Coming Out, Coming Together: Defining a Gay Agenda

During the past month is has been difficult to overlook the Bisexual, gay, Lesbian, Transgender and Supporters Alliance (BGLTSA)

Members have distributed pink triangle stickers from a table in front of Widener, postered all over campus, hosted litany of speakers and held its second annual "Queer Politics" conference.

But the united front of this 300-member organization masks an ideogical divide over its mission and method

Social or political? Conservative or progressive? Raised publicly in February's BGLTSA election, these issues face outgoing and incoming BGLTSA officers as they seek to define an organizational agenda and settle an issue of identity confronting gay groups nationwide.

Sparking a Controversy

The political nature of the BGLTSA surfaced in February when David A. Campbell '00, the organization's former vice chair, was impeached by the BGLTSA executive board and the results of the elections that Campbell was responsible for organizing nullified.

"[Campbell's goal] and the goals of the BGLTSA were just so different that it really was not appropriate for him to be on the board, and eight other people recognized that," said Lauralee Summer '98, the outgoing BGLTSA co-chair, at the time of Campbell's impeachment.

But the problems with the BGLTSA's leadership, Campbell maintains, have little to do with election results that would have placed four white males on the board of an organization that represents a much more diverse community. And, according to Campbell, they have little to do with the ideological differences between Campbell and members of the board interested in pursuing a progressive agenda.

Instead, Campbell says the BGLTSA's biggest problem is that is has "no clear consensus as to whom [it] represents and what [its] goals are."

"BGLTSA needs to be more selective about what issues it takes on if it hopes to represent the entire community," Campbell says.

Room For Debate

While Campbell might be one of the most strident in his criticism of the organization, there are those among the current BGLTSA leadership who have raised similar concerns.

Adam A. Sofen '01, who after a second set of elections will become the co-chair of the BGLTSA in June, says he is "proof that you can be a so-called sellout and still prosper on the BGLTSA."

"The BGLTSA board encompasses all types," says Sofen, who is a Crimson editor. "My style is more the assimilationist user-friendly style. I'm not out to shock anyone, but I'm also not about to censor anyone."

Sofen's approach differs from that of his incoming co-chair Nicole L. DeBlosi '99.

DeBlosi took part in a postering campaign, featuring words like "vulva" or "fag" as part of an attempt to raise awareness during Queer Harvard Month.

"We...use them as terms of pride, so [that] you can't have power over us," DeBlosi says.

Campbell says he disagrees with the choices other BGLTSA leaders such as DeBlosi made when determining what issues should be addressed throughout the course of the month.

While confrontational posters do their part in spurring discussion of issue concerning sex or sexuality, Campbell says, they also alienate more conservative members of the gay community.

"What type of behavior or face do we represent?" Campbell asks. "Do we want someone who represents dominant culture or do we want an S&M leather queen? I was seen as selling out to dominant culture."

But the same posters that Campbell decries as alienating to mainstream Harvard and mainstream America DeBlosi says empower gay students.

"Proving that I'm `normal' is not what I'm going to do," DeBlosi says. "I feel there a lot of people who are going to be excluded if you take the approach that we're just like everyone else."

Sofen, who identifies more with what he calls the assimilationist camp, still sees value in both approaches.

"It takes both--Nicole DeBlosi to shout and Dave Campbell to calm her down," he adds.

Andre K. Sulmers '98, currently co-chair of the BGLTSA, says both approaches could alienate members of the gay community to some degree.

"In terms of gaining acceptance in the American community, both approaches are necessary," Sulmers says.

The Family Tree

Few dispute the social role the BGLTSA plays. "Everyone goes to the first BGLTSA meeting to find out who is queer at Harvard in each new class," one gay junior says.

The many who return only for the dances and social events are not interested in the organizational and activist politics the dominate the regular BGLTSA meetings.

According to Trevor S. Blake '00, a formerly active BGLTSA member, monthly community meetings are often not well-attended because, he says, the BGLTSA does not have a clear mission or identity.

"[The board] needs to find out what their community wants," Blake says.

DeBlosi agrees that meetings are generally not well-attended, although she notes the group has an e-mail list of over 300. Sofen estimates that a core group of about 30 attend the meetings.

"It's not really a support group, but there should be some measure of discussion," DeBlosi says. Several meetings this year featured speakers and educational topics and were well-attended, according to DeBlosi.

"People came more when there were speakers and stuff on the agenda," DeBlosi says. "We bring people out for things they can't just read on e-mail."

A Place for Me

In high school, Blake says, gay support groups were effective because they had a Clear mandate. Organization sought to dispel myths about the gay community, and provide support for younger students who were first dealing with their sexuality in a largely straight world.

But at Harvard, where some student are very comfortable with their sexuality, an aggressive awareness campaign can alienate those who need support, he says.

Several of the BGLTSA's member organizations see their mission as providing forums for discussions related to member's particular concerns. Leaders say groups like the Jewish Bisexual, Gay and Lesbian Student Group (BAGELS), Spectrum, a support and discussion group for gay students of color, and girlspot, and group for "lesbian, bisexual and questioning women" provide smaller and safer environments than large BGLTSA meetings.

"[girlspot] is a place where questioning women can come and explore their sexuality," says Rachel E. Kramer '99, who, with DeBlosi, currently chairs girlspot.

girlspot regularly host speakers and discussions, ranging form a recent meeting with a speaker from Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, to transgendered women to poetry readings.

Kramer, who is a Crimson executive, says girlspot tries to educate rather than advocate for a political stance.

"We have a very specific agenda, whereas BGLTSA has to serve a larger community," Kramer says.

Similarly, BAGELS, cosponsored by Hillel and the BGLTSA, is a social outlet for students who are both Jewish and gay.

"I wanted a group that I felt passionate about," says Jennifer T. Tattenbaum '98, chair of BAGELS. "There was a political and organizational focus to BGLTSA and I wanted a chance to have fun."

BAGELS sponsors discussions, movies and special shabbat dinners for gay students. But Tattenbaum says her group fulfills a different role than the BGLTSA.

"If anything, they should be more political. BGLTSA serves a very specific and very important need," Tattenbaum says.

Though BGLTSA tries to address the needs of the entire gay community, this broad mission sometimes excludes other minorities.

While Alex S. Myers '00, a transgendered student, enjoyed BGLTSA meeting and the people he met there, he no longer participates.

"There are a lot of people interested in activism, but not necessarily activism for trangenders," Myers says. He is the chair of the Transgender Task Force, but says, he can do little since there are few people share the labor.

But Myers says the BGLTSA helped him in his first year at Harvard by revealing a supportive, connected gay community.

Sofen say the BGLTSA can strike a balance, by addressing some political questions and leaving more sensitive and support topics to member organizations.

"[Members] can range [on one hand] from someone who is just out of the closet...[to] someone who is very out and confident with being out and confident with being out and wants to see us pursue a more progressive agenda," Sofen says.

The Gay-Straight Agenda

Sofen says gays at Harvard have attained many of their most obvious goals, making it difficult to determine the next step. He cites several recent successes, including the change in Memorial Church's same-sex commitment policy and the appointment of Lowell House's new lesbian masters, as well as the University's inclusion of sexual orientation in its non-discrimination clause.

Sofen seeks to define a new set of goals for the organization he will soon chair.

In a recent opinion piece for The Crimson, Sofen outlined the "gay-straight agenda" which outlined reasons as to why heterosexuals should be interested in supporting gay rights.

"Just as white people were a crucial part of the civil rights struggle of African Americans, just as men stood beside women to seek equality of the sexes, straight people are an integral part of the fight for gay rights," Sofen wrote.

Sofen's argument cited several issues--gender-blind shuttle service, junior faculty, transgenderism and closeted students--that he feels are important to both the gay and straight communities at Harvard.

"It's a personal priority for me," Sofen says. "In the long run, we will not achieve gay rights in America without the straight community."

Still, Sofen says the current board will not change their views or activities to accommodate a new membership.

"I would never say our purpose is for straight people," Sofen says. "It can only include straight people and address gay concerns."

Some of the most politically charged issues involving the BGLTSA have little to do with gay rights.

At the height of the controversy over grapes in the dining halls, Sulmers lent the organizations support to the fight against grapes. And Campbell remembers an executive board meeting in which affirmative action was the main topic of discussion.

"There are no obvious concerns for gay people on campus," Sofen says. "When Andre lent our name to the [anti-grape] coalition, it made us ask, `Is this our proper role?"'

"I personally think we need to be involved in progressive politics, but that's certainly not a uncontested opinion," Sofen adds.

Indeed, Summer says she would prefer if the group didn't become "too political."

"Some people think that if you're an activist for oppressed gays and lesbians, that you should be an activist for all oppressed people," Summer says.