As co-president of the GLU I must comment on The Northern Star Editorial Board’s editorial regarding the difficulties the GLU has with exposure of members to the public. First, I must agree that until people are willing to be out in the open with their homosexuality we can not hope that societies’ heterosexism will change.

I strongly believe that people have fear of things they do not understand such as death, love, and yes—homosexuality. If people were to realize that they are in contact with homosexuals in their daily lives, and that we are people that they may know, like, respect and even love, then the homophobia would stop.

I can see that positive outcome if all gays were more open. However, what sort of incentives do you see for the gay/lesbian individual to divulge his or her sexual orientation?

We are raised with the idea that there is something wrong with homosexuality. People think of it as a disease, and that you can be cured. We do not decide to be homosexual, why would anyone decide to be oppressed and hated?

Parents say things like, “I guess it’s okay for you to be gay, but why would you tell anyone?” As I was walking on campus on jeans day with jeans on and a pink triangle button, a kind gentleman shouted to me, “All faggots should be shot.” There’s an incentive to tell someone that I’m gay.

The point is that I should not have to announce my sexual orientation to have rights. I should have the right not to live in fear of violence, to marry the man I love, to walk hand-in-hand in public.

Of course, our critics would say that was cramming our homosexuality down their throats. According to the March 12, 1990 Newsweek article, “The future of Gay America,” there are 25 million gays/lesbians, ten percent of the population.

Seventy-one percent of the public felt homosexuals deserve equal job opportunities and 47 percent of all adults believe homosexual relations should be legal.

The issue of coming out of the closet is far too complex for me or The Northern Star to address in a newspaper article. Coming out is a process that each gay/lesbian must do at their own pace.

When a person is ready to face the fear of rejection associated with telling friends, family and the NIU campus they are homosexual they simply will.

No one should ever judge an individual on how out they are. Rather, we need to be concerned how a person can get to the point where they are comfortable enough with their homosexuality to express it.

The editorial board seems to have the correct idea, but seems to be ignorant of the problems that gays/lesbians face. Running a cartoon with a flower in the GLU co-president’s hair shows the campus something about The Northern Star’s efforts to educate the NIU population and fight ignorant stereotypes that allow homophobia to run rampant.

David Huggins

Nursing

Co-President GLU