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sane decision
tono
Hostility lavished upon gay men and women by an
obstensibty "straight" society is unlikely to end with
psychiatrists' claim that homosexuality, after all these
years, is not a "mental illness." But an announcement
by the American Psychiatric Assoc. (APA) is the best
indication to date that the gay community is on its way
to achieving an equitable status with thosa of a
heterosexual preference.
In December, APA trustees ruled that homosexuality
no longer should be listed as a mental disorder and
urged that gay persons be afforded the same civil rights
guaranteed other citizens. A group of about 200
psychiatrists disgruntled by the same decision thereupon
petitioned the board to reconsider. Instead, the board
put the issue before APA members, who in a
referendum voted 5,854 to 3,810 to back the trustees.
In most American societies, a disclosure that a person
is gay often results in a virtual kiss of death. Almost
immediately, the person becomes a p3riah, looked upon
as a sufferer of a disease that has no enduring cure. If
the banner of homosexuality was known to fly over
their heads, gay persons often were fired from jobs or
denied employment, housing or public
accomodations-in short, denied their civil rights.
At least for the psychiatrists, the holding that
homosex is sick has been refuted. Whether a belligerent,
unsympathetic society now can be persuaded that
gayness is a way of life rather than a perversion remains
to be seen.
In any case, the decision promises to have a sharp
impact on the lives of the nation's gay community,
estimated to number between 11 and 20 million. It's
now up to the citizen to alter his or her prejudices
toward gays. But it won't be easy. Prejudice is a loose
idea tightly held.
Mary Vobori!
irv
tst Americans aliouj
an arrqgaa-fc, elite
of political adolescents
like CREEP to bypass
the regular party
organization and
a national election..
1 1 rw-
Copyright 1974 lin Angl-ll-l Timi Syndicate
s it
let's make a a
de
'Here, here! None of that ad-libbing!"
al.' or 'newlvwed aame ?
The world last week eagerly awaited the outcome
of the secret negotiating sessions held behind closed
doors at the Acapulco honeymoon cottage of Henry
Kissinger and the new Mrs. Kissinger.
Hopes for a productive meeting were raised when
observers reported seeing the two exchanging
"friendiy smiles" while stretching their legs In the
compound between the grueling sessions Inside the
cottage.
But they were dashed when a waiter serving
refreshments disclosed Kissinger appeared to htm to
be " wan and tired."
Fortunately, a tape recording of fin unidentified
couple, obviously negotiating, has been found washed
up on a nearby beach. For whatever its worth,
transcript is reprinted herewith.
He: Well, well, I can't wait to unpack my
overnight bag and two briefcases. This is a wonderful
honeymoon cottage and so perfectly fumished-a red
phone, a black phone, a white, a pink phone, two
Telex machines, a decoder.
She: Yes, isn't the pink phone romantic? But
don't forget, Henry, you promised. No telephone
calls. You really need to forget all your problems for
10 whole days.
He: Don't worry, dear. I spoke to Sadat, Golda,
King Feisal, the President and all the others. I have
their word nothing whatsoever will happen anywhere
until a week from Tuesday. So I'll just relax and curl
up with the paper...
She: I cancelled the paper, dear. I don't want you
thinking about your worries.
He: No paper? (a long pause) Now what'll we do?
She: Let's just sit by the pool and relax.
orthur hoppe
Sufi
He: Good idea. Follow me. OK now that weva sat
by the pool and relaxed, what'll we do?
She: Look at that moon, Henry. What does it
make you think about?
He: Whether our upcoming joint space effort with
the Russians will offend the Chinese, thus
endangering the delicate global balance of powers we
have achieved.
She: I love it when your voice gets all hi sky like
that. Henry? Do you think we could have a littta
homo of our own in the country some day?
He: Of course. I've always wanted a home in a
little country of my own some day.
She: And a son who could grow up to be
President?
He: Or even secretary of state. Now what'll we do?
She: Well, we could play cards.
He: How about dominoes? I have a theory about
dominoes. Or what about television. Maybe my
favorite program's on.
She: I'm tired of watching "Let's Make a Deal."
He: Well, then, perhaps I'll just have one little
telephone call to the White House before dinner. One
little telephone call never hurt anybody.
She: (alarmed): Henry, you promised! You know
how you are, dear. One call leads to another and first
thing you know, you'll be off on another global
talking binge.
He: (indignantly): I can take it or laave it along.
She: That's good, dear. So you just sit there and
relax. And stop biting your fingernails.
He: OK, I've sat and relaxed. Now what'll we do?
She: Well, we could-you know-go to bed.
He: Bed? I never go to bed before 2 a.m. local
standard time. Wait a minute, I want to make a few
phone calls and you want to go to bed. Oh, we're
going to have a perfect honeymoon!
She: You mean you'll call while I go to bed?
He: No, I mean we're going to have great fun
tog' her. Are you ready? (happily) OK, let's
negotiate. V
Copyright Chronlcl Publishing Co.)
3
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1 ".
.no m. o
Dear editor,
As our mainstream media room in on the
Academy Awards, streaking, sx, The Great Gatsby,
Th9 Godfather and The Exorcist, the starving of
literally millions of fellow human beings goes
unhearalded in Western and sub-Sahara Africa.
True, the Africans are not as pretty as Mia
Farrow.
True, they do not have the glamour of the
Academy Awards.
True, they are not as cool as Marlon Brando and
certainly have little nostalgia value.
It seems the world, especially the United States,
would have these Africans die in silence. This is
tragic.
A c.ountrv ij Immeasurab'v blessed In God'
bounty, as even the most pessimistic East Campus
student mot Hrnitf ewe: 5 grcstcr srni mute
charitable look to those people stewing in Africa.
One afflicted people, the Tuareg, are a farming
people. They are in their teventh year of drought.
Too pround to cry loudly for world recognition, they
humbly and quietly starve to death, 15,000 a day.
Unlike most causes, in this one there is something
the individual can do. Starve for a day yourself. Yes,
fast on either April 30, proclaimed National Day o
Fasting, Prayers and Humilation by Congress, or on
May 1, the day on which thousands of college
students across the country also will fast. This fast is
sponsored by Project Relief, a nonprofit organization
based in Rhode Island and dedicated to helping
drought victims. Send the money you would have
normally spent for food on your fast day to Ron
Clingenpcel, AS UN president, and he will forward it
to Project Relief.
You, as part of humanity, are the beneficiary.
Larry Pahl
Dear editor,
One thing I would like to comment on is the
general
srv
sort of anti-intellectual atmospi.eie om? is
confronted with at UNL. Along with the ordinary
siutient apathy mat is found everywhere, another
kind of indifference and avoidance of real intellectual
pursuits seems to be in evidence.
Of course, one has to be educated to value
education for its own sake. But isn't it a shame that
this important axiom often is forgotten or ignored in
the commonplace brown nosing, grubby race for
good grades. What is more important-whether a
student receives a B in Psychology 170 or whether he
or she 10 years from now will be able to apply the
principles he or she hopefully (but doubtfully) has
mastered.
I suppose that if the learning process is dry,
tedious and boring, it is because someone has made it
so. The professors' fault? I hardly think so. They only
have to live up to the expectations of the students,
who for the most part apparently don't care what
they are taught or how, so long as they can "ace" the
course.
Sometimes I wonder if UNL kids read, discuss and
think.
It's fine to sit and think and just sit at other times.
But to just sit and sit all the time and move to action
only to rah, rah at a football game can be a real dran.
P.M. Keller
page 4
daily nebrsskan
Wednesday, april 10, 1974
ft. X' . ' '
4v & 4
