monday, april 17, 1978
page 4
daily nebraskan
(
'I am gay,
no one knows'
As I expected, National Blue Jeans
Day received some adverse comments.
How sad.
I am gay, for the most part, no one
knows.
I do not hurt anyone by being gay,
except those who choose to be hurt. I
do not hang out in bathrooms, have
limp wrists or molest children.
I could be your brother, your sister,
your father, your mother or your
friend!
I am a unique person, yet I am just
the same as anyone else, except that I
love (yes, there is love involved) a mem
ber of my own sex.
I do not wear strange cloths (unless
you count my color coordination,
which is atrocious). Sure, there are some
pretty weird gay people, just as there
are some weird straights, weird
Catholics, weird blacks and weird
English majors.
But there also are some decent
straights, Catholics, blacks and English
majors. (Some of my best friends are
straight Catholic black English majors.)
I can't believe so many people would
deliberately change their everyday attire
because they are-afraid, I guess.
It seems to me that the people who
are the most outspoken against gay
people are the ones the most unsure
about themselves. Anita Bryant must be
awfully insecure.
Truly heterosexual people are not
bothered by gays because they know
where they stand. That's fine with me.
What's right for me may or may not be
what's right for anyone else.
I don't tell people how to live their
lives, and I would hope they wouldn't
try to tell me how to live mine.
I wore blue jeans Friday. (Maybe I
needed to do my laundry and it's all I
had left!)
If you know who I am, come tell me.
I will not deny having written this
letter. The point is, you can't.
I'm no different than anyone else.
Except perhaps more at peace with my
self than those who need to harass
others.
The Daily Nebraskan policy is that
letters to the editor must carry a name,
telephone number, grade level and
major of the writer, although special
consideration will be made for with
holding names. However, an occasion
sometimes arises where a letter sub
mitted without a name is seriously and
logically addressing current issues. This
letter is one of those occasions.
RHA move adds red tape
The Residence Hall Association
wants to allocate more of the stu
dents' money that administration
now controls.
In a proposal presented at the
Thursday RHA meeting, president
Mike Gibson said giving RHA distri
bution powers would tend to unite
the living units behind RHA and
guard against administrators ignoring
RHA recommendations.
Although Gibson's first argument
is a legitimate one, the second is a bit
off base.
As the allocation now stands, the
$3.50 of the room and board fees
automatically goes back to the resi
dence hall the student lives in.
It is an equitable, clear way of
allocation. The per capita allocation
is not mired in red tape as many
other budgeting processes in buerau
cracies are. ,
True. The proposal does give RHA
more power, but it is a messy, time
consuming way of doing it.
RHA should think twice before
endorsing it and find a better way to
unite the residence halls behind
RHA.
Talk comes out of closet
It faded away without much
hassle, but in its wake was much dis
cussion. National Blue Jeans Day elicited
much discussion Friday of gay
activism and many people showed
their biases.
Perhaps discussion was the point
of the entire scheme. Homosexuality
is something that needs to be
brought out into the open and talked
about. Talk about homosexuality,
like many homosexuals, is still lock
ed into the closet.
With frank knowledge that homo
sexuality exists around us, we are
inhibited to touch the subject in dis
cussions. Of course, there were the many,
many rude and unintelligent com
ments that are often thrown about in
any talk about homosexuality, but
there also was discussion of gay
rights or gay rights to exist.
If nothing else, National Blue
Jeans Day may have prompted some
thought, not just (comment.
Greeks, Independents need to be openminded, cooperate
The animosity cannot continue to go
unrecognized, the rudeness is too loud and
obnoxious. The din of the conflict is re
markable in contrast to the silence which
occurs when the problem begs for answers.
I am speaking of the residence hall
campus vs. Greek antagonism.
michael
mkunen
It's amazing how little public acknow
ledgement this problem receives consider
ing its frequency. It's a negative aspect of
campus relations, one that is difficult to
deal with; everyone seems a little embarras
sed to talk about it in public and would
rather deny it's existence or lessen it's
significance. But it's an undeniable fact and
perhaps one that needs to be dealt with
more extensively than it has in the past.
The conflict is not one that lends itself
to large groups yelling and rioting against
the other. Rather, it is a much subtler
individualistic type aimed at the more per
sonal level, with perhaps less specific
objectives than the former, more open
type! But nonetheless, it is a negative
force.
Does identifying yourself as either
Greek or Independent automatically put
you into conflict with the other? Some
times yes, sometimes no, depending on the
situation.
It seems there are isolated parties in
each group which makes this the rule
rather than the exception. And there are
isolated parties, with big mouths and little
brains, who unheedingly do great damage
to relations with their narrow-minded
actions.
I am speaking of the Greeks who
position themselves on their rooftops and
hurl obscenities and debris at passing
people and cars. Very impressive guys. I'm
speaking of people coming back from bars,
tossing bottles through windows in Greek
houses and destroying their property. Real
sharp.
What is ironic is that neither of the
groups have real legitimate gripes about the
other, outside of isolated instances blown
out of proportion; it appears to be a case
of guilt by association.
Neither of the groups makes an effort to
learn about the other or to cooperate in
any type of activities extracurricular
activities of each exclude participation of
the other except in intramurals.
Perhaps both groups could be a little
more open-minded about the other, and
try to see the other's perspective. Doesn't
it seem rather odd that a person can have
friends who are Greeks or Independents,
and yet not hesitate to condemn the other
at the first opportunity?
Leaders in both groups might consider
tackling this problem in an effort to allevi
ate further negative reactions. Exchange
dinners, shared parties or F.A.C.'s with
ALL invited! It's an obvious chance to
improve relations where not much
attention has been heeded in the past.
It's so much easier to condemn someone
behind their back rather than offer a hand
and smile in friendship and try to under
stand them.
The time is right to take the harder
course and the initiative to improve a
problem situation.
It will be interesting to see how mature
and far-sighted each group can be; the
potential for a constructive, powerful
relationship exists between these groups on
campus. Let's realize that potential and
make it work.
to th ditof
With the arrival of spring and the
appearance of many bicycles among uni
versity students and faculty, the article on
laws that affect bicycle use was an excel
lent idea. I must comment, though, on
some parts of the presentation.
Bicycle operation is prohibited no
where in Lincoln except on the Interstate.
Many of the arterial routes carry heavy
traffic at high speeds; thus, they are
hazardous for slower traffic, particularly
bicycles.
Any bicycle used after dark must be
equipped with the light and reflectors
stated in the ordinance.
The purpose of the lights and reflectors,
of course, is to increase visibility. At night
a bicycle without lights or reflectors and
ridden by a person wearing dark clothes
cannot be seen by someone driving a car.
One of the most important parts of the
laws affecting bicycle operation is the re
quirement that bicycles are subject to all
traffic laws.
Sidewalks in congested commercial
districts are off limits to bicycles, although
a bicyclist can always become a pedestrian
and walk his bike on the sidewalks.
William Wayne
Lincoln Bicycle Safety committee member
Jeans ridicule
I was disappointed with the reactions
and comments I heard expressed about
National Blue Jeans Day.
First, I would like to compare the
homophile movement with the abortion
issue. Many have strong values against
abortion and would never consider it for
themselves, yet they believe that under
varying circumstances the woman should
have the right to choose whether or not she
should have one. It is a matter of personal
choice.
This country professes freedom for all.
This includes political and religious beliefs
and preferences along with values. Does
this mean that one should try to force
one's own preferences upon others simply
because those of the latter are different
from one's own and when they in turn do
not attempt to force their's upon others?
Who can say for sure that homosexual
ity and lesbianism are wrong? Sex itself
was once considered to be against all
morals if it was enjoyed. It was only con
sidered right if solely for the purpose of
procreation. Fornication was and still is a
bad word. There are still laws against it.
However, the rate of premarital inter
course is amazingly high considering this
fact.
I admit that my own sexual preference
is heterosexual I only support the homo
phile movement because I believe it is a
right for all humans to be entitled to their
own preferences. It is a value of freedom of
beliefs which our country professes and
seeks as an ideal.
I am not against those who are against
the homophile movement. I am only some
what disappointed that there are so many
closed minds.
They have the right not to support
movements they do not believe in. But
why put a movement down and ridicule it
if it has no affect on your personality?
It would probably be just as easy to ignore
the issue completely and just be yourself.
Anne Fenderson
Senior psychology and sociology major
It's your return
that counts!
March of Dimes
m m iS wr-nm
TMI8 SPACE CONTRIBUTED Br THE PUBU3MA