Date: Thu, 05 Dec 1996 00:18:35 -1000 From: Maggie Heineman Subject: Depauw University Developments 12/4/96 Please Re-Post Widely DePauw University: Faculty and Students Issue Statements The moral of this story is that speaking out, especially on the Internet, can get results! On Friday November 15, nine staff members of The DePauw, the student newspaper of DePauw University in Greencastle, produced and distributed The Bachelorette, a homophobic parody of rival Wabash College's newspaper, The Bachelor. The following Tuesday, after no apology was forthcoming, members of United DePauw (the campus lesbian/gay/bisexual/straight alliance) filed a sexual harrasment complaint with the university and alerted the larger LGBT community about the situation through the Internet. While the word initally spread through mailing list postings, activist and PFLAG mom Maggie Heineman soon created a website about the incident at: http://www.critpath.org/action-project/depauw.html Both the DePauw's editor and the university president, Bob Bottoms, were quickly inundated with outraged e-mail messages and phone calls from across the country. On Wednesday November 20, the students issued an apology. The next day, President Bottoms issued a statement condemning The Bachelorette. Almost simultaneously, the university Publication Board, which oversees the technically independent student newspaper, voted to appoint one of the involved students the new editor-in-chief of The DePauw. This produced a new wave of outrage, especially among faculty and administraion at DePauw, since the studnet appeared to have been rewarded rather than disciplined. Thanksgiving break began the next day, however, and classes resumed this past Monday. On the evening before, the students who produced The Bachelorette met with Eric Edberg, openly gay faculty member and faculty advisor of United DePauw, expressing their apologies and regret in person, and declaring their willingness to work with United DePauw to help improve the campus climate for lesbian, gay, and bisexual students, staff, and faculty at DePauw. On Monday, the Publication Board met again to consider, among other things, rescinding their decision regarding the editor. Given the latest developments, however, United DePauw recommended leaving the decision in place, choosing to focus on education and healing, rather than a potentially inflammatory firing. (The "Pub Board" is working on a statement regarding the incident.) Members of the Pub Board had also expressed their regret over the timing and apparent symbolism of the appointment, explaining they had reluctantly agreed to the appointment only after a thorough chastisement of the student, consideration of his prior record of support for gay rights (hard to believe but true), his evidently sincere remorse, and newly heightened sensitivity. Additionally, there were no acceptable candidates who were not involved in The Bachelorette. Later Monday afternoon, the faculty of DePauw held a general meeting, during which the Bachelorette incident was discussed at length. The faculty adopted the following statement: "The faculty laments the recent homophobic incident, regarding THE BACHELORETTE, and the pain and suffering it causes ourselves, our friends, our colleagues, and our students. At this time we affirm our commitment to and our continuing effort to attain a fully integrated and inclusive community." The faculty also passed motions asking the Publication Board to investigate the incident and report back to the faculty at its next meeting, and for the committee which deals with campus life issues to "look into the recent incident involving THE BACHELORETTE and its implications for student life and university policy [and] to look into general issues of homophobia as it relates to quality of life of faculty, staff and students." The next evening, the Student Congress met and adopted the following statement: "Be it resolved, that Student Congress is concerned by the anti-gay sentiments expressed in The Bachelorette. We lend our support to those who were offended and disheartened by the uncomfortable environment which this publication created. We believe in the right to free speech but we affirm that an environment that is welcoming to all is of the utmost importance. We think this a symptom of a general lack of understanding toward the gay and lesbian students, staff, and faculty. We hereby mandate the student body president to form a task force to further investigate the greater awareness of homosexuality. The task force will consist of a representative cross section of campus. It will create guidelines and recommendations for various campus organizations to prevent the occurence of a similar incident again and examine any other issues which are deemed appropriate." On Wednesday evening December 4, the Student Congress also sponsored a panel discussion, "Is DePauw Homophobic?" Panelists were members of United DePauw, and a lively discussion was held. Additionally, a straight faculty member is organizing a showing for faculty of the Brian McNaught video "Gay Issues in the Workplace," to be followed by a discussion led by an alumni couple who are members of PFLAG. Discussions are ongoing to schedule and fund campus programming on LGB issues and to work on a proposal for professionally-staffed LGB office or center on campus. A sexual harrassment counselor will be mediating a meeting next week between the students who produced The Bachelorette and the members of United DePauw, who have elected at this time to follow the university's "informal" process, designed to facilitate communication, education, and resolution of issues, rather than the "formal" process, which leads to formal punishments. This is due in good measure to the fact the students who produced The Bachelorette have expressed a desire to do something to make up for their earlier action and to help improve the campus climate. United DePauw is extremely grateful for the overwhelming support we have been given by the national LGBT community on this issue. Thanks! If you wish to comment on the latest developments, you can use the following e-mail addresses: Letters to the Editor of The DePauw: jmanders@depauw.edu Howard Brooks, Secretary of the DePauw Faculty: hlbrooks@depauw.edu Kevin Toler, Pres. of the Depauw Student Congress: kmtoler@depauw.edu PLEASE COPY Eric Edberg of United DePauw: eedberg@depauw.edu and, if you wish, Bob Bottoms, President of DePauw Univ.: bbottoms@depauw.edu Many thanks again! --Eric Edberg eedberg@depauw.edu ---------------------reposted 12/5/96 by Maggie Heineman http://www.critpath.org/~maggie/ PFLAG-Talk/TGS-PFLAG http://www.critpath.org/pflag-talk/ The Rhea Murray Website http://www.critpath.org/rhea/ The Chrysler Campaign http://www.critpath.org/chrysler-campaign/ The DePauw Campaign http://www.critpath.org/action-project/depauw.html The Chadron Campaign http://www.critpath.org/action-project/chadron.html