Future of STRAIGHT

New acting president shifts stance, looks ahead

Alex Cadman wants to follow a new line of thinking.

Now that Cadman (junior-meteorology) has assumed the position of acting president of Students Reinforcing Adherence In General Heterosexual Tradition, he said he wants to alter STRAIGHT's focus from a solely political stance to a political, moral and religious stance.

"I have no desire to change the progress we've made," Cadman said, "but we need to embrace the issue of morality. I do believe that we have a group that represents people's views on reinforcing heterosexual traditions and that counters the agenda of homosexual activists."

In an E-mail to STRAIGHT members and supporters, Cadman outlined STRAIGHT's objectives, he said, adding that responses have been encouraging.

"(The response) has mostly been from Christians saying, 'Keep up the good work' and 'We're praying for you,' " Cadman said.

One of Cadman's goals is to "start from scratch" and begin to rebuild the group from the bottom up, starting with a group meeting Tuesday. On the meeting's agenda is an election of new officers and a discussion of semester plans, Cadman said.

"Judging from the response from the E-mail, I have about 15 people who are our core active group right now," Cadman said. "After the first meeting, we will have a clearer picture of what our future will be like."

However, Cadman said there is another barrier that could halt the group's existence: being granted permanent status.

Whether STRAIGHT will be granted permanent status will be determined after it goes before the Undergraduate Student Government Supreme Court for a first-year review, which is expected to take place next month. Cadman said his concern stems from STRAIGHT's emphasis last semester on surviving as a group and maintaining support, rather than planning activities and events.

"This year I don't want fighting for our existence to be a setback preventing us from doing good things on this campus," Cadman said.

When evaluating a group's status, the two most important criteria for a group are two meetings per semester and at least 12 members, said Chief Justice Josh Snyder.

Cadman said last week that he thought apathy and low membership were two possible reasons for last Tuesday's departure of STRAIGHT's first president, Darin Loccarini, adding that the group was going through a difficult period.

STRAIGHT, a group intended to promote heterosexual values, was officially chartered as a University organization March 7, 1997. The group was denied its initial request for a charter in February 1997 by the USG Supreme Court, but was accepted on appeal the next month.

Duane Gildea, political co-director of the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Student Alliance, said although he opposes STRAIGHT's mission, he respects the group's right to its opinions.

"My hope is that should a dialogue open up between a reorganized STRAIGHT and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and allies community at Penn State, that civility and respect for differences of opinion, and of perspective, be maintained," Gildea said.

Cadman said he first got involved in STRAIGHT because of his religious beliefs.

"I love God and I want to better love homosexuals," Cadman said. "They're headed toward Hell and I don't want to see that happen."

However, Gildea said he does not think gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered individuals are destined for Hell, and he added he has difficulty arguing with people who adhere to that opinion.

"I don't see how you can argue beliefs," Gildea said. "I believe that I'm right, but I just can't prove that to people who think I'm fundamentally immoral because of my orientation."