Invite Our Easter Bunny
to Hop your way with a
Ballon Bouquet
^1
Candy Baskets,
Bunny Mugs,
Easter Mylars
126-4992
Free Delivery in Eugene -
Springfield.
Myths, opinions probed
Class explores lesbianism
By Debbie Howlett
Of th» EmuraU
Some people term lesbianism
a deviation from the norm, while
others ask why gays “make
such a big deal" of their chosen
lifestyle. Barb Ryan, a senior in
psychology, says the lesbian
community is an oppressed
minority. She says their issues
are unknown and also wrong
fully frightening to a "straight"
society.
Her remedy, for the second
term in a row. is to teach a
course on the subject. "Les
bianism: Myth and Reality," is a
women's studies course con
ducted through the SEARCH
program
Student’s reasons for en
rolling in the class vary. Some
say they have been “waiting for
a class like this to be taught,"
some want to define their own
sexuality, or some enroll simply
out of curiosity Twenty-five
students registered winter term
and 20 have registered so far
this term
“I’m teaching the class, first
of all, to dispel some myths
about us, to make lesbians and
the issue of lesbianism more
visible to the community," Ryan
says. "And secondly, to educate
people on how varied lesbian
culture and lifestyle really is "
Areas the course could cover
are in fact so varied, she says,
that each topic could become a
ten-week course in itself Issues
that the class has discussed
UNIVERSITY THEATRE PRESENTS
KAUFMAN CHARTS CLASSIC C0Mg|
YOU CANT TAKE IT WITH TOP
ROBINSON THEATRE *RM>
APRIL 9 10 14- (7
FOR TICKETS CALL 686-419!
we cut
your ego not our/.
uiHRT 15 a supercut ?
P /UpCfCUt u Cu/tom De/igned
fl .nif>CfCUl u Preci/ion Cut
P /UpCfCUt i/ o Pini/hed Product
P i/ for fTten& Women
P /UpCfCIft u Beautiful j|
and.. o -rupcrcut i/ cilway/
Now open
2526 Willamette!
683-1405
Ho Appointment/
Hour*:
Mon. - Fri. 10-7
Sat 9-7
Snampoo and fciowdry afe-av^iiabie at additional cost
C, <9'9 IMA* c o«po«a*»o^
include "coming out,” lesbians
in history, politics, the work
force, racism, motherhood,
lifestyle, and the media
Ryan says that her approach
is unique in that it is from a
lesbian perspective Most
classes are usually overshad
owed in that they deal with the
issues of gay men and bisexuals
as well, according to Ryan.
Myths Ryan deals with most
frequently, she says, come in
three forms, centering around
men, sexuality, and “deviant
things.”
“The (myths) we grow up with
and the ones we hear most,
center around men,” she says
"Everything from lesbians hate
men, to lesbians want to be
men, to men could cure a les
bian.” In each of these
explanations, “a man gets the
credit,” for the woman's own
choice of lifestyle
Dealing with sexuality, Ryan
quotes myths claiming that les
bians are "over-sexed, at
tacking straight women, at
tacking children. Those to me
are the most ridiculous, and
aren’t based on any truth
whatsoever.”
And added to that, says Ryan,
lesbians are called "deviants,
sinners, unhappy, suicidal,
alcoholic, every bad title,” to
explain a choice that differs so
much from prescribed 'norms "
"Lesbianism threatens a lot of
the institutions based on heter
osexism, which I define as the
assumption that all people are
heterosexual The myths are
perpetuated because they ben
efit our society the way it's set
up right now, our white, capita
list, patriarchal society,” says
Ryan
Ryan adds that she is most
frequently asked by heterosex
uals why lesbians 'make such a
big deal out of it, if it's their own
personal lifestyle ” Her re
sponse is that ''we're not the
one's who are making the big
deal.”
Through prejudicial em
ployment laws and housing
policies, and society's unre
sponsiveness to the needs of a
lesbian couple, Ryan says les
bians are denied basic civil
rights
"There have always been
homosexuals, throughout his
tory, and there always will be
Because of that fact, you can’t
assume that everyone you meet
is heterosexual," says Ryan
"When people realize that one
out of ten women is a lesbian,
when they see how normal les
bians are, maybe they won't feel
so threatened
Although social tolerance
remains from the political
liberalism of the 1960s and 70s,
Ryan says the approaching
conservative swing is causing
two extreme reactions among
the lesbian community Some
go back into the “closet," while
others unite in an effort to make
their issues heard
This trend is noticeable in her
classroom in the form of audit
ing students From five to ten
people attend class each week
unregistered, in part, she says,
to prevent the course title from
being indelibly inscribed in their
transcripts
Class members are taking this
approach who might even be
straight, but it would "look real
bad if some day someone would
look back and say Aha! You
took a lesbianism class ’ Why is
that so horrible and scary to
these people?"
Ryan welcomes students who
would rather not enroll She
says that it is better than not
having them attend at all ‘ I'm
more interested in educating
people,' Ryan says
Ryan's long term goal with the
course is to see it become a
regular entry in the women's
studies department catalog,
where she feels it will be "taken
seriously ” She hopes that her
strict grading procedure and
thorough preparation of cur
ricula and reading materials for
the class will enable a University
professor to take over the class
next year
Almost 4,000 strike
EUGENE — Nearly 4,000 Weyerhaeuser Co workers in Oregon
and Washington were honoring picket lines on Thursday of workers
who are on strike in Raymond, Wash., a company spokesman said
Lee Bjorklund said 1,600 workers at Springfield and Cottage
Grove in Oregon walked off the job Thursday morning, along with
400 at Snoqualmie Falls, 200 at Enumclaw and 50 at Tacoma, Wash
They joined 1,100 workers at North Bend, Ore , and 600 in the
Raymond-Aberdeen, Wash , area who had begun honoring the
picket lines on Wednesday
Another 550 workers at Chehalis, Vail and Pe Ell plants had
also walked out in support of the Raymond workers on Wednesday
The company decided to shut those operations down on Thursday
and Friday as an inventory control measure, Bjorklund
Ft
Tin UR IROUi
FREE DINNER
Buy one and receive one of equal or lesser value free.
Choose from the following dinner Selection
Chicken Dinner $5.95 Beef Kabob $5.95
Fried Oysters $6.95 Steak Sandwich $4.95
Bar-B-qued Beef Ribs $5.95
Limit One Coupon Per Visit Per P.irlv • Offer Expires 5-15-M2
Live Band every Night • 9:15-2 am
Monday - 2 for 1 Thursday Mens Night
Tuesday Gold Night Fri. #r Sat. Fun Night
Wednesday Ladies Night Sunday jam Night
535 Main • Springfield • 747-0307
J