March, 1991 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE
Page 5
Complaint about Kent Stater article dismissed
by Karen R. Schneiderman
Kent State University has dismissed a student's harassment complaint concerning a homophobic article in the school paper. Teri Burnside received her notice of dismissal from the university's Office of Affirmative Action on January 28.
Burnside had filed a student harassment incident complaint with the office last
November 1. She claimed that she had been harassed by Joe Cowley, associate sports editor of the Daily Kent Stater.
"Joe Cowley created an intimidating
and offensive academic, living and work environment with [his] remark that Bernie Kosar played football like he was wearing
Libya stops admission of gay group to United Nations
by Lou Chibbaro Jr.
A United Nations panel yesterday decided to 'defer' for two years a decision on whether to admit the International Lesbian and Gay Association into the U.N. as a nongovernmental organization.
The U.N.'s Committee on Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs), which consists of delegates from 19 countries, announced the postponement after the delegate from Libya called ILGA “"sexually immoral" and vowed never to approve its admission.
In its application form, ILGA stated that it works for the elimination of legal, social, cultural, and economic discrimination against lesbians and gay men in countries throughout the world. The group, which is based in Stockholm, Sweden, represents gay rights and AIDS activists groups in 50 countries covering all continents.
In deliberations in February, delegates to the NGO committee from Europe, Africa, and Latin America-who make up the overwhelming majority of the delegates expressed support for ILGA's admission. But opposition from a single country is enough either to veto or defer an admission under the committee's rules.
In a later NGO committee session, Libyan Delegate Abdussalam Serguwa indicated he was firmly opposed to ILGA's admission, said Lisa Power, ILGA's cosecretary-general. Power said Serguwa quoted passages from the Koran and called ILGA's gaols contrary to the Islamic "law of life" which he said dictates traditional family values.
According to Power, Serguwa said he would support a proposal to defer, rather than reject, ILGA's application as a conciliatory gesture to other delegates, who favored the group's admission. But Power said Serguwa insisted he would continue to oppose ILGA's application in the future.
Power and other ILGA officials said Serguwa's opposition appeared less hardened at last week's committee session. At that time, Serguwa and delegates from Oman and Sudan expressed reservations about ILGA's application but did not indi-
cated they were firmly against it. Power, a resident of England, and John Clark of Vienna, Austria, ILGA's other co-secretary general, had hoped delegates friendly to ILGA could persuade Serguwa to abstain.
blue jeans last Thursday-referring to the lesbian and gay men's National Coming Out Day," charged Burnside in her complaint. "Mr. Crowley's remark was a cheap shot [and] promotes and perpetuates hatred and contempt for homosexuals. I was thoroughly insulted, targeted, intimidated and
offended."
Burnside sought enforcement of the university's anti-harassment policy, which extends protection to students on the bases of sexual orientation.
Affirmative Action Office assistant director Ruby L. Marks indicated in a January 28 letter that her office would not conduct an investigation of Burnside's allegations. "Individual remarks which are derogatory towards women or men, minorities, or people of a particular sexual
orientation [do not] enable everyone in one of those classes to prosecute a complaint," the letter said.
Marks explained that, “An individual must have been the direct personal target of an act of discrimination or harassment to have standing to invoke the policy." Marks added that freedom of speech considerations prohibited the university from "devising a policy which prevents social commentary on an entire class of individuals in society."
Marks recommended that Burnside pursue a grievance against the Daily Kent Stater and Joe Crowley with the university's Journalism Publication Board. Burnside has already met with the paper's editor and intends to meet with the editor and the faculty advisor together within the next month. ▼
Noting that Libya is an Arab country, HRCF director Tim McFeeley to
Power said ILGA is seeking help from gay Arabs and their supporters in an effort to secure ILGA's admission in two years.
Criminal codes in Libya, Oman, and Sudan three of the Arab nations on the NGO Committee classify homosexual acts as crimes punishable by death.
ILGA has applied for status as an official member of the U.N.'s Economic and Social Council, which overseas human rights issues. Had it been accepted, the group would have been allowed to attend, speak before, and initiate proposals to key U.N. entities, including the influential U.N. Human Rights Council.
"We've very pleased that they did not turn us down outright," said Power. "We're also pleased that a clear majority wanted us in."
A written summary of last week's session released by the U.N.'s press office, shows that delegates from Ireland, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Burundi, France, Sweden, and Nicaragua expressed support for ILGA's admission.
Power said Ethiopian Delegate Heile Mariam Goshu was especially support, saying ILGA represents a legitimate minority whose human rights should be protected.
Power said other delegates, representing such countries as the Soviet Union, Cuba, and Iraq, did not take a position. The United States is not a member of the NGO committee.
U.N. observers say a deferment of an application for admission is considered a step above an outright rejection. However, observers say the NGO committee sometimes repeatedly "defers" a decision on applications, leading some to believe the deferment is a rejection in disguise.
Reprinted with permission from the Washington Blade.
speak at 10th Case conference
The Lesbian and Gay Student Union (LGSU) of Case Western Reserve University has announced that once again it will be holding the annual All-Ohio Gay and Lesbian Conference this spring.
This will be the conference's tenth year and the organizers are planning many informative workshops. The keynote speaker is scheduled to be Tim McFeeley, director of the Human Rights Campaign Fund.
The entire Cleveland lesbian and gay community is invited to participate. The conference will be held on April 27 from 9:00 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. at Thwing Student Center, located at 11111 Euclid Avenue, next to Severance Hall. Registration,
directions, and complete information will be in next month's Chronicle. For more upto-date information listen to GayWaves on WRUW, 91.1 FM Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m..
For more information you may contact us at the Lesbian and Gay Student Union, Thwing student activities, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, 44106, or you may contact the LGSU president, John Mills, directly at 7542142. The conference planning committee would like to apologize for this notice being so late, but due to financial concerns, planning was delayed.
Kent conference to feature 20th anniversary alumni reunion
The 1991 Gay and Lesbian Conference will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Kent Gay-Lesbian Foundation, formally the Kent Gay Liberation Front, the weekend of April 12-14, at Kent State University.
A reunion of KGLF alumni will be part of the three day conference, coinciding with Gay-Lesbian Heritage Week. The event will consist of a series of workshops, keynote speakers, an open forum, and alumni reception. Entertainment will also be provided.
Space is available for organizations to
distribute information and for vendors to sell merchandise.
Registration forms for the 1991 Gay and Lesbian Conference can be obtained from the Kent Gay-Lesbian Foundation, Box 17, KSU Student Center, Kent, OH 44242. For more information and input in the 20th anniversary alumni reunion, contact Dolores Noll at the above address or call 216672-2068.
We would like this conference to be the best in the 20 year history of KGLF. We hope to see you in Kent April 12 through 14.
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