Adams, GSA Seek Yearbook Apology

The Adams House Committee and the Gay Students Association (GSA) last night separately voted to condemn the 1981 yearbook's characterization of Adams House as "offensive" and "stereotypical" and to send letters to the yearbook asking for a public apology.

The yearbook article, written by Jared S. Corman '81 of Adams House, describes the House as "a haven for homosexuality. Rumor has it that the ratio is one to one to one or one to one to one too many."

Corman, in a letter delivered to The Crimson last night, said he regretted that his piece offended anyone. He said he "tried to write the piece in a tongue-in-cheek style, but evidently it didn't come off that way. I apologize for having hurt anyone's feelings, as that was not my intent."

Criticized

The GSA also demanded that the yearbcok take action to "insure that future readers are aware of the offensive nature of the article." The yearbook editors "might mail a letter of apology to each person who bought a yearbook," Sarah E. Yedinsky '83, president of the GSA, said before the GSA meeting last night. The GSA left open the specific actions it wants, pending a meeting Monday with the yearbook editors.

Steven N. Fine '82, editor in chief of the 1981 yearbook, said yesterday he did not find the article offensive to gays or to Adams House. "Corman was trying to show that Adams House is more than its stereotypes. He wrote, 'Rumor has it'; he was not presenting facts. It is not malicious; I don't think it is derogatory. I apologize to anyone who was offended, but I do not apologize to anyone who was offended, but I do not apologize for running the article."

The 13-member executive board of the yearbook will decide what official action to take on the two complaints after its Monday meeting with the GSA.

The GSA also objects to the article's suggestion that gay people are "eccentric," "weird" or "pariahs," Benjamin H. Schatz '81, former GSA president, said yesterday.

"People don't realize how offensive they're being." Andrew C. Compaine '82 said. "That's the problem we're fighting." He said that an article which said there were too many Blacks or Jews in a House would have offended everyone, but people "aren't sensitive enough to discrimination against gays."

Cosmopolitanism

The Adams House Committee was also offended by the article's "unfair depiction of Europeans, actors and other 'weird people,'" the committee's letter to the yearbook said.

The article says that "a nouveau vogue of cosmopolitanism has hit the House, including not only pretentious Americans, but real Europeans from the Continent."

Schatz, an Adams House resident, said he was "satisfied" with the Adams House