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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 12, 1986)
Local Indian tribes celebrate 18th annual powwow See Page 8 Oregon Daily Emerald Monday, May 12. 1988 Eugene, Oregon Volume 87, Number ffO Rally celebrating homosexuality becomes protest against violence By Andrew LaMar (H I hr hmrrftld A rally to celebrate homosex uality turned into a protest against violence Friday at noon in the KMU Courtyard. After listening to music and several speeches, ahout 70 people mar ched to lohnson Hall to protest incidents that occurred last week. "I’m very angry by the acts of terrorism that have been hap pening on this campus against gays and lesbians, and it has to stop,” said Leah Juniper, co director of the Cay and lesbian Alliance. About 150 people at tended the rally, Donna Cooper, director of the Women's Referral and Resource Service, ssid two separate groups of people disrupted a movie shown in Room 138 Gilbert Hall Thursday night as pari of Cay and lesbian Pride Week events. A group of about 25 men and women showed up at the begin ning of movie and were disrup tive. Cooper said. Must of them had left by the time a second group of about 25 men arrived and sat in the aisles, she said. One of the men involved, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he and about 16 other men disrupted the movie for about 15 minutes. In addition, campus security officers came to the film and reported that the Public Safety office had received a bomb threat for the room. Cooper said. Ami when the film ended. r Photo by IkrrrrI ticwilt Project Safe ride coordinator Merc.ea Mabrev speaks at the Cay and Utsbian Pride Week rally Friday. The Saferide van was at tacked Thursday night at the University Inn. firecrackers were set off in a stairwell at the front of the room, she said. Eight men tried to enter the Suferida van later that evening in front of the University Inn. said Marcea Mabrey. the van protect's director. The men ran off when the van's driver picked up a radio to call campus security, "The ignorant, hateful people on this campus cannot kick us off." funiper said, “We will not go away. We will not turn straight. We have just as much right to be here as they do. Know that, and know that you're not alone." ASIJO President Lynn Pin ckney said although she had prepared a speech about celebration, she couldn't read it because of the incidents. In stead. she read a letter she later presented to University Presi dent Paul Olum's executive assistant. Alison Baker. The letter stated that the in cidents represent a further step in the violent harassment of gays and lesbians on campus, (lays' and lesbians' lives are at stake. Pinckney read. "This University must issue a strong statement affirming the rights of gays and lesbians to be free from harassment." she read "We are demanding that this University investigate these (Continued on Page 5 Rainbow deposits its ‘pot of gold’ Kainshowers Friday produced this rainbow that touched down on Carson dormitory. If you believe in lepreuchans, then some student living on the fourth floor is a pot of gold richer. The outlook for rainbow-chasing continues to look good, as more showers are predicted for Monday and Tuesday with highs near fit). Photo by Derrel Hewitt Several violent acts disrupt pride week By Andrew LaMar and Michelle Brence Of hr Kmrrald ('.ay and lesbian Pride Week ended on a tense note last week when the Saferide vail was attacked and a movie shown as part of Cay and Lesbian Pride Week w'as disrupted Thurs day night. The movie, shown in Room 1.’I8 Cilbert Hall by the Women's Referral and Resource Service, was interrupted by two separate groups of people, said Donna Cooper. WRRS director. Cooper said about 25 men and women showed up for the movie, sat in the back rows and made loud noises. Most of them had left when a group of about 25 men entered the room at about 9:50 p in., sat in the aisles, and made loud comments and noises, she said. “They were jeering and heckling people next to them, and they were making bodily function noises,” Cooper said. The men were asked to find seats at which point they decided to leave. Cooper said. About five minutes later, cam pus security officers notified Cooper that the Office of Public Safety had received bomb threats for the room. Cooper an nounced the throat, and about seven people chose to leave, she said. At the end of the movie, firecrackers were set off in a stairwell at the front of the room, she said. The movie had to be stopped twice because of the distur bances. she said. A man who spoke on condition of anonymity said he and about IB other men from campus fraternities entered the room Thursday night and made loud comments for about 15 minutes before being asked to leave. The men had been drinking, he said, and disrupted the movie "just for more of a joke than anything.” They wen; not trying to harass gays and lesbians, he said. "They don't bother me in the least,” he said, adding “It was nothing in protest." The Saferide van. which provides escorts for women, was attacked by eight men in front of the University Inn. Mercea Mabrey. the Saferide Project director, said the van stopped in front of the III at about 9:30 p.m. to pick up passengers. Fight intoxicated men then surrounded the van and un successfully tried to enter it. she said. The men ran away when the van's driver picked up the radio to call for help. Mabrey said. As a result, van service to the Ul may be discontinued, she said. In response to the incidents, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance plans to work with the University president's office and hold non-violence workshops to fight campus violence, said Judy Finch, co-director of GALA. Two or three of the men involved in the movie incident were wearing shirts printed with the Greek letters lambda Ghi Alpha. Cooper said. Campus security, the Kugene Police Department and the Interfraternity Council are investigating the incidents. Oakley Glenn. Public Safety office director, said the general feeling he got from reports was that two or three fraternities were involved. The EPD and the campus security officer present at the film refused to comment. Lambda Chi President Mark Hutcheson said as far as he knows, no active member of the house was involved. All ac tive members were at the house Thursday night from 8 p.m. until midnight for initiation ceremonies, he said. However, he said one former member was involved and that about 10 other associate, former and inactive members own sweatshirts with the fraternity’s letters. The fraternity will work with authorities to find out if any other member is responsible, he said. And if a house member did take part in the incident, he will be "severely dealt with.” Hutcheson said. Interfraternity Council President Rob Taylor said that ac cording to what he heard from campus security officers and witnesses, only about 10 people were involved. Taylor said the same sources indicated there was very little disturbance at the movie. “The leaders of GALA seem to be exaggerating.” Taylor said It's unfair to blame the whole fraternity system for the in cidents. he said. The 1C is concerned about the incidents and has sent letters to all fraternities demanding that members do not sabotage campus events, he said.