From: buckmr@RPI.EDU (Rondel K. Buckmire)
Newsgroups: soc.motss
Subject: Editorial: National Blue Jeans Day
Date: 9 Apr 92 22:41:34 GMT

*This was published in my school newspaper, The Polytechnic, today.*

[ALL CAPS to be put into italics]
[ >CAPS< to be in bold]

		by RON BUCKMIRE
		Editorial Columnist

	Friday April 10 is the day the Rensselaer GLBA is celebrating National Blue Jeans Day.
National Blue Jeans Day is another attempt by activists to persuade the entire
community to think about homophobia and discrimination on the basis of sexual
orientation. The rationale is this: Publicize the idea that everyone who wears
blue jeans on April 10 is showing support for equal rights for gay/lesbian/bisexual people.
	 Now, the activists KNOW that lot of people wear blue jeans every day and don't 
necessarily support gay/lesbian/bisexual rights. So, on Friday April 10 there will be two sets of people on campus wearing blue jeans. One set will be blissfully 
unaware of the political statement they are making by their choice of pants that
day and when apprised of this, they will instantly be educated about how it
feels to be percieved by others as either being gay/lesbian/bisexual or just
glb-supportive. The second set of people KNOW that wearing blue jeans on Friday
means and thus have to make a conscious decision whether or not to wear them.
Here, too, the person is educated by being forced to think about what it means
if they make the statement "Yes I support equal rights for gay, lesbian and
bisexual people." 
	Thus everyone is forced to think about the societal homophobia faced by
gay/lesbian/bisexual people every day. If you really believe that a person's
sexual orientation doesn't matter then you should be able to make the commitmentto show others they can't browbeat you into conforming to their heterosexist
assumption. I know I'll be wearing blue jeans on Friday and I hope you do,too!
	In addition to homophobia, Rensselaer students, staff and faculty also 
have to deal with INSTITUTIONAL homophobia in the form of discrimination on
the basis of sexual orientation. "But how can that be? Rensselaer has an affirmative action policy precluding discrimination based on sexual orientation", I
hear my denimed readers remarking to themselves. I'll tell you how. 
	According to Department of Defense directive 1332.14 "homosexuality is
incompatible with military service."  As a direct result of this policy, openly 
gay/lesbian/bisexual students are INELIGIBLE for ROTC scholarships and services
at Rensselaer and other universities. In fact, the Navy has sent bills of more 
than TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS to students at other colleges who have realised 
their sexual orientation and been forced out of ROTC for honestly revealing this
information to their commanding officers. There are ROTC students at Rensselaer
RIGHT NOW that are being forced to remain in the closet due to military bigotry
and fear of losing their scholarships.
	 It is unconscionable that Rensselaer
allows such an untenable situation to continue without VIGOROUSLY lobbying the
Department of Defense for change. I am NOT advocating that Rensselaer divest
itself from ROTC. I just want Rensselaer to live up to its own self-proclaimed
nondiscrimination policy. There are other examples. Are same-sex couples
presently able to live in "Married Student Housing"? Can they get University
ID cards, bereavement leave, or health benefits? Do you think this discrimination
would be occur if it were based on RACE? People claim that sexual orientation
is a choice and not a characteristic an individual is born with, despite 
mounting scientific evidence to the contrary. Let's say I accept their point
for the sake of argument, do you really think that people at Rensselaer would
be silent about Rensselaer allowing an organisation to provide scholarships,
courses for credit and other services >ONLY< to people who choose to believe in 
a certain God? That would clearly be discrimination based on religon. Well,
discrimination is discrimination in my book and we should all work towards
ending it. What are YOU doing about it?


---
RON BUCKMIRE, 11 Colvin Circle, Troy, NY 12180-3735. 
vox:(518)-276-8910 fax:(518)-276-6920 buckmr@rpi.edu buckmr@rpitsmts.bitnet
"Sure you can get aids from a mosquito -- if you have unprotected anal sex 
 with  one!"