Posted on 09/30/2005 11:19:28 AM PDT by Behind Liberal Lines
GENEVA — Katy Goodrich is straight.
But finding out four years ago that her brother is not was enough to prompt her to do whatever she could to support the gay movement.
“I’m sure he would do it for me, too,” said the William Smith College sophomore who organized a same-sex holding hands day Thursday at the Colleges.
Goodrich, who chairs the campus’ PRIDE Alliance (People Respecting Individual Differences in Everyone), said the event was meant to show people of all sexual orientations that their peers accept them for who they are.
Like Goodrich, most of the 20 or 30 regular PRIDE members are not gay — at least not openly.
Students who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transsexual often hide their sexual orientation, William Smith senior Lauren Niedhardt said.
“I have a lot of friends who are secretly bi,” said Niedhardt, who thinks Hobart and William Smith’s relative homogeneity makes it difficult for many students to be open about their sexual preferences.
It’s especially hard for men, who fight to retain their “masculinity,” said senior Sean Kipperman, also straight.
Kipperman added that when he asked his buddies to hold his hand, they thought he was joking.
To increase the group’s visibility, Goodrich has been working to align the PRIDE Alliance with the culture club — a banner organization for other social, religious or cultural groups. But it’s been challenging.
“There’s a lot of machismo [in Latin American culture],” said Goodrich’s roommate, Veronica Mora, a member of the Latin American Organization, who noted that men in that group scoffed when she asked them to hold hands with each other.
Mora is hoping to weaken such stereotypes by having a joint PRIDE and Latin American Organization meeting, where members will be encouraged to discuss and modify some of their preconceptions.
Many PRIDE members added that shattering prejudices toward gays and other sexual minorities begins at home.
“Since I was little, my family [told me] sometimes boys like boys and girls like girls,” Niedhardt said.
Now, she, like most PRIDE members, can’t quite comprehend why the issue generates so much controversy.
“Part of me just can’t understand why it’s such a big deal to begin with,” she said.
Craig Rimmerman, a HWS public policy professor who has taught a class “Sexual Minorities” for 12 years, said attitudes are gradually evolving and enrollment in his class is the highest its ever been.
He said he’s also seen tremendous growth in the gay rights’ solidarity movement, with straight individuals, such as Goodrich and Niedhardt, increasingly speaking out against inequities.
“I think slowly, but surely, there are changes in society,” he said, noting that it’s probably easier for students to come out than it is for people outside the academic bubble.
But even at HWS yesterday, it was obvious that total acceptance will take time. Many students were uncomfortable with the hand-holding.
“People are looking at us kind of funny,” one girl remarked as she entered the Scandling Center Thursday afternoon.
Similarly, Kipperman and his hand-holding buddy skipped into class yesterday, instead of sauntering in as they normally would have.
Nonetheless, Goodrich said the holding hands concept made students aware of their own attitudes — a first step in overcoming sexual stereotypes.
People need to ask why it’s OK for “heterosexual couples to walk anywhere in the world holding hands” and not anybody else, she said.
ping-have you noticed that the FL Times is printing more and more stories with a clear idealogical agenda these days?
Ahh, I feel good now. I am glad our future generations are spending time with these important activities. I think I'll quit my job, stop supporting my family and join them.
If they want to prove something they should take it all the way. Why stop at holding hands? What are they, anti homosexual?
Git that humpin pile goin guys.
That would be the LUGs (Lesbian Until Graduation). The regular full-time, day/swing/graveyard dykes are fairly recognizable.
"...their peers accept them for who they are."
Dang, my peers don't accept me being a hitter for La Cosa Nostra. Those bigots just can't accept my profession - a profession for which I was BORN I tell ya.
</smart arsed post>
"LUGs"
Now, I have a whole new acronym to add to my lexicon...
I held my own hands the other day, to make me more aware of my own attitudes, but it felt uncomfortable..
haHAhaHAha! Keep at it, kids. Sooner or later, you'll do something that will make you feel important.
Good one. What would they call that? Autophobia?
Typical juvenile collegiate drivel. When these children are forced to join the working world, they are going to wonder why they wasted their precious days of freedom taking part in absurdity like this.
"...and wouldn't be constantly whining about not being accepted."
Also, they would run about demanding special, extra rights above and beyond the rights that others enjoy.
Wrong. "Secretly bi" is just a convenient excuse for being overly kinky. The people just feel like having whatever they want, and the pro-gay society has encouraged that. So, instead of behaving as properly socialized young people, they just give in to base desires and justify it by saying they were just born bi.
wow, I am Autophobic, and I don't accept myself, at least I am having issues with it...I need help, I think, wait, yes I need help....
I always suspected that Boy George was a faggot!
People need to ask why it’s OK for “heterosexual couples to walk anywhere in the world holding hands” and not anybody else, she said.
Maybe because it's a sign of good mental health and natural behavior for boys to be interested in girls and vice versa and it's a sign of severe mental illness and unnatural behavior for boys to be interested in boys and girls to be interested in girls?
Yes, why be tied down to oppressive stereotypes?
Trouble with them is, they are all heterophobic.
I was just born not to pay a lot of taxes, (if any), but I am oppressed because of the discrimination against me on April 15th. I want to hold hands with my tax preparer, wait I do my own taxes!! Everything is perfect, I can deal with my Autophobic condition and, well, you get it..
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