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A van is parked near the fairgrounds
where cars are not usually parked. Two
officers spot it and decide to make a
routine check.
They look in the windows-two males
are observed inside performing oral
copulation. The officers observe them for
a few minutes and decide to arrest the
men.
The two men are charged with sodomy
(a felony) and it is probably a clear-cut
case, since the officer had observed the
act.
Events similar to this often lead to the
arrest of homosexuals, according to
Inspector Robert Sawdon, of the Lincoln
Police Department (LPD). He said
undercover agents are sometimes used.
However, most arrests are made after the
crime is committed in an officer's
presence, if a victim of sodomy complains
to the police department or if a witness
reports the act.
Sawdon said more male homosexuals
are arrested than female.
If a landlord complained about women
homosexuals having sex in their
apartment, Sawdon said officers would
probably be sent to check the situation.
"If they're in there alone, I don't
suppose we're going to get too excited
about it," he said. "We'd probably just
tell them to discontinue or to close the
blinds."
Not all homosexuals arrested are
charged with sodomy, according to
Sawdon, even if the act is committed in
an officer's presence. He said it is up to
the county attorney to decide what the
charges are. A homosexual might be
charged with assualt or disturbing the
peace instead of sodomy, he said.
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Dr. Kenneth Hubble
What happens to the arrested
homosexual on the University level? LPD
alerts Campus Security and they give a
list of arrests to Student Affairs,
according to Ronald Gierhan, assistnatin
Student Affairs.
Gierhan said the University
jurisdiction in such cases is questionable,
since all the arrests to date have been
made off campus.
"It's a time of great stress for the
individual," he said, "We want that
student to be aware of the counseling and
psychiatric resources we have here."
Gierhan said since he has been at UNL
there have only been two such cases, one
this year and one last year. No
disciplinary action was taken, he said, but
counseling was suggested to the student.
He said if the student refuses, further
action would have to be at least
considered.
"I tend to look at it (homosexuality)
as an emotional or psychological problem
which nees to be dealt with by
counseling, rather than by disciplinary
action."
Dr. Kenneth Hubble, chief psychiatrist
at University Health Center said, "About
all we can do is help them accept
themselves as they are and help them to
help themselves."
Hubble said homosexuals are
counseled not to overtly disobey the laws
set down by society. They are told to
"use horse sense." he said.
"We encourage them not to feel guilty,
to handle it in a healthy fashion, ine
auilt in hidina it is not so traumatic as the
guilt society makes them feel just for
being a homosexual," Hubble said.
He asked why some homosexuals want
to broadcast their sexuality. "If you had
diabetes you wouldn't broadcast it all
over town," he added.
Hubble said he is not in favor of
revokina all laws aaainst homosexuality.
although he said he thought a lot of the
laws were archaic. He said some laws are
needed or else homosexuals will take
advantage of the situation. They might
even try to qet children to become
homosexuals, he said.
The Rev. Wesley P. Hustad, pastor of
the First Baptist Church, said he counsels
a few homosexuals on campus, but it is
nnt common. He added he didn't think
any homosexual he . knows has made an
adjustment to life.
"It is a style of life condemned in the
scriDture. he said.
The Rev. Ronald L. Wiley, pastor of
St. Mark's on the Campus, said he takes
an impartial counselling approach. He
said he makes sure DeoDle who come to
him have access to professional help if
thev want it.
Wiley said the Bible condemns
iealousv and other things as much as
homosexuality. Homosexuality, itself,
cannot be labeled a greater sin, he said.