From: gklein@uoft02.utoledo.edu (Gary Klein, bear at heart)
Newsgroups: soc.motss
Subject: Re: How to prevent anti-gay laws
Date: 13 Nov 92 00:22:45 GMT
Organization: Univ of Toledo

In article <1992Nov8.064250.4696@nevada.edu>, balistik@big-brother.nevada.edu
   (Shawn Hicks) writes:
> There is something I've noticed about queer activism: either 
> it's protests directed outward, or overwhelming help directed
> inward.  IOW, we march against things in public, or we rally
> around a queer community need in private.  Neither of these
> are bad in themselves, but the difference in what we do in
> public vs private may well be.

> What I have never
> seen was a group of queers sponsoring highway cleanup,
> helping the elderly shop for groceries, volunteering
> at the local zoo, participating in county fairs, 
> sponsoring grants to local public radio, etc.  Sure we
> do all these things, but do we do it as the Queer Scouts,
> or some other openly Queer group?  What about the student
> organizations? 

     I have suggested a number of times to gay groups that I belonged to
to arrange for a batch of volunteers to sign up as a group when the local NPR
or PBS station is in the middle of their PLEDGE WEEK -- staffing the phones, or
during their TV AUCTION.  It doesn't cost any money to do it, the station
benefits from the staffing, and if you have a large enough group, they mention
ON-THE-AIR what group the volunteers belong to!

     AND if the station declines your offer for assistance (controversial name
of group cannot go on the air), then hold them hostage, contact the OTHER
stations in the area, and make it into a newsworthy event: CHARITY TURNS DOWN
FREE LABOR, WHILE PLEADING FOR MONEY!

     More organizations each year go thru the gay community collecting Toys for
Tots (or similarly named efforts) FOR OTHER CHARITIES, but seldom put their
name on it.  Or the gifts which are collected by a bar/bookstore are
acknowledged under the CORPORATION's NAME (ie:  1520 Main St Inc), instead of
the name "LAMBDA RISING BOOKSTORE"

     STONEWALL UNION/Columbus OH has had an booth at the Ohio STATE Fair for a
number of years!  But what about at the thousands of other state/county fairs
all across the country?

     One alumni from UT donates books on a regular basis to the local public
library, and verified that the DONATION STICKER was properly applied "Donated
by a friend of the Gay & Lesbian Student Union at the University of Toledo"

     One almuni from UT created a SCHOLARSHIP FUND on the UT campus,
administered by GLSU's Officers, awarding money based on financial need,
grades, and an essay about the applicant's concerns with the gay community.

     Have your local LesBiGay group authorize a periodic letter written to the
appropriate LETTERS TO THE EDITOR column of newspapers/tv/radio outlets.  Here
on the UT campus, the student newspaper publishes 99% of EVERY letter they
receive, even when they are 3-5 pages long (after consulting with the writer
and chopping it down a bit).  In the past 60 days, UT's COLLEGIAN has published
no less than 7 Letters to the Editor on pro-gay views, that happened to be
written (independently of one another) by 6 members of GLSU.  Of course there
was countering opinions also printed, but these pulled in letters from Faculty
who pointed to the choppy writing, faulty logic, and vacuous research that
these hate-mongers happened to rely upon.  WHILE the GLSU members were very
careful about their logic, research, content, spelling, grammar and structure!

     Gays came out as being educated, while phobes revealled how narrow minded
they were about the entire education process!  

     And several of my colleagues here in the library praised me for helping to
raise the quality of letters to the editor, thinking that I personally had a
hand in coaching/editing letters from the Gay Perspective.  Some of them even
referred to getting research on the topic at the UT Library, which the phobes
obviously never thought of--even when it came to the Point/Counterpoint type of
response!

     Overall, the LesBiGays who are speaking out on this campus are helping to
raise the awareness of a number of issues, that would otherwise be dormant on
this relatively undistinguished campus of 25,000 students!

     ANYONE WANT TO JOIN US, they meet most Thursday nights @ 9pm in the UT
student union.  For more info, contact GLSU at 419-537-7975, or contact me on
e-mail.     
-- 
                                    "Not your average Leathered Librarian"
Gary Klein,   Business Librarian,  (Univ of Toledo)           * * * * 
PO Box 12650             Toledo, Ohio    43606-0250            *   *   
(w): 419-537-2629        fac2813@uoft01                          *   
(h): 419-243-2740        fac2813@uoft01.utoledo.edu       B4 t+ w- g s+ k