Council Passes Tolerance Bill

Undergraduate Council members debated the prevalence of homophobia on campus at a tense meeting last night that brought a prominent student critic of homosexuality to the council floor.

The council voted overwhelmingly to allocate $700 to groups with a plan to help reduce intolerance towards gay students at Harvard—but not before nearly a dozen impassioned speeches describing personal experiences with homophobia.

Fred O. Smith ’04, who had co-sponsored the bill with former vice-presidential running-mate Justin R. Chapa ’05, cited recent assaults in the Yard and destruction of posters expressing support for bisexual, gay, lesbian and transgendered students as evidence of heightened homophobia on campus.

But at the center of last night’s council debate was a letter to the editor in last Monday’s issue of The Crimson, written by Gladden J. Pappin ’04, editor of the Harvard Salient, a conservative biweekly journal. In the letter, Pappin argued that the College should discipline students for certain sexual behaviors.

“Such punishments would apply to heterosexuals, of course, but even more so to homosexuals, whose activities are not merely immoral but perverted and unnatural,” Pappin wrote.

At the council meeting last night, Pappin elaborated upon his views.

“Homophobia is not something that even counts as a phobia,” he said.

The heated debate on Smith and Chapa’s bill had begun well before last night’s meeting, via the council’s open e-mail list.

Some members contended that the measure would contribute to a chilling effect on the expression of unpopular beliefs on campus.

“If we are to discuss the issue of tolerance on this campus, then we must discuss our tolerance of Mr. Pappin and every other student who might profess an unpopular opinion,” representative P. K. Agarwalla ’04 wrote in an e-mail to the council.

“The real issue is—can you be against homosexuality morally, and still not discriminate. I think you can,” Agarwalla said at the meeting.

Representative and Harvard lacrosse player Andrew C. Crocco ’03 spoke before the council for the first time to argue in favor of the bill.

“Be an athlete for four years,” Crocco said. “You’d see that homophobia is alive and well at Harvard.”

Joshua A. Barro ’05 opposed the bill, however, questioning its usefulness in a community he described as a “great place to be gay.”

“I’m very glad I came to Harvard,” Barro said. “I see a very accepting community.”

He added that “idiots like Gladden Pappin” are “lonely idiots” without many supporters.

The climax of the debate came when Pappin took the floor to offer his own views to the council.

As he walked to the front of the room, the council suddenly fell silent.

“I think the real issue is not to pretend that intolerance toward homosexuality is on the rise. I don’t think it is,” Pappin said.

“Homophobia is not based on anxiety or fear. It’s based on disgust for homosexual sexual actions,” Pappin said, just as his speaking time of about one minute ran out.

After several minutes of debate, the council voted to extend Pappin’s time on the floor.

“Anyone who wants to consider me a homophobe should also label me a ‘heterophobe,’” Pappin said, explaining his opposition to all sexual license.

After the emotional speeches, the council approved the bill.

Agarwalla and Barro, along with Thomas J. Mucha ’03, who called homophobia at Harvard “a relatively small problem,” cast the only votes against the bill. Aaron D. Chadbourne ’06 abstained.

Agreement, For A Change

Thomas J. Wright ’06 and President-elect Rohit Chopra ’04 sponsored a measure encouraging the Faculty of Arts and Sciences to renegotiate its lease on the Rieman Dance Center.

Ryuji Yamaguchi ’03, a Harvard dancer, warned the council that the loss of Rieman “is going to affect the entire undergraduate community,” forcing dancers to find space by pushing out other student groups.

Wright concurred, although he acknowledged the limits of the resolution.

“I would agree it’s not an action-oriented bill, but I think it’s still important,” he said.

The measure passed without opposition.

Another bill, sponsored by Colin S. Kelly ’05 and also passed without contest, allocated $95 to serve hot chocolate to students during exam period.

The final uncontested bill, sponsored by all the presidential and vice-presidential candidates in the council’s elections last week except for David M. Darst ’04, thanked the council’s Election Commission for its work coordinating the elections.

—Staff writer Alexander J. Blenkinsopp can be reached at blenkins@fas.harvard.edu.