[20144] in APO-L
Re: APO and campus perception.
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Jason A. Risner)
Wed Feb 10 02:24:13 1999
Date: Wed, 10 Feb 1999 02:31:08 -0500
Reply-To: "Jason A. Risner" <jarisner@MTU.EDU>
From: "Jason A. Risner" <jarisner@MTU.EDU>
To: APO-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU
Brandi Mills wrote:
>
> You're message rather bothered me. Is it a problem if one of our most
> dedicated brothers happens to be the co-chairperson/co-president of
> Triangle, my campus's local Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transsexual
> organization?
>
> Is it fair to her and Triangle for us to say that she can't wear letters
> when performing duties for Triangle when she has an APO event to attend
> afterwards? Isn't that discriminatory?
>
> Brandi
Brothers,
This puts a different spin on things... the picture I was drawing was
that of certain brothers flaunting their sexuality in inappropriate
settings... I apologize if I misinterpreted your explanation.
I personally don't see dedicated brothers who are also prominent in
groups such as Triangle as a problem at all. The problem lies in when
he/she is catching flak for doing so and it spreads to include your
chapter as a whole. Some of it is inevitable as long as society still
discriminates against those of other sexual orientations. It's too bad
this is hurting your chapter, because of a few of our society's members
who don't understand.
My personal belief is that your sexual orientation isn't a public issue.
It shouldn't matter what kind of sexuality you subscribe to, if you can
be a properly functioning member of society, and as long as it's
understood that whatever your sexual orientation is is nobody else's
business but your own.
I admire Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transsexual orgs. for the work they do
to address what happens when your sexuality does become an issue. I
believe, though, that their mission and APO's are seperate things. I
don't believe it's APO's job to be pushing for people's rights, or to be
fighting big controversial battles, but to provide an opportunity for
anyone to be of service in a caring, supportive enviornment.
As discriminatory as it sounds, maybe the best thing for your chapter at
the moment is to not take a stance on this issue, to not wear the APO
shirts to Triangle functions. Your job is to serve everybody in need,
and getting too wrapped up in these issues will turn some of those who
truly need your help away, as sad as that is.
That's just being realistic... as much as it bothers me to have to say
that. This is not a political action fraternity; it is a SERVICE
fraternity. By nature, groups such as Triangle open themselves up for
serious political situations, situations that if APO were too close to
may have damaging effects on your ability to be a leader, be a friend,
and be of service.
Let Triangle fight to make the public more understanding, and let APO
perform the service that shows people that every person is valuable,
without making your chapter the center of a big political statement.
It may not be a perfect solution, and maybe I've done nothing to change
your opinion of my message. But there are those who are truly deserving
to be a brother who are never going to be convinced that every person,
regardless of sexual preference, is valuable unless they see that for
themselves. They're going to naturally reject groups such as Triangle
with their prominent messages.
But APO's role is far more subtle... it lets people think for
themselves. It let's people discover that people can be cool no matter
what their beliefs are on sexual preference, on their own terms. That, I
believe, is APO's role in all this. Let other groups fight the big
fight. Concentrate on the three cardinal principles. I believe your
chapter will be better off in the long run.
Jason
--
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Jason A. Risner "Be a Leader. Be a Friend. Be of Service"
ALPHA PHI OMEGA
National Co-Ed Service Fraternity
Epsilon Lambda Chapter
Michigan Technological University
See the Risner Webzone at http://www.hu.mtu.edu/~jarisner !
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