April 10, 1984 · Cavalier Daily

Gays Have a Long Way to Go

Following Gay Awareness Week, this letter to the editor discusses the importance of ensuring the legal and social rights of the gay community. The writer asserts that gays should be able to engage in public displays of affection without repercussions, and wonders if there will come a time when gays will not be subjected to social stigmas.

Files

1984-04-10 Gays Have a Long Way to Go.pdf

Subject	College student newspapers and periodicals
Creator	Nell Harry
Source	Cavalier Daily
Publisher	Cavalier Daily
Date	1984-04-10

Text	Gays Have a Long Way to Go To many this past has been an enlightening and supportive experience, promoting solidarity for lesbians and gays and educating non-gays in the social and legal intricacies of life as a gay person. Too much, however, has been left unsaid and unshared. Legal rights are obviously of paramount importance for lesbians and gays, and the passage of the amendment to the Law Schools Admissions policy this past week is an important gain. Yet social rights are equally as essential as legal processes, and unfortunately,, too few of the frustrating limitations on the lives of lesbians and gays have been revealed. How long will it be before lesbians and gays are allowed to demonstrate affection, admiration, an attraction for each other in public without fear of repression? How many years will pass before parents recognize that lesbian or gay teachers will not have any negative effect on their children? How long until homosexuality is recognized not as a moral issue, but a fact of life, one that has always existed? What will it take to change the prevailing cultural socialization patterns to promote, instead of deny the possibility of gay relationships? When will sex education, advertising, song lyrics and movies portray gay relationships as part of the norm, not as an exception or deviation from it? Thank you to the many of you who openly supported Gay Awareness Week and to all other s who for one reason or another could not express their support this year, but may learn how in the future without fear of retribution. But to all, please remember that one week of support is not enough. The bitterness and cynicism that I and many other lesbians and gays feel comes from deep feelings of disappointment in societyâ€™s general inability to accept us and the realization that we may have to fight for acceptance all our lives. There may always be people living in fear, misunderstanding or ignorance of homosexuality, who may perpetuate hostility and prejudice. Hereâ€™s to the day when their numbers are minimal, and lesbians and gays can carry on their lives with fullest confidence. Nell Harry CLAS IV

Text

Gays Have a Long Way to Go
To many this past has been an enlightening and supportive experience, promoting solidarity for lesbians and gays and educating non-gays in the social and legal intricacies of life as a gay person. Too much, however, has been left unsaid and unshared. Legal rights are obviously of paramount importance for lesbians and gays, and the passage of the amendment to the Law Schools Admissions policy this past week is an important gain. Yet social rights are equally as essential as legal processes, and unfortunately,, too few of the frustrating limitations on the lives of lesbians and gays have been revealed.
How long will it be before lesbians and gays are allowed to demonstrate affection, admiration, an attraction for each other in public without fear of repression? How many years will pass before parents recognize that lesbian or gay teachers will not have any negative effect on their children? How long until homosexuality is recognized not as a moral issue, but a fact of life, one that has always existed? What will it take to change the prevailing cultural socialization patterns to promote, instead of deny the possibility of gay relationships? When will sex education, advertising, song lyrics and movies portray gay relationships as part of the norm, not as an exception or deviation from it?
Thank you to the many of you who openly supported Gay Awareness Week and to all other s who for one reason or another could not express their support this year, but may learn how in the future without fear of retribution. But to all, please remember that one week of support is not enough. The bitterness and cynicism that I and many other lesbians and gays feel comes from deep feelings of disappointment in societyâ€™s general inability to accept us and the realization that we may have to fight for acceptance all our lives. There may always be people living in fear, misunderstanding or ignorance of homosexuality, who may perpetuate hostility and prejudice. Hereâ€™s to the day when their numbers are minimal, and lesbians and gays can carry on their lives with fullest confidence.
Nell Harry
CLAS IV

Tags	advocacy, LGBTQ Community, student publications
Date Added	August 7, 2016
Date Modifed	April 30, 2018
Collection	Cavalier Daily: articles about LGBTQ issues

Item Relations

This item has no relations.