GLSA

To the Editors:

Amy Schwartz's recent editorial, "Tolerance Comes Out," made several good points about current relations between Harvard, its students, and its gay community. However, she arrives at some questionable conclusions. As she rightly suggests, gays must maintain a high level of visibility in order to buttress the political gains made on campus in past years. Unfortunately, the editorial does not take into account the vital connection between "stabilizing and ...enriching the gay community" and maintaining a strongly visible presence on campus. Our concern with the strength of the gay community does not mean the GLSA is somehow going underground this year.

In fact, after a year of relative political dormancy, the reorganized GLSA already shows signs of new life. As Ms. Schwartz points out, we have more women and freshmen participating than ever before (though we are far from being "almost evenly gay and lesbian"). The GLSA is providing a strong and supportive center for this growing community. It is thereby educating the larger and generally homophobic college community. Unless the lesbians and gay men here are comfortable with themselves and proud of who they are, constructive visibility (in terms of educating the non-gay and closeted-gay community) is not possible.

True, visibility is education--because so much of homophobia is based on ignorance. Therefore, we will continue to paper the yard with our pink posters, to sponsor gay and friends tables in the dining halls; we will continue to make our presence strongly felt. However, nothing works to change bigoted and ignorant attitudes as effectively as personal contact with proud, self-affirmed lesbians and gay men. This pride can only come from a strong, supportive gay community.

What we would like to emphasize, then, is that the dearth of visibility in public spheres so far this year does not mean that GLSA is not succeeding in educating and changing attitudes at Harvard. Strong politics do not necessarily require strong voices. GLSA's expanded and more politically oriented board is working along lines which, though more low-key so far than in past years, may prove more effective. GLSA is working to foster an environment that encourages gays to affirm their identity and thereby protect and increase their gains. Jenny Rudolph '84 and Robert Mealy '85   co-chairs of GLSA