[24346] in APO-L
Re: [APO-L] Jesse's comments
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Zonuts)
Sat Jun 5 18:32:14 2004
Date: Sat, 5 Jun 2004 18:35:16 -0400
Reply-To: Zonuts <zonuts@alum.rpi.edu>
From: Zonuts <zonuts@alum.rpi.edu>
To: APO-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU
> Many homosexuals still consider themselves as men.
Other than biological males who identify as transgendered, which is a much
smaller population than the gay male population and which only overlaps
into the gay male population very slightly, I don't know any biological
men, of any sexual orientation, who view themselves as female. The specific
question of Alpha Phi Omega membership terminology for transgendered people
is a topic quite separate from this conversation, and should be addressed
as such. Otherwise, statements about gay men wanting Alpha Phi Omega to be
a sorority are ignorant, homophobic, and just plain wrong.
> But that will not stop them from being on the side of a
> vote to change Alpha Phi Omega into a national service sorority.
I challenge anyone to find me one mention, anywhere, at any time, of men
who have made any serious attempts to recast Alpha Phi Omega as a sorority.
None will be found. Period. Again, such comments are ignorant and wrong.
> Let use
> this analogy, a female can use the argument that they have been calling
> themselves brothers for so long, why can't the guys call themselves sisters
> to show the same devotion. Then what?
Actually, one of the main reasons that women like myself are OK with being
calling "brothers" while working to get the Toast Song changed is that we
acknowledge that there is no single gender-neutral word in the English
language that would convey the relationship that we in Alpha Phi Omega
share, so "brother" is the next-best term. The same cannot be said about
the use of "Men Of" in the Toast Song. There are multiple phrases that
could be used to replace "Men Of" without diluting the meaning of the Toast
Song one little bit.
> I have no problem meeting homosexual men, I've had conversations with
> plenty. I have no homophobia.
If I were to say, "I have no problem meeting African-Americans, I've had
conversations with plenty. I have no racism," wouldn't that make me appear
to be racist (as well as grammatically-challenged)? Other than in the
context of this particular conversation, for the purpose of making a
specific metaphorical comparison to the cited text, I would never make that
sort of assertion. People who know me know that I am not racist. They know
that I am committed to the idea of diversity awareness in Alpha Phi Omega
and in American society in general. They know that I have spent years
educating myself in these areas. I don't need to make that sort of
assertion, because my actions and my language at all times serve to
communicate who I am and what I believe.
Jesse, and anyone who has agreed with Jesse's comments, please spend a
little more time with those of us in the GLBTIQ communities, and really get
to know us, before making comments like the ones made so far.
YiLFS,
Sharon Zohar
Alumna of Epsilon Zeta (RPI) 1987
Semi-retired Sectional Staff
"Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be
normal." -- Albert Camus
