CLO forms gay-straight committee, not alliance
Group hopes to promote discussion, 'not activism'
Joy Pavelski
Issue date: 4/16/09 Section: News
The Classical Liberals Organization approved not a gay-straight alliance but a committee to discuss gay-straight issues last Tuesday in a 10-9 vote by members. This will allow the committee to function within the CLO without changing the CLO's charter or affiliating with the national Gay-Straight Alliance Network, said senior Gennady Stolyarov II, CLO coordinator.
Any such national affiliation would violate Hillsdale College's commitment against entangling with outside funds and regulations that may compete with the college's mission statement, Vice President of Student Affairs Diane Philipp told The Collegian two weeks ago.
Still, the vote was close. That reflected CLO members' uneasiness about the committee's prospects, Stolyarov said, though before the vote no one knew a national organization existed that employs the phrase "gay-straight alliance."
"If the committee gets off the ground this semester, people will know what it actually does, that it's not part of this 'great activist' controversy," Stolyarov said. "It's just a discussion group."
The committee's originator, sophomore Jake Morgan, agrees.
"My goal is not to plaster the word 'gay' around campus, but to discuss the issues," he said.
Both Morgan and Stolyarov said they think Hillsdale students too often ignore or avoid discussing homosexuality even though it is a pressing social concern.
Though the "discussion group" has of yet no chairman or planned events, administrators have expressed concern to CLO members about the "hysteria" and "tempest" created by an April 2 Collegian article reporting that a gay-related group might for the first time find a place on Hillsdale's conservative campus.
The CLO also had to address Student Federation concerns, communicated by junior and federation President Brian Painter, that the CLO not alter its federation-approved internal charter or mission to accommodate the proposed committee.
To quell these fears, the CLO narrowly adopted a resolution approving the committee, hoping its subservient structure and amended title clarify their intentions to spark "as much speech and discussion and civilized direction as I can, within the rules of the college," Stolyarov said.
Any such national affiliation would violate Hillsdale College's commitment against entangling with outside funds and regulations that may compete with the college's mission statement, Vice President of Student Affairs Diane Philipp told The Collegian two weeks ago.
Still, the vote was close. That reflected CLO members' uneasiness about the committee's prospects, Stolyarov said, though before the vote no one knew a national organization existed that employs the phrase "gay-straight alliance."
"If the committee gets off the ground this semester, people will know what it actually does, that it's not part of this 'great activist' controversy," Stolyarov said. "It's just a discussion group."
The committee's originator, sophomore Jake Morgan, agrees.
"My goal is not to plaster the word 'gay' around campus, but to discuss the issues," he said.
Both Morgan and Stolyarov said they think Hillsdale students too often ignore or avoid discussing homosexuality even though it is a pressing social concern.
Though the "discussion group" has of yet no chairman or planned events, administrators have expressed concern to CLO members about the "hysteria" and "tempest" created by an April 2 Collegian article reporting that a gay-related group might for the first time find a place on Hillsdale's conservative campus.
The CLO also had to address Student Federation concerns, communicated by junior and federation President Brian Painter, that the CLO not alter its federation-approved internal charter or mission to accommodate the proposed committee.
To quell these fears, the CLO narrowly adopted a resolution approving the committee, hoping its subservient structure and amended title clarify their intentions to spark "as much speech and discussion and civilized direction as I can, within the rules of the college," Stolyarov said.
Viewing Comments 1 - 5 of 6
Student
posted 4/17/09 @ 9:45 AM EST
Good for you, CLO! No matter what your opinion may be on the issue, it is a rather large one and quite relevant to our times. We can't simply pretend it doesn't exist. (Continued…)
Don
posted 4/21/09 @ 10:14 PM EST
Now that the Collegian Archive is available online, I encourage anyone following this issue to check out the upper right column on page 12 of the November 1, 1973 Collegian-- it's shockingly pertinent. (Continued…)
A Charger
posted 4/23/09 @ 7:49 PM EST
Actually, the CLO formed a Gay-Straight Alliance, not a committee. This according to founder Jake Morgan in the April 23 Collegian. Perhaps we should question whether the title of the entity really matters. (Continued…)
Gennady Stolyarov II
posted 4/26/09 @ 9:47 PM EST
I am writing to reassure you with regard to Jake Morgan's editorial in this most recent (April 23) issue of the Collegian that his views are entirely his own, and that the CLO as an organization exhibits no desires to engage in polarizing controversies. (Continued…)
Jake Morgan
posted 4/30/09 @ 7:53 PM EST
While I seriously doubt many people read these comments, I thought it best to correct some of Mr. Stolyarov's assertions. A Gay-Straight Alliance is simply a shorthand for any group fostering understanding of GLBT (and generally 'queer') issues. (Continued…)
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