relationships. The support that bisexual students seek and receive from CGLA is needed because those students are involved in or are seeking homosexual relationships. We should remain the Carolina Gay and Lesbian Association and continue to work to make UNC a better place. --Pippa Holloway NEW ORGANIZATION FOR EDUCATORS CONCERNED WITH GAY AND LESBIAN YOUTH The Gay and Lesbian Equity in Academia Network (GLEAN), a leadership project for gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth, was launched in Washington DC late in 1988. The project will create a continuous national clearinghouse for the equity and access work being done by educators and other professionals, theorists, and groups on the community and national levels. The goal is to foster the sharing of information and experience in policy and service delivery regarding high school and college-aged youth who are or are perceived to be lesbian, gay, or bisexual. GLEAN will also maintain open lines of communication between leaders of the Gay and Lesbian movement, educational workers, and youth. For more information, contact: National Student Educational Fund/1012 14th St. NW, Suite 207/Washington DC 20005/ (202) 347-USSA. L.
Lambda (Carolina Gay and Lesbian Association, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
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March 1, 1989, edition 1
7
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