NIU’s Amnesty International is the second group in one week that banned homosexuals as a protest to the conflict between ROTC policy and the NIU constitution.

The group amended their constitution Monday to ban homosexuals from being voting members “until NIU obeys its constitution” and prohibits sexual discrimination, said Amnesty International President Donna Lundstrom.

Lundstrom said when NIU’s constitution is enforced, the amendment will be annulled.

The NIU Philosophy Forum changed its constitution March 27 to ban homosexuals until NIU bans all organizations that discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.

NIU Amnesty International has about 30 members and five voting officers. The amendment states homosexuals can attend meetings, but cannot be voting officers.

“Allowing them (Reserve Officers Training Corps) to continue with this discrimination is a blatant contradiction with NIU policy,” Lundstrom said.

In an attempt to parallel the ROTC policy, the Amnesty International amendment bans only publicly acknowleged homosexuals, Lundstrom said.

The NIU Constitution states the university will give equal treatment to people regardless of sexual orientation. ROTC policy prohibits homosexuals from becoming commissioned officers.

Anyone can take military science classes at NIU said Maj. Kenneth Elliott, NIU assistant professor of military science, previously.

Lt. Col. Kenneth Reeves, NIU corps director, said he had no reaction to the banning of homosexuals by Amnesty International. He said the campus groups’ policies are up to them to decide.

Both Lundstrom and Lisa Prodromo, Amnesty International’s vice president, said they decided action needed to be taken about the corp’s policy before the group amended their constitution.

Three officers voted to pass the amendment, one voted against it and there was one abstension, Lundstrom said. The member who abstained will vote at a later date, she said.

Heide Korbel, the group’s secretary, said she could see both sides of the issue, but voted against the amendment because she was not sure how effective it would be.

Lundstrom said the group hopes other university organizations continue the domino effect begun by the Philosophy Forum.

Amnesty International works for worldwide peace and human rights.