Despite some student opposition and organizational problems, Friday\u27s Gay Blue Jeans Day was termed a success by one club member.  There seemed to be many people wearing jeans and not as many counter-protesters as last year,  said Tim Lane, a member of the Wilde-Stein Club, UMO\u27s homosexual organization.  Last year there was much more opposition to the event

Bailey, Doug

Fridinger, Ann

English

University of Maine

The University of Maine DigitalCommons@UMaine Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Special Collections 11-7-1978 Jeans Day a success, says Steiner Doug Bailey University of Maine Ann Fridinger 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 Bailey, Doug and Fridinger, Ann, "Jeans Day a success, says Steiner" (1978). Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion. 551. https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/social_justice/551 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. Jeans Day a success, says Steiner b Doug Bailey and Ann Fridinger Despite some student opposition and organizational problem , Fri-day ' Gay Blue Jean Day wa termed a succe by one club member. "There seemed to be many people wearing jeans and not a many counter-protester a last year,· ' aid Tim Lane , a member of the Wilde-Stein Club. UMO' homo-exual organization . "Last year there wa much more oppo 1tion to the event." The purpo e of Jean Day. accord-ing to tein member . is to how pe pie the prejudice homo exual e p rien e every da . People wh upport gay right were told by the club to wear jean . "I talked to about 20 people wearing jean la t Friday.·· Lane aid, "and most of them told me they were not about to change their dre ing habit for ju t one day. I took that a a ign of upport. Only a few people who were wearing jean told me they were oppo ed to ga right ... Lane aid last year the Gay Blue Jeans Day prompted ome counter-prote t . Wearing hat wa con id-ered by ome to be an expression of disapproval. "Last year someone burned a dummy on the mall in prote t of gay , and many member were verbally hara ed. Thi ear I found very littl of that on campu , " Lane aid . But Mike Dragoon , pre ident of Alpha Tau Omega , aid there wer ome people wearing prote t hat la t Frida ; he wa one of them . " I know quite a few pe pie who ar oppo ed to the club getting (conllnued to page 161 e Club 'copping out' (continued from page 1) money from the student activity fee," he aid. In addition to some student opposition to the club , Stein mem-bers admit to organizational prob-lems. They have yet to elect officers this semester, and until they do, the club will not receive any money from the Student Government. Lane said the group misses the cohesive influence of Diane Elze, last year's club leader and an ardent supporter of gay rights . " Diane did a lot for the group," Lane said. "She kept the group together ." Susan Leonard, Student Govern-ment vice president, said group members have not accepted the money because they want the members' names kept confidential. " I can understand their reason-ing," Leonard said . " lf an employer found out their sexual preference, they might be discriminated against. Even with professors and other students, they might be subject to pranks." Lane said the club member are "copping out." " One of the reasons for establish-ing the Wilde-Stein Club was to help gays cope with the problems of coming out of the closet," he said. "Now they want to have the organization but don't want to face the problems of admitting they are gay." Leonard said she thinks the club should be funded because the senate already voted to allocate 5769.35 to the organization and they have a right to it. " I think they should get it (the money) but we need the names of the members for our own purposes. " she said. " I would be willing to keep the names of members confidential, but students may feel the names should be public. Confidentiality is something that must be explored." 

Jeans Day a success, says Steiner

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1550&context=social_justice

Jeans Day a success, says Steiner

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

University of Maine