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Show T I The Dally Utah Chronicle - Page Seven Wednesday. May 22, 1991 has a long history of promoting freedom at the LGSU This month, the Lesbian and Gay Student Union (LGSU) celebrates 20 years of serving the students, faculty and staff of the University of Utah, making it reportedly the third oldest student organization for lesbians and gay men in the United States. Less than two years after the Gay Liberation movement began with Stonewall Inn Riots of 1969 in New York City, the Gay Liberation Organization (GLO) was founded on May 12, 1971 by five U. students: Scott Ruston, Pam Mayne, Ralph Place and Mary Heath. Their first meeting was a panel discussion in the main lounge of Van Cott Hall, with about 40 participants and observers. When they made the front page of the Chronicle the following day, a controversy began which continues to this day. One of the first activities of the GLO was to participate as a visible contingent of the March for Peace on May 15, 1971. Many of the gay peace activists who tried to participate in the march were run off by the march organizers. The local media went so far as to call the gay participants a group of "freaks." By the just as the early mid-1970- s, radical Gay Liberation movement turned into the more subdued "Gay Rights" movement, the name of the U.'s student group was changed to the less radical Gay Student Union. In 1976, the GSU officially registered as a student organization in an attempt to get ASUU funding and better university support. In 1977, Scott Ruston, one of the original founders, was elected GSU's vice president and Bradley Bowers became the president. Meetings were still being held in Van Cott Hall. In 1978, Allen Blaich became president He was responsible tor instigating small consciousness-raising- " groups after the short weekly business meetings. By 1979, GSU meetings were being held in the new Social Work building. The name was also changed that year to the Lesbian and Gay Student Union, as a way to help lesbian visibility because the general feeling was that the word "gay" implied males only. On October 29, 1979, LGSU organized a Gay Athletic on Association campus. "Coffeehouses" also became a popular activity that year. They were held outside the regular weekly meetings, usually in either the Faculty Lounge or the Union Den. In 1980, Wess Jolley became the president of LGSU and he unsuccessfully bid for ASUU funding. Such funding problems with ASUU have since been a rule, rather than the exception, according to the LGSU budget records and articles published in the Chronicle. The following year brought a short hiatus in LGSU's existence, but it was quarter in 1982 due to the immediate need for social and educational activities for lesbians and gays on campus. That year, they moved their meetings to Room 215 of Orson Spencer Hall, where their Monday night meetings are still being held. In 1982 a major structural change was made whereby two women and two of men were elected as LGSU: Iris Gonzalez, Kelly Dingus (an English professor), Michael Sowerby and Eldon Hunt. The organization reverted briefly to being called the Mayfest needs more variety Editor: better occasion than ASUU's annual Mayfest to let our hair down. However, depending on how much hair you have may vastly effect how much you enjoy this festive week. In an attempt to join my fellow students in this "dog days" gala, I left class Wednesday afternoon and headed for central campus. To my dismay I felt less than welcome with "open-minded- " the establishmentarian d flower children that I found there. The KJQ M.C's condom jokes did little for my enjoyment as well. It is a mockery to our public educational institution to turn what could be such a unique and fun event into a bash for granola wanabees, most of whom are not U. students! May I suggest that ASUU look at the crowd being gathered and then make appropriate changes in music and atmosphere which might complement this good institution and bring out a greater majority of the student population. tie-dye- Sony Zenith Panasonic Chronicle Guest Columnist Gay Student Union, but in 1983, "Lesbian" was once again added to the name. In 1983, LGSU's vision of what could be done to improve the situation for lesbian and gays (not only on campus, but also in the entire region) began to expand dramatically under the leadership of Michael Sowerby. The Executive Council requested office space in the Union building to obtain more legitimate visibility. Unfortunately, their request was turned down. LGSU also started a newsletter called the "Salt Lake Eagle," but when ASUU refused to help fund the costly newsletter, it folded. Recognizing a need to coalesce with other groups in the intermountain region, LGSU began to network with similar organizations in six other surrounded states to plan large conferences. The annual Desert and Mountain States Lesbian and Gay Conference is the result of these revived quickly during autumn Letters 'We all need a break, and what Rocky O'Donovan Rich Allen Senior Aiwa TDK Englishpre-me- d Technics Olympus 'They say love makes the world go round" efforts. LGSU financial records for the mid-t- o late 1980s indicate consistent attempts to obtain funding from ASUU. This was the era when the AIDS crisis became the number one priority for the local gay and lesbian community, and LGSU tried to get funding for AIDS education programs, workshops, etc, but ASUU still denied all but minimal funding for LGSU. In 1985-8- for example, LGSU 6, received $50 in funding from the ASUU budget, while other minority student unions were receiving hundreds, even thousands of dollars to fund their projects. That same year, the ASUU Finance Board sent a letter to LGSU's president, Richard Rodriguez, merely indicating that "because of the nature of certain groups, ASUU cannot fund their U. outstanding lesbian and gay political activists have participated in or even presided over LGSU. This year promises to be a time of great change for the student union. Two of its members have been selected to sit on ASUU's Board, where they can be Mult-Cultur- instrumental in educating people about discrimination and oppression of lesbians and gays. The general LGSU membership has also been very helpful in petitioning to have "sexual orientation" as a protected category added to the U.'s and affirmative action policies. These proposed amendments have successfully passed more than a dozen committees on campus and been very productive in helping people deal with their sexual and now only lack final approval by the Board of Trustees. The Lesbian and Gay Student Union at the U. is to be congratulated for 20 years of service and education in their struggle for freedom from oppression. Hopefully, the next 20 years will see even more progress in basis. freedom, locally and globally. activities." In addition to LGSU's many years of fighting homophobia and heterosexism on this campus, it has affectional orientation on a personal Indeed, any of Utah's striving for human rights and The Daily Utah Chronicle The Daily Utah Chronicle is an independent student newspaper published Monday through Friday during autumn, winter and spring quarter, excluding test weeks and holidays by the University of Utah Publications Council. 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