Marshall University

Issue date: 4/11/06

While crime is often played out on screen as entertainment, it is something very real that is also played out in people's lives. One such type of offense falls into a category of its own: Hate crimes.

The Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender Outreach and the Multicultural and International Affairs offices are sponsoring Judy Shepard to speak at Marshall.

Shepard is the mother of Matthew Shepard, a college student in Laramie, Wyo., who was beaten, tied to a fence and left to die because of his sexual orientation.

Judy Shepard will speak at 8 p.m. Wednesday in the Don Morris Room. The event is free and open to the public.

"Matthew Shepard's death was an awakening to the gay and lesbian community to start looking at hate crimes legislation," Douglas Evans, LGBTO co-director, said. "It pushed hate crime legislation to the forefront on a lot of political groups' agendas."

Although the incident took place in 1998, it still has a political effect, standing as a common example whenever hate crime legislation is debated, Evans said.

"The media played a big role in it," he said. "Overnight, Laramie was under a microscope."

The event raised many questions about hate crimes, including how they are motivated and what could be done to prevent them, Evans said. Shepard will talk about the aftermath of what happened along with hate in communities.

Evans said Shepard's speech would be both encouraging and emotional.

Rebecca Wass, co-director of the LGBTO, said the event had a wide-reaching effect.

"When something like that happens, it affects the whole town," she said. "In his case, it affected the whole world."

Judy Shepard should appeal to a wider audience than just gay and lesbian individuals and she is more serious than some of the speakers the group has sponsored in past, Wass said.

"Obviously, she stands for more than just gay rights issues," she said. "You don't have to be a supporter of LGBT issues to relate to what she's saying."

While it is fun to bring in drag shows and people such as Dan Renzi, one main goal of the LGBTO office is to educate people on "real, hardcore issues," Wass said.

"We've brought in quite a lot of people," she said. "We're here for more than just the gay characters on MTV. We have more substance than that. People like Elizabeth Birch and Judy Shepard bring more seriousness and more to educate people and show them a different side."

Evans said he wants the event to raise awareness of the issue of hate crimes.

"I think it will encourage students to start thinking critically," he said. "It's not just a gay lesbian issue. It's an issue of just about anything. I think that's why it's such a hot topic. Hate crimes are based on motivation, they have to be pre-meditated, they have to be planned out."

The specific Matthew Shepard issue is important for students because Huntington is similar to Laramie, Evans said.

Both cities are rural and have conservative backgrounds. Huntington has also experienced hate crimes, he said.

According to the FBI's Web site, in 2004, West Virginia reported 31 hate crimes, with five of those being motivated by sexual orientation.

"I don't think the issue is going away," Wass said. "It does affect everybody."

More information about Judy Shepard is available on the LGBTO Web site, www.marshall.edu/lgbo.

E-mail Amanda M. Koncelik at koncelik@marshall.edu.

Defining marriage

A proposed amendment to the state constitution will attempt to define marriage

By: Amanda M. Koncelik

The West Virginia Family Foundation is seeking to have an amendment added to the state constitution that would define marriage as "one man and one woman."

West Virginia currently has a Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as "between a man and a woman."

However, this act has come under attack in recent court cases, Kevin McCoy, West Virginia Family Foundation president, said.

McCoy pointed to a case in 2004 where the American Civil Liberties Union tried to challenge the DOMA. The court decided by a 3-2 vote not to consider the case.

"They could always come back at a later date and challenge DOMA using a different strategy, and that's a risk that's just too great for us to take," McCoy said.

Earl Parsons, freshman psychology major from Huntington, thinks the legislation should be challenged until the courts "get the point."

He said the Preamble of the Constitution declares all men created equal. However, Parsons said homosexuals are treated as a minority and are denied the ability to marry whomever they are in love with.

Kevin Westeran, freshman math education major from Nitro, W. Va., has a different opinion.

He said same-sex marriage is an unnatural thing and a way of killing future generations of children.

"A man loving a man can't give birth to a child," Westeran said.

The difference between marriage and a civil union is that marriage is a contract to live as a family rather than a contract to live as a group of people, Westeran said. That way it would not be about love but about saving money, he said.

"I'd be OK with a separate definition that could not only apply to homosexuals but groups of people that live together," Westeran said.

Being able to make claims on taxes and insurance were two things Parsons said homosexuals might want.

"Once they give us the right to marry, we're going to ask for more," he said.

However, Parsons said marriage and civil union were not the same thing.

"It's a whole set of different rules," he said.

McCoy also cited a recent case in which a court granted custody of a 4-year-old boy to a non-biological mother without adoption papers, a written agreement or a will. He said this was a recognition of same-sex marriage.

"To us, the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman is just too great to risk," McCoy said. "We don't want to make it vulnerable, we want to try to protect it even more."

Justin Stewart, freshman biology major from Marmet, W. Va., said he was against the legislation because it goes against equality and denies everyone the same rights. Stewart said he thinks it would add to the oppression of the gay community.

"Marriage is about love and commitment, and that just doesn't stop at one man or one woman," he said.

Kevin Cline, president of Marshall's Gay Straight Bisexual Alliance, agrees with the wider view of marriage.

"If three adults say they want to get married, whatever, it's their choice," Cline said.

However, Cline said he thinks marriage seems like a "social construct," and people could still be happy together. He said people should strive for equal rights under the law.

Southern Baptist campus minister Dan Byrd said he was worried about where this new definition may lead.

"If you define marriage as anything other than one man and one woman, it opens the door for you to define it pretty much any way that you want to," he said. "If you were to begin to allow same sex marriages, it would just be logical that you would allow two men and a woman to be married or two women and a man… the opportunities there would be endless. The whole sweater would unravel if you were to try to redefine marriage."

McCoy said the definition of marriage as one man and one woman was the "dead rock of our civilization since the beginning of time."

"Only a man and a woman can procreate," he said. "To us it's a non-issue."

Caleb Gibson, president of the College Republicans, said he thinks the legislation is a good idea.

"I think the legislation is a good and necessary way for us as a state to not only protect our values but also keep marriage the sacred union between men and women it always has been and not fall into the same trap that states like Massachusetts have," he said. "It isn't fair for a few legislators to change the law when the majority of Americans agree with the way it's always been."

Justin Carpenter, president of the Young Democrats, described government defining people's personal lives as "a slippery slope."

"It comes down to tolerance," he said. "The Republican party claims to be the party of less government. It makes me wonder why they're so interested in people's bedrooms."

Carpenter said he hopes the legislation will not pass.

Rebecca Wass, co-director of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Outreach, said she was shocked when she first heard about the proposed legislation.

"I thought we were a little bit more progressive," Wass said. "I mean, a lot of people don't put much stock into West Virginia as being very liberal, but I found it completely shocking that somebody would actually try to do this."

She said some LGBTO members were talking to different schools and organizations within Marshall to see what they could do to get their voices heard.

Chad Cook, president of the Lambda society, said the amendment does not seem constitutional. He compared denying same sex marriage to denying interracial marriage.

"I think it would set us back as a state just as it would if we were to make an amendment that would deny a biracial couple to get married," Cook said.

The Rev. Dana Sutton, Presbyterian campus pastor, said his views might not be representative of those of other Christian groups, but said he thinks the legislature should stay out of these issues.

"They want to legislate morality," Sutton said. "I think history has shown us pretty well that you can't legislate morality."

Sutton said he thinks there are better ways to spend time than worrying about what people accept within their own beliefs.

"I think we spend so much time worrying about who's having relationships with whom and not worrying about who's starving to death, who's freezing to death, who's beating up whom, what's happening with children around the world," he said.

Shane Wilks, freshman accounting major from Huntington, said he believes the United States was built on man and woman marriage. He thinks that same-sex marriage would be "a corruption of what is pure, family oriented, and wholesome."

Byrd said the issue was a "mute point" until recently.

"Anyone with half a brain for centuries and centuries has known that marriage is between a man and a woman," he said. "People are trying to change nature to meet their needs. I hope that they're not successful."

McCoy said he did not see any obstacles to getting this legislation passed.

"I think that most of the members of the legislature are common sense down to earth folks that share our traditional family values especially when it comes to marriage between a man and a woman," he said.

McCoy said putting the issue on the ballot would allow voters to decide how they want marriage to be defined.

"I think that's democracy at its finest," McCoy said.

Byrd said he thinks the issue will cause controversy no matter who wins.

"It such a hot topic that no matter which side wins that argument there will always be a backlash from it. Unfortunately, I don't think we're going to see the end of this issue anytime soon," he said.

E-mail Amanda M. Koncelik at koncelik@marshall.edu.

LGBTO sponsors films

By: Amanda M. Koncelik

The Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Outreach group has both new and returning programs planned for this semester.

LGBTO members are sponsoring a film festival this semester. Douglas Evans, LGBTO director, said the group tried to get movies with topics considered controversial by some in order to form a "bell curve in popularity." He said they tried to buy movies students had requested.

The films will range from documentaries to independent in the genres of comedy, romance, drama and suspense.

"At first I don't expect a lot of people to show up," Evans said. "Hopefully, we'll have an attendance increase as word gets out."

He said the money to buy the films came from a $1,000 grant from the Higher Education Policy Commission. This is the second year the LGBTO has received this grant. The money will also be used for library editions and speakers.

The festival is mainly designed to let people know the office is active, Evans said. Discussions afterward as a sharing and exchange of ideas is something Evans said he would like to explore.

The next film, "Kinsey," will be shown Feb. 1 at 8 p.m. All films will be in Smith Hall room 154.

LGBTO members hope to make the film series a yearly event.

The LGBTO also plans to update its Safe Space program.

These updates are to include on-campus training and programming to give people extra information about issues homosexuals deal with, as well as redesigning the stickers displayed, Evans said.

The Safe Space program involves faculty members displaying stickers on doors to indicate their support of the LGBTO.

Evans said some students prefer to take professors who display the Safe Space sticker on their door.

"(The program is) really good for students who are new or just coming out," he said. "It lets them know someone is there for them."

The sticker states, "Anyone who is gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, two-spirited, or questioning is welcome here. Ignorance, intolerance, bigotry, and harassment are not acceptable."

David Duke teaches history at Marshall and displays the sticker on his door.

"I've never had anyone come and make use of it," Duke said. "But it's a sign that people care as far as sexual orientation goes."

Evans said the group is trying to get someone from every college to participate in the program.

Evans also has a sticker he offers to students, the Human Rights Campaign sticker.

"The more people who display them, the more comfortable some people may feel," he said. Evans said he knows both gay and straight students who display these stickers and said he will give them to anyone who wants one.

He said the LGBTO has also been making updates to its Web site.

E-mail Amanda M. Koncelik at koncelik@marshall.edu.

Renzi speech to close month

By: LINZY GARDNER

Issue date: 10/25/05

Gay and Lesbian History Month will wrap up tomorrow with a presentation from Dan Renzi, a former cast member of MTV's "Real World Miami" and "The Inferno."

Renzi's speech has been touted on campus posters as "The (Un)Ordinary Story of A Gay Guy," and tomorrow night students will have the opportunity to hear his story first-hand.

"It's going to be craziness, we have been advertising it since the beginning of the semester," Doug Evans, LGBTO co-director said.

The event will take place in the Francis-Booth Experimental Theater of the Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center and is general admission for both students and public.

"People will be welcome there as long as seating holds out, but I suggest you come ten minutes or so before," Evans said.

The LGBT Outreach Office also will provide refreshments at the event on a first-come first-serve basis.

Renzi recently has been very involved in the college lecture circuit. The Marshall University Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender Outreach Office and the Office of Multicultural and International Affairs are jointly sponsoring his visit to Marshall University.

"I am really excited to go see him because of what he has to say and not because he was on TV," Kevin Cline, junior English education major, said.

"Filled with humor and inspiration, this program appeals to all audiences - gay, straight and everything else 'in-between,' who appreciate the crazy twists and turns life sometimes throws at you," is how the show is described on the Web site of Wolfman Productions, the company responsible for booking Renzi.

"I want to see what he has to say about his experiences on the Real World and his experiences through being gay," Brittany Walter, junior criminal justice major, said.

Evans said he hopes this will be an ongoing thing and encourages students to keep checking the LGBTO Web site, www.marshall.edu/lgbo.

Film Fest offers different viewpoint

Director says he hopes event is first of many

By: LINZY GARDNER

For individuals tired of the typical Hollywood movies produced today, grab some popcorn and head to Smith Hall this week.

A transgendered nightclub performer, New Delhi lesbian lovers and the story of the discovery of AIDS are not typical film topics but will be the three stories featured by the Marshall University Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender Outreach organization this week.

The films, all based on true stories, will be shown free of charge for all Marshall students and faculty in Smith Hall, room 154 this week.

"Soldier's Girl," the story of a soldier beaten to death for falling in love with a transgendered nightclub performer, started the week off Monday.

"Fire," the story of a New Delhi arranged marriage gone awry, plays at 7 p.m.

"I'm excited about it because it gives me a chance to see how homosexuality is treated in a culture other than ours," Kevin Cline, a junior English education major from Huntington, said.

"And the Band Played On," based on the best selling book, explores the discovery of the AIDS epidemic in the scientific community after 1978.

Douglas Evans, LGBTO co-director, said this is the film festival's first year, and the group is considering more movie nights in the future.

Seating is general admission for all, and tickets will be distributed after the film's conclusion for those seeking class credit. Each movie runs about two hours.

All three of the movies will be available for rental on DVD from the LGBTO's library after the festival concludes.

This year's National Coming Out Day, titled 'Talk About It,' will be celebrated by the Marshall University Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender Outreach organization and LAMBDA Society today.

Information about coming out, available resources for those in the process of coming out, a display of different individuals who have come out in popular culture and the unveiling of a surprise project will be featured in the Memorial Student Center.

"We are not telling people to come out, we are just showing people are out," Douglas Evans, LGBTO co-director, said.

The surprise project, one of the day's features, will be unveiled and will be on display in the LGBT Outreach offices the rest of the year.

"Hopefully the whole thing will be very eye-catching, we will also have rainbow colored skittles out to draw people in," Evans said. "We have tried to invite student groups, so hopefully it will be a good turnout."

The LGBTO also will have a display in the MSC Wednesday in observance of the death of Matthew Sheppard, as well as other victims of hate crimes.

"On the 12th it will change tones and become more of a quiet day," Evans said. "We will have navy blue ribbons because that was Matthew Sheppard's favorite color."

The LAMBDA Society will have a "Hate Crimes Stories Told" board on the MSC plaza. Students are invited to stop by and share stories of hate crimes or any issues about coming out.

Other events planned this month include a Film Festival and guest speaker Dan Renzi from the Real World Miami.

Gedro's donation helps LGBTO expand

Recently the Marshall University Multicultural Commission, the Lewis College of Business, and MU Career Services held a panel discussion on "Creating a Tolerant Workplace: LGBT Workplace rights and you." Among the many distinguished speakers was Dr. Julie Gedro who is a Professor at Empire State College in New York. Dr. Gedro, a former Human Resource trainer of a Fortune 500 company and has written an exceptional dissertation on Lesbians in Corporate America. We in the LGBTO had the honor of entertaining Dr. Gedro before the panel discussion and she talked with us about several issues that she has come up against at her college in New York. She was impressed with our office and the resources we have available to the students here at Marshall University.

Before leaving, Dr. Gedro made a donation to the office which we will be using to expand our resource collection. It was nice to get such great feedback from Dr. Gedro. I as a student and Co-Director of the LGBTO would like to thank the Marshall University Multicultural Commission, the Lewis College of Business and MU Career Services for bringing such a great speaker to our wonderfully diverse campus.

Douglas M. Evans
LGBTO Co-Director

Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender

Outreach Office

Shepard to speak out against hate crime

By: Amanada Koncelik

Defining marriage

A proposed amendment to the state constitution will attempt to define marriage

By: Amanda M. Koncelik

LGBTO sponsors films

By: Amanda M. Koncelik

Renzi speech to close month

By: LINZY GARDNER

Film Fest offers different viewpoint

Director says he hopes event is first of many

By: LINZY GARDNER

By: LINZY GARDNER