Return-Path: @uga.cc.uga.edu:ACTIV-L@UMCVMB.BITNET Return-Path: <@uga.cc.uga.edu:ACTIV-L@UMCVMB.BITNET> Received: from ugav2.cc.uga.edu by rpi.edu (4.1/SMHUB31); id AB28828; Wed, 18 Mar 92 14:05:08 EST for buckmr Message-Id: <9203181905.AB28828@rpi.edu> Received: from UGA.CC.UGA.EDU by uga.cc.uga.edu (IBM VM SMTP V2R2) with BSMTP id 1597; Wed, 18 Mar 92 14:03:22 EST Received: from UGA.BITNET by UGA.CC.UGA.EDU (Mailer R2.07) with BSMTP id 3724; Wed, 18 Mar 92 14:01:27 EST Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1992 12:21:05 CST Reply-To: Activists Mailing List Sender: Activists Mailing List From: Rich Cowan Subject: Anti-ROTC Resources To: Multiple recipients of list ACTIV-L The following organizing resource is from War Research Info Service, March 1992 (Packet #4). Copyright 1992 University Conversion Project. Feel free to reprint with credit. Please also add: "Published by University Conversion Project, Box 748, Cambridge, MA 02142. Tel. (617) 354-9363. Info free with SASE; sample issue $3" Dismantling ROTC... by Tom Albanese, Kent State University University Conversion Project Campus activity aimed at liberating schools from the grips of militarism has traditionally targeted ROTC programs. At the height of anti-ROTC activism, 1970, students on hundreds of campuses made it physically clear that ROTC was no longer welcome at institutions of "higher" learning. Although enrollment has picked up since 1973 and the program grew quickly in the early 1980s, committed activists have once again put ROTC on the defensive. The most widespread recent charge against ROTC is its discriminatory policy barring lesbians, gays and bisexuals from service. Based on homophobic and disproven beliefs the policy stands as one of the last official barriers to equal access to the military. Of course there are many unofficial institutionalized and attitudinal barriers that non-straight-white-males have to face as well. For instance, within the services women face suspicion of and/or persecution for being Queer much more frequently than men, reflecting the general atmosphere of gender discrimination pervasive throughout. While women make up only ten percent of the services, they comprised 26 percent of the 1050 service members discharged due to allegations regarding sexual preference between Sept. 30, 1987 and Oct. 1, 1988 [source: ACLU Packet]. Fighting official discrimination from a campus perspective, many university presidents have written DoD officials in response to growing grass-roots pressure and a rising tide of student and faculty government resolutions calling for change. The DoD's policy places ROTC programs in direct conflict with state and University regulations against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. However, DoD officials including Dick Cheney adamantly refuse to review their policy. Moreover, a recent decision in Federal court upheld the ban on lesbians, gays and bisexuals by refusing to reinstate an ex-Naval Academy midshipman booted for his alleged sexual-orientation. In the mean time, campus-based pressure is mounting as it becomes undeniably clear that polite procedural methods of change are in- effective and disempowering. Of course, fighting to abolish manifest and latent dis- crimination need not indicate our approval of the military in its present form. For tactical reasons, we may not wish to put anti- militarism at the core of our campaign. Remember that the forms of discrimination present in the military are related to the role the military serves, both within our country and in its use by our government abroad. Eliminating another barrier to access to the military will not in itself affect the way in which the military is used. But by prying open the iron doors of ignorance, eradicating institutionalized oppression, and empowering those able to make military ranks representative of society in general, we come one step closer to humanizing an institution built for and controlled by a privileged segment of society. While ROTC remains on your campus anti-Queer government policies and discriminatory attitudes are passively sanctioned. In addition, militaristic problem-solving becomes further entrenched as a legitimate component of the academic setting. Uncritical acceptance of ROTC permits the DoD and the services to circumvent normal academic channels of review and approval for instructors' credentials, course materials, and sometimes positions within faculty government. At UCLA last year faculty and students fought this privilege and compromise of academic values. They argued against allowing ROTC courses to serve as credit towards a degree, as most campuses do, and the automatic representation of ROTC instructors on their Academic Senate while qualified undergraduate lecturers were officially excluded. "The military has a privileged role at the University of California, and democracy be damned," conclude professors Katherine King and Julia Wrigley. The time is long overdue to say goodbye to ROTC once and for all. The privilege it receives, the discrimination it dishes out, and the anachronistic Cold War policies which it aspires to uphold make it a campus entity we can no longer afford to ignore. WHAT CAN WE DO?? ONE - A first step in any "Goodbye ROTC" campaign is to gather resources. Listed on the next page are some organizations who offer tools for and experience in effectively combating ROTC. The ACLU's packet is perhaps the most comprehensive. Raising campus awareness of the issues involved is critical. Information campaigns that are creative and consistent are typically the most effective. Expose the contradictions between ROTC policy and university/state/ local anti-discrimination policies. TWO - Pepper your efforts with direct action. Target the ROTC offices by holding a sit-in, stage a mock trial to judge their policies or their complicity in unjust wars, disable their phone lines or the administration's through non-stop calling for a few hours (ask pointed questions and don't use your home phone), disrupt administrative meetings with creative demonstrations, etc. THREE - Be sensitive to the needs of low-income people. State and Federal student aid has been reduced or converted to loan programs over the last ten to fifteen years. Because so many students depend financially on ROTC it is imperative that we suggest alternative sources of financial assistance. The anti- ROTC discrimination movement has been criticized on some campuses for failing to promote alternative funding sources. Fortunately, the prospects for shifting ROTC funding to civilian scholarships are greatly improved with the end of the cold war. University administrations can also be pressured to offer scholarships for students faced with no hope of attending school unless they enroll in ROTC, or who cannot receive ROTC scholarships because of their sexual-orientation. FOUR - As awareness grows so should public debate. Many schools, as already mentioned, have criticized and/or rejected the presence of ROTC through student and faculty government resolutions. The point is to put pressure on the administration to speak out publicly against ROTC policy and what it represents. At some schools students and faculty have succeeded in having their Board of Regents review the situation. Using formal procedural channels helps to compound the pressure building against the DoD by way of outspoken university officials. It is our task to create the initial momentum. FIVE - Support gays and lesbians who have been denied access to ROTC or expelled from the program. Many times ex-ROTC students have been ordered to repay the scholarship monies they were awarded. School administrations can soften this insult added to injury by offering to pay not only what the ROTC has the nerve to ask for, but for a comparable scholarship award to the student. SIX - Demand that until ROTC is either removed or their policy changes that their discriminatory policy is mentioned in all ROTC and university promotional material. At the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and Washington University (St. Louis, MO), for example, such steps have been proposed. MIT brochures now mark the nondescrimination policy with a footnote, which explains the ROTC exception. SEVEN - If official condemnation is achieved, continue agitation for ROTC removal and its replacement with larger Peace Studies Programs, Gay and Lesbian Studies Programs, and civilian full- tuition scholarships. This activity will help keep the issue alive on campus and extinguish the disempowering effects of bureaucratic attitudes - "We did what you wanted us to do, now let's wait and see." Sorry, that's not enough. Recommended Publications o "Shape Up or Ship Out: Opposing ROTC Discrimination on College Campuses," by Richard Villasenor. A comprehensive guide for campus activists, including: strategy, tactics, arguments, step-by-step approach. Copies available from the University Conversion Project ($3) or as part of ACLU packet. o Fighting Back. Edited by Joseph Schuman and Kathleen Gilberd (1985). A legal guide on Lesbian and Gay draft, military and veteran's issues. Copies distributed by Midwest Committee for Military Counseling, 343 S. Dearborn #1113, Chicago, IL 60604, (312) 939-3349. **** sidebar begins here **** DoD POLICY ON HOMOSEXUALITY (Directive 1332.14) "Homosexuality is incompatible with military service. The presence in the military environment of persons who engage in homosexual conduct or who, by their statements, demonstrate a propensity to engage in homosexual conduct, seriously impairs the accomplishment of the military mission. The presence of such members adversely affects the ability of the Armed Forces to maintain discipline, good order, and morale; to foster mutual trust and confidence among service members; to ensure the integrity of the system of rank and command; to facilitate assignment and worldwide deployment of service members who frequently must live and work under close conditions affording minimal privacy; to recruit and retain members of the armed forces; to maintain the public acceptability of military service; and to prevent breaches of security. Homosexual acts are crimes under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. _______________________________ *A homosexual act means bodily contact, actively undertaken or passively permitted, between member of the same sex for the purpose of satisfying sexual desires." *Discharge for homosexuality can result from: l) committing homosexual acts; 2) attempting to commit homosexual acts; 3) stating the desire or intent to commit homosexual acts. *Service members have also been recommended for discharge for associating with civilian homosexuals." (caption) The DoD was never a shy homophobe RESOURCES Anti-ROTC Organizations o Lesbian and Gay Rights Project, American Civil Liber- ties Union -132 West 43rd Street, NY, NY 10036, (212)944- 9800, ext. 545. Organizer Packet available for $20. Several hundred pages long, including: current update on campus activity opposing ROTC discrimination; relevant articles; strategies for action; key documents, including DoD PERSEREC report; history of ROTC and more. o Military Freedom Project, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force - 1734 Fourteenth St. NW, Washington, DC 20009, (202) 332-6483. Has a number of low cost resources available related to ROTC and the military. o ROTC/JROTC Clearinghouse, War Resisters League - 339 Lafayette St., NY, NY 10012, (212) 228-0450. Provides "ROTC Dismantling Kit" - a resource for developing campaigns, including: step-by-step guide; history of ROTC; questions to ask, etc. plus "ROTC: The Militarization of Students" brochure. o Military Law Task Force, National Lawyers Guild - 1168 Union St. #202, San Diego, CA 92101, (619) 233-1701. Provide educational materials, legal research and support, speakers, and has bimonthly newsletter. o Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders - P.O. Box 218, Boston, MA 02112, (617) 426-1350. Provides legal assistance; supports anti-ROTC organizing. o Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Veterans of America (GLBVA), - 1350 North 37th Place, Milwaukee, WI 53208, (414) 342- 6543. Assistance for servicemembers in matters pertaining to discrimination, harassment, and less- than-honorable discharges on the basis of sexual-orientation. Callers guaranteed personal response within 24 hours if they leave a recorded message. Anonymity and security assured if requesting legal information or are currently under investigation. o Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc. - 666 Broadway, NY, NY 10012, (212)995-8585. Publishing in- formation on laws relating to Gays, Lesbians and Bisexuals in the military. Peace Studies Resources o Consortium of Peace Research and Development (CoPRaD) - George Mason Univ., Fairfax, VA 22030-4444, (703)993-3639. Network of Peace Studies programs, organi- zations and individuals for ongoing exchange of info. across research, education and action. Assistance in curriculum development, program evolution, etc.. National conference August 12-16, San Francisco State Univ.; bimonthly newsletter and journal. o Peace Studies Association - 1201 17th St., IBS #5, Suite #11, Campus Box 471, Univ. of CO., Boulder, CO 80309-0471, (303) 492-5105. Organization of college and univ. academic peace, conflict, justice and global security programs. Packet available detailing different types of programs; dissertations on program development also available. Lesbian & Gay Studies o Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies (CLAGS) - c/o Martin Duberman, The Graduate Center, City Univ. of NY, 33 West 42 St., NY, NY 10036, (212)642-2110. Research center and clearinghouse; sponsors symposia, conferences and programs; publishes semi-annual newsletter; examining multi-level curriculum reforms and is preparing pilot studies and syllabi to assist in creation of courses. New edition of Martin Duberman's book About time: Exploring the Gay Past, (N.A.L. Dutton), has useful, extensive bibliography. o David Halperin, MIT, (617)253-5038. Initiated seminar on Les- bian/Gay Studies at MIT, working on curriculum development. o Eve Kossosky Sedgwick, Duke University, (919)549-0661. Teaches graduate course in Queer Theory, Gay/Lesbian Literary Criticism. Author of An Epistemology of the Closet, (Univ. of CA Press, 1990). o Lesbian and Gay Studies Newsletter, - Modern Language Association. To subscribe contact Jack Yegaer, Treas., GLCML/ Dept. of French and Italian, Univ. of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824. $5 student subscriptions. The Modern Language Association is also working on a resource guide for Les- bian/Gay Studies. DoD Discrimination Articles o "For Gay People in the Military, Lives of Secrecy and Despair," New York Times, 4/10/90, p.A-1, D-20. o "Gay Groups Suggest Marines Selectively Prosecute Women," New York Times, 12/4/88. o "Justices Refuse to Hear Challenge to Military Ban on Homosexuals," New York Times, 2/27/90, p.A-1, 18. o "MIT Provost Urges Defense Secretary to Drop ROTC Ban on Homosexuals," Chronicle of Higher Education, 4/25/90. o "Students Give ROTC the Boot Over Anti-Gay Policy," The Advocate, #561, 10/9/90, p.42. o "The Pentagon's Fight to Keep Gays Away," U.S. News and World Report, 11/20/89, p.57. o "Navy is Urged to Root Out Lesbians Despite Abilities," New York Times, 9/2/90. o "Challenge to Military's Anti-Gay Stance Found in report Dismissed by Pentagon," Los Angeles Times, 10/23/89. o "Rethinking DoD Policy on Gays: Studies Shelved by Pentagon Suggest Blanket Exclusion is Unjustified," Washington Post, 11/6/89. o "ROTC Under Siege for Ousting," New York Times, 5/6/90. NOTE: the printed version of this packet contains additional graphics and charts regarding ROTC, peace studies, women's studies, ethnic studies, and lesbigay studies.