Forty students and others burn a pair of jeans to protest Gay Jeans Day

Toole, John

English

University of Maine

The University of Maine DigitalCommons@UMaine Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Special Collections 11-16-1981 Students burn jeans in protest John Toole University of Maine Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/social_justice  Part of the Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons, Gender Equity in Education Commons, Higher Education Commons, and the United States History Commons Repository Citation Toole, John, "Students burn jeans in protest" (1981). Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion. 249. https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/social_justice/249 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UMaine. It has been accepted for inclusion in Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UMaine. For more information, please contact um.library.technical.services@maine.edu. the daily vol 89, no. 53 ·----------------------------------a 1.n e The University of Maine at Orono student newspaper since 18 75 Monday, Nov. 16, 1981 Students burn jeans in protest by John Toole Staff Writer A noon time "jeans burning" demonstration by several Corbell Hall tudent drew about 40 per-on to the mall Friday to prote 1 Gay Jean Day. Glenn McDonald, leader and organizer of the protest held the jeans which were mounted on a pole, et them on fire, rai ed the pole above his head and read the following tatement: "I, as well as many other University of Maine students, feel our right are being infringed upon by the recent campaign by the Wilde-Stein group." "The method of their protest is not one which may aid upport for their cause, but rather put people in anguish and force them (people who wear jean ) 10 be unneces arily ridil.:ulcd." "The fact that a per on doe or doe not wear jean in no way i. a gauge of exual preference. We are not prote ting again 1 the rights of indi idual ' free choice, however we are prole ting their method." McDonald al o di played a permit authorizing the jean · bur-ning. The permit was i ued Thursday by David Fielder, a si tant director for fire ervice . Pete Caradonna, a re ident of Corbell and a member of the protest, read a statement to the pre s. Cardonna aid, "We're not prote ting gays or gay right . We're unhappy with the way the Wilde-Stein Club ha cho en 10 rally tudent behind their cau e." Caradonna aid, "Look around, hardly anybody i wearing jean . Some may indeed be howing their upport for ga right --and that i fine, but mo I are being forced to do omething that i perhap again t their will--not wear jean . " He aid the club wa~ infringing upon the right of tudents by subjecting them to ridicule becau e of what I hey wear. Stephani Lourie, a Wilde-Stein member, aid Gay Jean Day wa important becau e "we made people more aware of the ga}' i ue." 

Students burn jeans in protest

A noon time  jeans burning  demonstration by several Corbett Hall students drew about 40 persons to the mall Friday to protest Gay Jeans Day

The University of Maine DigitalCommons@UMaine Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Special Collections 11-16-1981 Students burn jeans in protest John Toole University of Maine Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/social_justice  Part of the Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons, Higher Education Commons, and the United States History Commons Repository Citation Toole, John, "Students burn jeans in protest" (1981). Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion. 580. https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/social_justice/580 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UMaine. It has been accepted for inclusion in Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UMaine. For more information, please contact um.library.technical.services@maine.edu. Students burn jeans in protest by John Toole Staff Writer A noon rime "jeans burning" demon tration by everal Corbell Hall tudenr drew abou1 40 per-on to the mall Friday to prote t Gay Jean Day. Glenn McDonald, leader and organizer of the protes1 held the jeans which were mounted on a pole, et them on fire, rai ed the pole above hi head and read the following tatement: "I, a well as many other University of Maine tudents, feel our rights are being infringed upon by the recent campaign by the Wilde-Stein group." "The method of their protest is not one which may aid upport for their cau e, but rather put people in anguish and force them (people who wear jean ) to be unneces arily ridiculed." "The fact that a per on doe or doe not wear jean in no way i a gauge of exual preference. We are not protesting again 1 the right of individual ' free choice, however we are prote ting their method.'' McDonald al o di played a permit authorizing the jean · bur-ning. The permit wa i ued Thur day by David Fielder, a si tant director for fire ervice . Pete Caradonna, a re idenl of Corbell and a member of the protest, read a tatemenl to the press. Cardonna aid, "We're not prote ting gay or gay right . We're unhappy with the way the Wilde-S1ein Club ha cho en 10 rally 1uden1 behind !heir cau e." Caradonna aid, "Look around, hardly anybody i wearing jean . Some may indeed be howing 1heir upporl for gay righl --and 1ha1 i fine, bur mo I are being forced to do omething thal i perhap again I 1heir will--not wear jean . '' He aid 1he club wa infringing upon the right of tudent by subjecting them to ridicule becau e of what they wear. Stephani Lourie, a Wilde-Stein member, aid Gay Jean Day wa importan1 because "we made people more aware of 1he ga) is UC." 

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Students burn jeans in protest

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