Gay Center, Courses Proposed

A center and an official academic area of study dealing with gay, lesbian and bisexual issues are necessary to present an accurate view of the homosexual community, several members of a student advocacy group said last night at a University wide meeting.

The crowd of approximately 25, mostly graduate students, commented on and suggested additions to a rough proposal detailing the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Leadership Council's requests for a gender studies program, library resource collection, support institute and a staffed center at Harvard.

Short-term goals include an intra-university conference on gender studies, a floating visiting professorship of gender issues, creation of a work study position for the organization of a capital campaign and the establishment of a gay, lesbian and bisexual book fund for Widener Library.

"We are not asking for tolerance," said the proposal. "The Center is necessary, we believe, because our ways of living are frequently distorted and misrepresented in the mainstream media and in academic settings."

But members of the council a University-wide coalition of bisexual, gay and lesbian groups, admitted that the project would encounter some difficulty becoming a reality.

Provost Jerry R. Green said the group had not discussed the specific proposals with him, but that some of the group's goals seemed "problematic."

Although Green said in an interview last night that the establishment of a gender studies program might be a welcome addition to the University, he said that the creation of separate center and fundraising campaign would depart from Harvard's tradition of emphasizing integration into the larger community.

"There is no differentiation by the University based on personal criteria, which would seem to put this in a special category. We usually don't target our alumni by any criteria dealing with their persons. The great strength of our alumni is that they are united," he said.

Green also said that current economic conditions would probably discourage any new construction by the University in the near future.

The center as currently proposed would be divided into four areas; a "safe space" incorporating offices, a rec room and conference and performance rooms, an administrative hub, a gay, lesbian and bisexual health education foundation providing physical and psychological medical aid and a library and research institute.

"None of us really believes that the University will buy this whole package." said Kristina E. Hill, a student at the Graduate School of Design "We also have to have the momentum in our own community."

Council members stressed the need to avoid offending the University while at the same time taking a firm stand on the issue. "You're not asking for help so much as saying you've contributed and you want your turn. At the same time, we don't want to scare the University," Hill said.

The council hopes to have a finished proposal to submit to the University by the end of the academic year, according to member Kathryn L. Schnaible, a student at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Before then, the organization plans to have at least one more open meeting to allow for modifications.

"There are a lot of things not on the list, like 'let's have a radical demonstration and get a lot of people really pissed off.'" said Hill. "We could do that, but it's not on the list.

Provost Jerry R. Green said the group had not discussed the specific proposals with him, but that some of the group's goals seemed "problematic."

Although Green said in an interview last night that the establishment of a gender studies program might be a welcome addition to the University, he said that the creation of separate center and fundraising campaign would depart from Harvard's tradition of emphasizing integration into the larger community.

"There is no differentiation by the University based on personal criteria, which would seem to put this in a special category. We usually don't target our alumni by any criteria dealing with their persons. The great strength of our alumni is that they are united," he said.

Green also said that current economic conditions would probably discourage any new construction by the University in the near future.

The center as currently proposed would be divided into four areas; a "safe space" incorporating offices, a rec room and conference and performance rooms, an administrative hub, a gay, lesbian and bisexual health education foundation providing physical and psychological medical aid and a library and research institute.

"None of us really believes that the University will buy this whole package." said Kristina E. Hill, a student at the Graduate School of Design "We also have to have the momentum in our own community."

Council members stressed the need to avoid offending the University while at the same time taking a firm stand on the issue. "You're not asking for help so much as saying you've contributed and you want your turn. At the same time, we don't want to scare the University," Hill said.

The council hopes to have a finished proposal to submit to the University by the end of the academic year, according to member Kathryn L. Schnaible, a student at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Before then, the organization plans to have at least one more open meeting to allow for modifications.

"There are a lot of things not on the list, like 'let's have a radical demonstration and get a lot of people really pissed off.'" said Hill. "We could do that, but it's not on the list.