STRAIGHT continues fight for charter

Support rally held at Old Main

The only sounds coming from Old Main last night were the voices of the President of STRAIGHT , Darin Loccarini . . . and one heckler.

There were many members of the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Student Alliance present, as well as American Civil Liberties Union members and STRAIGHT members.

"LGBSA is here to support STRAIGHT's right to a voice," said Duane Gildea, political co-director of LGBSA. "It's to peacefully demonstrate that we can co-exist while agreeing to disagree."

A new goal of STRAIGHT was revealed last night. STRAIGHT wants to remove the mandatory student activity fee.

"(This sort of fee) has been shot down by federal courts," Loccarini said. "It's mandatory representation without representation."

Students should not have to pay for STRAIGHT if they do not want to, Loccarini said. He also believes that he should not have to pay for organizations he doesn't support.

Other student organizations will oppose this goal because it will decrease diversity and their money, Loccarini said. But no organization has stepped forward to help STRAIGHT, he said.

Loccarini's discourse continued to discuss the goals and political nature of STRAIGHT; this included a segment where Loccarini discussed how the University was squelching his organization's First Amendment rights.

He was first interrupted in the portion on First Amendment rights when Michael Bray (graduate-philosophy) spoke.

"Aren't you exercising your First Amendment rights right now, Darin?" Bray asked.

Loccarini ignored the jibe. But there were many more to come.

"This is the strangest rally I've ever been to," Bray yelled to Loccarini. "So far, all you've said is that you have a right to exist and you're all really nice guys."

Bray said he was concerned about STRAIGHT's long-term goals.

"LGBSA's biggest aim is equality," said Bray, who is not a member of LGBSA. "Are you saying you're opposed to equal rights?"

Bray said he is not opposed to STRAIGHT's right to free speech, but is confused about the constitutionality of its existence.

Bryan Barley (junior-sociology), a member of LGBSA, was one of the many crowd members who approached Bray after the rally and thanked him for his words.

"He brought up a lot of good points," Barley said. "Their goal is supposed to be 'adherence to general heterosexual tradition,' and so far I haven't see anything that has to do with that.

"You can adhere to general heterosexual tradition and still believe in equal rights," he said.

Gildea also thanked Bray from his personal standpoint.

"You said a lot of things I couldn't say," he said to Bray after the rally.

LGBSA member Greglynn Walton (senior-biology) said she was also concerned about the group as a triple minority. Walton, a black bisexual female, said she feels triply threatened because an organization like this could lead the way for other similar organizations.

"It's very frightening for me," she said.

The officers and most active members of the organization joined Loccarini at the top of the stairs during the rally. All were white men. During the STRAIGHT meeting after the rally, only one minority was present: a white woman. There are about eight women in STRAIGHT, Loccarini said.