Ohnion
Iif'-r
Nebraskan
Editorial Board
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Chris llopfensperger.Editor, 472-1766
Dionne Searcey..Opinion Page Editor
Kris Karnopp.Managing Editor
Alan Phelps. Wire Editor
Wendy Navratil.Writing Coach
Stacey McKenzie .Senior Reporter
Jeremy Fitzpatrick..Columnist
The right to fight
UNL should protest, promote democracy
George Bush, the man attempting to be rc-clcctcd as the
leader of this country, is attacking the very reason for
which the United States was created — democracy.
Bush has criticized Bill Clinton for having helped organize
demonstrations against the Vietnam War 23 years ago. At the
time, Clinton was studying at Oxford University in England.
Bush’s actions have been labeled as McCanhyism. He obvi
ously is stirring up trouble where trouble is nowhere to be found.
Bush tries to pass off spreading these tidbits of information as
giving examples of Clinton’s character Haws. But the damage
runs deeper.
By criticizing Clinton’s actions, Bush crushes the heart and
soul of democracy — the right
to protest. Americans’ views
need to be heard, no matter
where in the world citizens
are. Clinton wasn’t afraid to
speak up for his cause.
But here on the Univer
sity of Ncbraska-Lincoln, the
spirit of America seems to lie
dormant.
^Ijjljj; ^ Only a handful ol
■PJHJHHB students showed up Friday and
I Monday
to protest the celebration of
Columbus Day, a holiday that
■■WBMU shouldn’t be.
Brian sheiiito/DN Jed Smock, a traveling
evangelist, sparked more enthusiasm on campus when he enter
tained students with his sideshow of biblc-banging, racist, sexist
remarks. Smock attracted a large group of students outside
Broyhill Fountain who did their best to vent their own views on
the world.
Bui when real issues louch campus, UNL students keep their
feelings bottled up and their picket signs in their closets.
Where arc the protests for or against U.S. action in Yugosla
via? Somalia is starving to death and outsiders would think UNL
students don’t care.
Some students were actively involved in protests last year
during the Persian Gulf war. But worldwide catastrophes
shouldn’t be the only lime students speak up.
Why arc no students holding signs outside Varner Hall to call
for a more diverse faculty staff? Fewer than 10 protestors held
signs of opposition when former drug czar William Bennet spoke
at the Lied Center for Performing Arts in September. Students
this year haven ’t even been sli rred to action by parking. —
Gone arc the good ol’ days of tree huggers in Cooper Park who
clung to branches in an effort to save the trees from the City of
Lincoln’s plans for an athletic field.
Protests arc the essence of America. People voicing their
opinions arc actively seeking true democracy.
No matter where a protest lakes place, no one can be blamed
for taking a stand for-their beliefs. And here on campus, students—
just plain need to get involved.
As Bob Marlcy would say: “Get up, stand up.”
Staff editorials represent the official policy of the Fall 1992 Daily Nebraskan. Policy is set by
the Daily Nebraskan Editorial Hoard. Editorials do not necessarily reflect the views of the
university, its employees, the studentsorthe NU Hoard of Regents, {editorial columns represent
the opinion of the author. The regents publish the Daily Nebraskan. They establish the UNL
Publications Hoard to supervise the daily production of the paper. According to policy set by
the regents, responsibility for the editorial content of the newspaper lies solely in the hands of
its students.
Die Daily Nebraskan welcomes brief letters to the editor from all readers and interested others.
Letters will be selected lor publication on the basis of clarity, onginality, timeliness and space
available. I he Daily Nebraskan retains the right to edit or reject all material submitted. Readers
also are welcome to submit material as guest opinions. 'Die editor decides whether material
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Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St., Lincoln, Neb- 68588-0448.
I AMY StOlfcIS OF \NTCtUGEMT
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WAIT A MINUTE !
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OutWeek awareness encouraged
On Oct. 11,1987, several hundred
thousand people participated in the
“March on Washington for Lesbian
and Gay Rights.” The march was or
ganized to draw the nation’s attention
to the needs of the gay, lesbian and
bisexual community.
To commemorate this historic
event, the gay, lesbian and bisexual
community has celebrated National
Coming Out Day on October 11. The
goal is to increase the visibility of the
queer community.
On this campus the Gay & Lesbian
Student Association is sponsoring
OutWeek ’92, from last Sunday to
Saturday. Several events arc sched
uled throughout the week.
I encourage all students to take
advantage of these events to learn
about the largest minority group on
this campus.
I also encourage all the gay, les
bian and bisexual members of this
campus to celebrate this week by tak
ing your next step in the coming-out
process.
Coming out involves not a single
event but a series of phases. Coming
out begins with accepting yourself for
who you arc and overcoming the in
ternal homophobia that society leaches
all ol us. Itmcansacknowlcdging that
you arc gay, lesbian or bisexual and
realizing that you still arc a good
person.
coming out progresses through a
private sharing of this acceptance and
incorporating it into your life. This
involves telling people about your
orientation and becoming more a
member of the queer community.
Succcssand acceptance with com
ing out privately may ultimately lead
to a public phase where one is open
and free to be exactly who she or he is.
This may involve refusing to pass as
hclcroscx ual and lak ing a stand agai nst
the oppression in our society against
the queer community.
lodraw from my own experience,
I am very public about being queer.
Not only do I share freely this infor
mation with others, but I also have
been quoted often in the press.
Nevertheless, each time I meet
someone new, 1 come out privately
with that person through sharing who
I am.
Furthermore, each time I share
myself with someone new I have a
personal experience. I sometimes ex
perience a moment of concern or ap
prehension about how a person might
I react. Other times, I may start to hold
myself back and feel myself creating
distance. No matter how public I am
about my sexuality, I still continue to
have personal reactions to sharing
myself with others.
No matter what stage of the com
ing-out process, I urge you to “Take
Your Next Step” to heart.
The message can be applied to
those of you who arc in the personal
phase of ridding yourself of negative
images that surround being gay or
lesbian and becoming comfortable
with yourself.
For the private phase, the message
may mean telling someone for the
first time, telling your parents or at
tending an event sponsored by a queer
organization.
For those ready to come out in a
public way, it may mean writing a
letter to the editor of your school
newspaper or bringing up the issue of
queer culture in your multi-cultural
education class.
Whatever phase or place you are
in, I encourage you to lake that next
step.
For most people coming out is a
very scary thing. It means being hon
est with ourselves and others about
who we arc and the people we love.
The rewards for being truthful arc
great, and the self-respect and self
esteem that follows cannot be ex
plained until you experience it for
yourself.
wiicii gays, icsmans or Discxuais
come out, it means they now can share
more of themselves and their lives
with others. It also means they will
have more of an opportunity to vali
date their own life and lifestyle.
On the other hand, gay, lesbian or
bisexual people fear coming out be
cause it is possible that others may
reject, disown, damn or discontinue
love or friendship with them.
This concern is based on a lack of
trust in people and in the genuineness
of relationships. It also is based on a
lack of trust in their ability to survive
such rejection.
If you arc afraid that somc
^ one important will withdraw
p their love from you when
^ you tell them about your
sexuality, 1 think it is f
important to ask ifes
^ yourscllThisqucs
m lion: Isthcircur
^ rent love for
you based
n
on who you really are or on their
beliefs about who you arc?
If this love is conditional, then I
would question the value of that love.
If your fears were justified and a
person you tell rejects you, you no
longer have to work to maintain a
relationship based on a lie, and you
are free to establish closer relation
ships with others who will genuinely
be there for you.
A lot of people consider their sexu
ality to be very personal and believe
that there is no need to come out in a
public way. But being gay, lesbian or
bisexual is a public issue whether you
like it or not.
Our sexuality is a public issue as
long as we don’t have full protection
under the law and we can be openly
discriminated against. It’s a public
issue as long as Oregon and Colorado,
can have initiatives coming up in the
next general election that would for
bid legislators to outlaw anti-gay dis
crimination.
Homosexuals are not disliked be
cause of who we arc but because of the
beliefs that people have about us. The
best way to change these beliefs is for
people to get to know us, and they
can’t get to know us if we remain in
the closet.
According to some estimates, il
every gay, lesbian and bisexual per
son were to come out to their families
and friends, we would impact 70 per
cent of the population. I believe 70
percent is a conservative estimate.
Finally, I would like to add that
coming out not only happens on Na
tional Coming Out Day or during
Oulwcck ’92, but il needs to happen
everyday when the opportunity arises.
Treat yourself and other people
who are gay, lesbian or bisexual with
respect, and I hope in the process
others will follow.
Paul A. Moore is a senior speech commu
nication major and a Daily Nebraskan arts
and entertainment reporter.
