 | Zachary M. Raimi
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Last Sunday night, just after darkness overtook campus and the wind increased its strength and coolness, Benn Howard got a painful reminder of what it means to be a homosexual in an intolerant world. After shopping at a local convenience store, the LSA sophomore was walking on East University Avenue with his boyfriend Jonathan, when a pair of men insulted the homosexual couple.
Howard said, "We heard one of them whisper under his breath, 'If you're looking for a pair of fags, there they are.'"
Rebekah Blonshine, who is a lesbian, has also experienced harassment because of her sexual orientation. The LSA first-year student said she received prank phone calls and death threats one evening about a month ago. After these calls, Blonshine left her residence hall room for a while. She said, "I came back to my room and the person had crossed off my rainbow gay pride flag. They wrote: 'Where did you go, bitch?'"
Such instances of hatred and bigotry are, unfortunately, common. Both Howard and Blonshine said the harassment increases when they are affectionate with their partners in public.
Howard, Blonshine and other same-sex couples will face even more challenges on Valentine's Day. Traditionally, heterosexual couples sojourn around town on the holiday, celebrating their romantic relationships and reveling in love. Same-sex couples who do this will undoubtedly face stares, rude comments and, possibly, acts of violence.
Queer Unity Project is trying to combat society's decidedly anti-homosexual feelings; its members could not have chosen a more appropriate day to hold the fifth annual Kiss-In. At noon tomorrow, QUP is sponsoring the event on the Diag. For one hour, same-sex couples will kiss and act affectionately toward each other. Also, some individuals will deliver speeches.
The Kiss-In routinely attracts a lot of attention as students congregate around the Diag to witness the event. And each year, several students become disgusted. Some critics of the Kiss-In say that homosexual behavior is wrong and immoral and therefore the event should not commence. Others say that they have no problem with the concept of homosexuality, but they do not believe homosexuals should publicly flaunt their sexual orientation.
I say: to the contrary. The Kiss-In is a crucial event, one that has the power to reshape the community's perceptions and improve the atmosphere for homosexuals.
The Kiss-In brings the issue of homosexuality to the public eye. Too often, it is easy for members of this community - and society in general - to ignore such issues. Various University offices, such as the Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual Programs Office, routinely sponsor events to make the community more aware of issues affecting homosexuals. But not enough students attend these events. The Kiss-In is in the middle of campus and is nearly impossible to avoid.
One such issue is public affection; Blonshine and Howard said it is important to show the heterosexual community that same-sex couples are affectionate. The Kiss-In is one of the most blatant ways for homosexuals to do this.
The Kiss-In was created in the activist spirit - and there is no better time to be active. Homosexual rights are coming under heavy assault. For example, late last year, President Clinton signed into law the Defense of Marriage Act, which effectively bans gay marriage. Also, last year the state Legislature tried to prevent the University from receiving some state allocations because the University gives benefits to same-sex couples. The Kiss-In is an important opportunity for the homosexual community to actively protest the government's foolish moral and provincial vision of what constitutes marriage.
In the end, the Kiss-In is a way to force this community to confront its feelings regarding homosexuality. If it serves no other purpose, the event will elicit reactions from all who witness it and hear about it.
When people examine the event - and homosexuality - they may be more willing to change their views.
Many members of the University's homosexual community feel this is necessary. Blonshine said that she thought people here would be different "because people say it's so liberal here, but it's not.
"People still stare, they say things."
The Kiss-In will certainly attract a lot of stares and comments from its observers. That may not be so bad - dialogue is the first step in trying to create a more tolerant community and society.
- Zack Raimi can be reached over e-mail at rmz@umich.edu