The annual Queer Unity Project Valentine's Day Kiss-In is the most visible of these efforts. On Friday, more than 100 students gathered on the Diag to hear poetry and speeches supporting gay rights and to spend the day, in the open, with their significant others. These events serve as a valuable eye-opener - they show heterosexuals that life as a lesbian, gay or bisexual should be no different from their own.
The gay community, especially upon realizing their orientation, often face identity crises and chronically low self-esteem. The media floods the airwaves with sexual images and innuendo - all heterosexual. There is often pressure from home to date and marry an opposite-sex spouse. The University, through the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Programs Office and various student-run organizations, provides a support system that helps gay students come out of the closet.
A significant portion of America, often estimated at 10 percent, is gay or lesbian. Nevertheless, a gay lifestyle, in the eyes of the majority of the public, remains taboo. The only way to change attitudes is through increased visibility. There is a misconception that members of the gay community lead wildly promiscuous lifestyles. The media perpetuates this myth by stereotyping gay characters. The reality is that a majority of gays and lesbians are monogamous and lead dating lives similar to the rest of America. Television shows and advertisements could help change American attitudes by focusing on the mainstream, rather than a small periphery, of the gay community. Moreover, gays, lesbians and bisexuals may be more comfortable facing their identity were the media to eliminate unwarranted stereotypes.
In addition to increased visibility, establishing the legality of gay marriage would further equality for the gay community. Hawaiian courts have established that the state must recognize gay marriage, but many conservative lawmakers oppose the decision. Republican Mississippi Gov. Kirk Fordice, upon signing a bill making Mississippi the 17th state this year to ban gay marriage, denounced same-sex relationships as "perverse," claiming "cultural subversives have engaged in trench warfare on traditional family values." The Mississippi law also denies recognition of gay marriages performed in other states. Fordice's reasons for opposition are unsound. Gay couples are no different than their heterosexual brethren - they should have identical rights to marriage and enjoy the subsequent benefits. Moral and religious opposition are personal matters and should remain outside of the hallowed halls of America's legislatures.
Today, gays, lesbians and bisexuals should feel more open than ever before. The QUP Kiss-In demonstrates the strength and openness of the University's gay community - but gays are still unacceptably restricted. Efforts to dispel discrimination must be furthered through the media and establishment of legally recognized gay marriage. The Kiss-In must become more than a once-a-year occurrence - gay and lesbian couples should be able to feel comfortable and act affectionately at any time and in any place.