n
friday, October 9, 1981
lincoln, nebraska vol. 107 no. 33
Copyright Daily Nebraskan 1981
u
7-member panel
urges civil rights
for gays, lesbians
By Melinda Norris
The religious, psychological and political aspects of ho
mosexuality were analyzed by a seven-member panel
Thursday evening in an effort to rouse support for a les
biangay rights amendment to the Lincoln Commission on
Human Rights Ordinace. The amendment will be recom
mended to the Lincoln City Council Nov. 14.
Entitled "Civil Rights for Lesbians and Gay Men," the
presentation brought together a variety of panelists, in
cluding state Sen. Steve Fowler, the Rev. Ben Roe of the
United Methodist Church and Scott Stebelman of the Lin
coln Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Civil Rights.
About 60 people heard the panelists discount myths,
disclose homosexual discrimination and stress the civil
rights of lesbians and gays in a 55-minute discussion fol
lowed by a question-and-answer session.
"Homosexuality is a distinct minority group," began
Professor James Cole, director of the clinical psychology
training program at UNL.
"It (homosexuality) is something that has been in exis
tence and continues to exist very significantly in our soci
ety," he said.
Mary Kay Reed, assistant professor of psychology at
Nebraska Wesleyan University, explained homosexuality
as an "adoptive means of expressing sexuality.'
"There is no perfect or most adoptive means of matur
ing," she said. "There are many different ways. There are
also a variety of adopted means of expressing sexuality."
Reed listed celibacy, heterosexuality and bisexuahty
as other means.
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Daily Nebraskan photo
A panel discusses civil rights for gay men and lesbians Thursday night in the Nebraska Union Rostrum. Included in
the presentation were James Cole, the Rev. Ben Roe, Mary Kay Reed, moderator Dick Kurtenbach, state Sen.
Steve Fowler, D. Alicen and Scott Stebelman.
Taking the issue from a minister's point of view, Roe
said, "The importance of the person is the most impor
tant part."
A person has the need for the basic security of living,
such as income and housing, and has the need to be ac
cepted into the community, Roe said.
Roe said that Mainline' denominations, except the
Catholic Church, support homosexuals.
Agreeing with United Methodist Church policy state
ment, Roe said, "All persons are equally valuable in the
sight of God."
Fowler expressed the realities of getting a civil rights
amendment passed by the city council.
Groundwork has to be done on changing the public's
attitude, and political action must be taken, Fowler said.
"This translates into workers, money and votes,"
Fowler said. "This is a long term fight, several years. It
may not just happen in a few months."
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Germans visit Nebraska
Photo by Mark Biilingsley
Heinhardt Fenstel relaxes on the grass outside of Selleck Quadrangle. A native
of Berlin, West Germany, Fenstel and a friend are touring the United States by
bus.
By Tricia Waters
The man sat on a pad eating his
lunch and drinking milk. When he
finished, he put some things in his back
pack propped on the grass beside him.
He was camped out for awhile Thurs
day on the grass south of Selleck Quad
rangle, taking it easy for a few hours. He
and a friend arrived on the bus Wednes
day night. His friend was exploring the
city.
Speaking English with a heavy Ger
man accent, Reinhard Fenstel, 25, of
the West German sector of Berlin, sat in
the sun outside Selleck Quadrangle and
told of his two-week trip from New
York. He and his friend, Jurgen
Knuppel, 26, of Berlin, are traveling
' across the United States.
The men are traveling by bus and
have already visited New York, Michi
gan, Chicago and Lincoln. In another
day, they will continue on their way to
Cheyenne, Wyo., Salt Lake City, Las
Vegas, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
They plan to spend a few days in
each city, then go to New Orleans and
eventually, Florida.
Fenstel said he has found traveling is
expensive in the United States compar
ed to in Europe. Staying in YMCA's can
get expensive, he said.
In Chicago, Fenstel saw the Chicago
Tribune's account of the assassination
of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat.
"I was shocked by the assassination,"
he said.
He said the paper's praise of Sadat
was a nice tribute to the man.
Fenzel has traveled around Europe
but had never seen the United States.
He said he likes traveling in France be
cause of the people.
When the travelers return to Berlin,
Fenzel will look for a job in automotive
engineering. He recently graduated from
the University of Berlin. Knuppel is
studying electronics in Berlin.
"It's the last chance for me to make
a large trip," Fenzel said. When he
begins working, he won't have time to
travel as he has in the past, he said.
Fenzel said life in the United States
seems a little more difficult than it is in
Berlin. He said people have a harder
time finding a job in the United States.
Senate moves some meetings to Cultural Center
By Melinda Norris
Over protests that a procedural change would cater to
minority interests and damage the continuity of ASUN
Senate meetings, the senate voted 19-6-3 in favor of hold
ing its second meeting of the month at the Cultural
Center, 1012 N. 16th St.
Introducing the bill to the floor, Sen. Teresa Zeilinger
said the policy change would make the senate "more vis
able to minority students."
"To a lot of students, the Cultural Center is a student
union," she said. "All of us are white students, mostly
upper middle class. We are not representing them
(minorities) very well."
By moving one meeting a month to the Cultural
Center, the senate will give other students a chance to get
involved, she said.
"We will not lead them by the hand and get them in
volved," Zeilinger said, but give them an opportunity to
see what's going on,"
Holding senate meetings at the Cultural Center results
from an observation made by Sen. Tim Rinne at the Sept.
23 meeting. After the senate confirmed about 50 appoint
ments to various committees, commissions and senatorial
positions, Rinne noted that all appointees were Caucasian.
He asked whether the senate could involve minority stu
dents. While agreeing that the senate should involve more
minority students, Sen. Tracy Thompson said holding
senate meetings in thcCultural Center would be the "easy
way out."
"We need to go out and get people involved," she said,
"but Wednesdays are not the time. Not when we are
voting on legislation.
"What people are going to sit through parlimentary
procedure for two and a half hours?"
Thompson challenged the senators to visit the Cultural
Center and meet its leaders.
'The unions are facilities for all students," Thompson
said. "They can easily come in and see a meeting."
Continued on Page 15
Dl
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,o
frsdlay
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get career-oriented too soon Page 10
Turner's Turn: Quarterback Turner Gill will get his first
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Saturday at Memorial Stadium Page 12
The Other Taj Mahal: An interview with Taj Mahal, blues
and jazz musician Page 16