Three decades of change were discussed last night at the Foster Auditorium.

In front of about 75 people -- almost filling the room to maximum capacity -- Suzanne Pharr , the author of Homophobia: A Weapon of Sexism and In the Time of the Right: Reflections of Liberation, spoke about the issues that the nation faces today.

"I'm speaking about the great battle of democracy that is going on in our country, and that's enough to make you throw up," she said and the audience burst into laughter.

The audience was quite attentive to her soft spoken yet determined words.

When Pharr looked intently into the crowd and said she wanted to tell them her beliefs, the audience automatically moved forward in their seats.

"Everyone is of equal worth and that is to be whole, complete. It is access to health, employment and a safe environment. And really it's not deserved but a gift of basic rights we're born into." She paused, and added, "Everyone should have access to great wealth of life."

During the next hour, Pharr spoke about these certain rights and making the country a better place for everyone.

Focusing on the history of the country in the last 30 years, she said every movement toward liberation stemmed from the Civil Rights Movement, including the gender equality movement, anti-war movement and the disabilities act

In the '70s, she said, Barry Goldwater was defeated for presidency and the right wing emerged.

Then, after George Wallace was defeated for presidency another concept came into light -- race.

Every following campaign has been organized around race, she said.

The '70s, she said, was the time when she and her colleagues felt that they could change the country. However, the '80s changed that with the emergence of the theocratic right.

"Social change is not necessarily positive," she said.

In addition to the economic decline that came with the '80s, the rise of the Evangelicals and the "moral majority" gave way to brand new ideas at the voting blocs, she said.

"To support gay rights or reproductive rights meant that you were now un-American," Pharr said.

She then fast-forwarded to the recent election of George W. Bush.

"People were confused by him. They thought he's nothing like his father and he doesn't seem to talk quite right," she joked.

She said when Bush could have brought the country together after 9/11, he pushed it apart and implemented fear by immediately putting the Patriot Act into effect and mobilizing troops for war.

Pharr said now is the time for change, concluding the speech with the words: "We are people of hope and belief. We have a capacity to care for one another and we want systemic change."

When the floor opened for questions, a young man asked, "Like many things in life, where am I supposed to start?"

"Family," she replied.

"I don't know about you but my family is the hardest. It's the hardest place to come out, the hardest to say there is too much violence here. It is the hardest place to state your own values."