Date: Wed, 4 Sep 1996 18:36:10 -0500 (CDT) From: "....DREALM...." Subject: MTSU UEC Releases Report Michael Grantham More than seven months of work by MTSU's Uniform Equality Committee (UEC) will be released to the public on March 28, 1996. The UEC Report on Sexual Orientation and MTSU will make a formal request to the University for a campus policy enhancement to protect the equal rights of gay and lesbian students, faculty, and staff. A press conference will be held at 6pm in KUC 316 on the campus of MTSU to release the report. The press conference will also officially kick off a statewide campaign by gay and lesbian student leaders to address civil rights issues on their respective campuses. Representatives from gay and lesbian student groups will be present in support of UEC efforts and to highlight statewide solidarity among campus groups. The UEC report will be sent to MTSU President James Walker and to the Sexual Orientation Task Force formed under the Student Affairs Sub Council of the Tennessee Board of Regents in late January of this year. Efforts at other universities are currently underway. Denise Denton, President of UT Knoxville's Lambda Society has been involved in a dynamic coalition building effort behind the idea of enhancing a campus policy. University of Memphis Bisexual, Gay and Lesbian Alliance President T.K.. Buchanan and Vice President Sean Campbell are student leaders of a group that has been active with this issue for five years. There are currently more than 300 universities across the country with nondiscrimination policies inclusive of sexual orientation. More than 25 national academic organizations and accrediting agencies support such an inclusive policy. Since the UEC began its efforts at MTSU, the gay and lesbian campus community has received three death threats. Despite this, Lambda Association leadership has maintained weekly meetings attended by more than 40-50 individuals. Lambda is currently preparing for its annual banquet scheduled for April 18 at the Garden Plaza Hotel in Murfreesboro. Tickets are now available to anyone interested. A symposium entitled "Homosexuality and Culture" will follow the press conference on March 28 at 7pm in the Learning Resource Center multi-media room at MTSU. Dean of Residential and Judicial Affairs K.C. Potter of Vanderbilt University will moderate a panel discussion on issues surrounding homosexuality. The four participating panel members include Lesbian and Gay Coalition for Justice Co-Chair Bill Turner, MTSU Philosophy Professor David Zacker, MTSU Women's Studies and English Professor Charise Gendron, and MTSU Accounting Professor Kim Sokoya. Both conservative and liberal views will be represented in this panel. Campus wide discussion on these issues have produced more than 45 articles, letters to the editor and discussion on WMTS 88.3 and MTSU TV Channel 8. The symposium will bring a moderated outlet for probing the issue further before a participating audience. The symposium is open and the general public is welcome to attend. For more information contact Devon Wlodyga at 898-3565. Michael Grantham