Sex club would require serious interest
Mark Baldridge
Diversions h'ditor_
I’ve never been whal you’d call
a “flaming” heterosexual. I have to
admit I relate to bisexuals better
than the strictly homo or hclero
among my friends, and in some
ways “bi” seems the most natural
way to be, to me.
Still, I’ve never made love to a
man — I guess that pretty much
bars me from the queer club.
I find that disappointing because
ever since? I found out there were
studentgroups specifically for queer
students, I’ve been jealous. I want
to join a club that centers on sexual
expression, loo.
' l realize there are strong social
and political issues that revolve
around the homosexual issue, but
• you have to admit it’s got a little to
do with who you sleep with. Or at
least who you’d like to sleep with.
And that’s enough to make the
whole phenomenon ofgay/lesbian
organiza
tions kind
of cool
and a little
weird.
Before
there
were stu
d e n t
queer
clubs
there
weren’t
any
"Straight People Looking to Have
Sex” clubs — or maybe there were
and we just called them other things.
Still, there wasn’t anything quite
sq “out” in the straight community.
Rut now that queer students have
shown the way, I don’t see why
they should be the only ones to
play.
I want to start a sex club. It
would be a student organization
and have a volunteer staffed office
in the Nebraska Union, It would be
a place for those who like sex — or
who would like to learn to like sex
better — to gather and talk about
the issues of sex and sex u a I ex pres
sion.
You think I’m kidding, but I’m
not.
Anyone would l>e welcome. The
only criterion: a serious interest in
sex.
There would be a lot of empha
sison becoming more sensitive and
better lovers. Women and men,
both queer and straight, would be
encouraged to speak frankly about
what they wou Id like to see happen
in the field of sex Everyone would
be encouraged to take into consid
eration the feelings and desires,
even the fears, of others.
The danger is that sex might
become over-intellecluali/ed. We
— tt
I want to start a sex club. It would be a student
organization and have a volunteer staffed office
in the Nebraska Union. It would be a place for
those who like sex.
--
wouldn’t want to do that.
Sowewouldsponsorsocialgath
erings as well as seminars — we’d
have potlucks and dances; hire
bands, rent halls and turn the lights
down low.
I think it’s a great idea,
Because a lot of people could
use a little liberation, and not just
the straights among us.
There arc all kinds of closets to
come out of. The closet is awfully
big and until there’s some place,
some venue for all of us to talk
about the things that trouble us or
turn us on there’s going to be a lot
of people fumbling around among
theoldshoes.wintercoatsanddusty
cardboard boxes.
The first step out of the closet
has got to be to turn on the light.
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In or out?"
Coming out vs. outing sparks controversy in homosexual community
Celebrity, Public Servant, Religious
Leader, Homosexual.
Why did I out you? Can you possibly be
asking that question as you shield your face
from the flashing bulbs and pressing micro
phones? Your denial of my accusations is
futile. Now will you listen to me?
As a celebrity, you possessed power and
influence that 1 could only dream of. You
were a role model and a familiar face to
millions of people. But you were a false role
model, hiding your true self from your
public.
My refusal to hide my identity stripped
me of my rights. F.very day that I fought to
regain these rights, I saw you enjoying these
rights and ignoring my fight. Fvcry day, I
grew angrier.
By outing you, I have affected millions of
people in a way 1 could never have done
alone. Millions of people now know some
one who is gay. Outing you was a necessity.
That’s my fight.
As my publieservant, I asked you, begged
you to hear my voice. I never requested
special privileges, only the same rights guar
anteed everyone else. Time and again, you
let me down. You were elected to serve the
people. I’m a taxpayer. You arc my servant
too.
You said that your private life was your
own business. My refusal to hide in shame
made me a victim of your politics. My private
life became your business,
ana inai maac your pri
vate life my business.
By outing you, I have
only subjected you to the
restrictions of your own
policies—the policies you
I_I_I__...___I_
neipeu perpetuate ana re
fused to help eliminate.
As my religious leader,
I pleaded with you to ac
cept me. You called me
"sinner," ordered repen
tance, and refused accep
tance. With passion, you
denounced me and my
people. Pointing a con
demning finger, you noi only rejected me
from your world, but condoned my extermi
nation.
Millions of people heard your voice and
rallied behind you and your prejudice. By
outing you I have exposed the hypocrisy of
your organization. By outing you I have
returned the haired you have flung at me.
Outing you was a pleasure. Thai’s my fight.
— Matt Govt); is a UNI. alumni and Diversions
contributor.
Every lime 1 qumc oul in any situation, it
is a decision I question very thoroughly.
Coming oul is something I consider to be
very personal.
Coming out lor me also
involves an inherency of
politics because being a
lesbian automatically
makes me political.
When I think about the
concept of outing, I think
about both its personal and
political ramifications.
1 believe that when
someone is outed, it takes
away their personal right
loehoose whether tocome
out or not.
It will affect them politi
cally, because il wi4l
changesocicty’s perception of them forever.
If I had been outed before I was ready to
come out, the personal ramifications would
have made my life extremely difficult.
I probably would have lost my family’s
love. I might have lost my job. I would have
lost the support of many of my friends. And
I might even have become the target of gay
bashing.
No one has the right to put me or the
people in my life through any of these
situations.
It is almost impossible not to internalize
the homophobic doctrine we all arc brought
up to believe. We see the hatred, hear the
jokes and witness the beatings. I low can a
person not be afraid of life outside of the
closet?
This fear is justified by the fact that,
according to the National Gay and Lesbian
Task Force, 62 people were murdered in the
United Stales in 1989 because of their same
sex orientation.
If a person is not emotionally ready to
cope with this persecution, the emotional
scars can be devastating. I have heard too
many stories of individuals, outed by the
military, who have taken their lives because
they believed they were incapable of surviv
ing after being outed
The possibility that one life may be lost
because of outing is a risk that I am not
willing to take for any cause.
— I.isc Johnston Is a forestry major and Diver
sions contributor.
