Openly gay State Senator Cheryl Jacques sent a letter Tuesday to Boston University Chairman of the Board of Trustees Richard DeWolfe, criticizing Chancellor John Silber’s decision to eliminate the Boston University Academy’s Gay-Straight Alliance and urging DeWolfe to reinstate the club.
Jacques (D-Norfolk, Bristol, Middlesex) said she was prompted to write the letter after being contacted by many BU students, alumni, faculty and parents about Silber’s decision. She cited her concern over high occurrences of suicide among gay teens as a main reason to reinstate the club.
Silber told Academy faculty over the summer that they had to close the club, and the club’s student leadership was notified of his decision in early September. At the time, BU spokesman Kevin Carleton said the group was unnecessary because of the school’s “tolerant culture” and said it had a “focus on sexuality we feel is inappropriate with the age range with which we are dealing.”
Jacques’ letter, obtained by The Daily Free Press, said she is getting involved in the situation because many of the people she talked to “expressed to me that they are fearful of speaking out, given the Chancellor’s position of power.
“I am more than willing to speak on behalf of others for such an important issue that might even save a child’s life,” the letter reads.
GSAs “have been formed at hundreds of public and private schools across the Commonwealth and provide a safe, welcoming, and accepting school environment for all youth regardless of sexual orientation,” according to the letter. It also includes statistics from the Massachusetts Department of Education about rates of assault and attempted suicide among gay and lesbian teens.
“Through education and awareness programs the GSAs encourage students to build bridges and embrace diversity within their school community and beyond,” the letter says.
Jacques said the issue is especially important to her because of her own sexual orientation and experiences with coming out of the closet earlier in life.
“Obviously, I understand from a very personal point of view the struggle these kids are going through,” Jacques said. “My heart really goes out for the kid who is struggling with this issue.”
Though she admitted there was little the state legislature could do about Silber’s decision, Jacques said several state lawmakers had relayed to her their concerns over the decision. Boston City Councilor Michael Ross (Back Bay, Fenway) contacted her and offered his help the day the story broke in The Boston Globe, according to Jacques.
The State Senate is currently on recess, limiting Jacques’ contact with colleagues, she said.
“Through the contact I’ve had, they care about this decision and think it never should have happened,” Jacques said.
The senator said she is urging those who contact her to speak out on the issue. She has suggested several BU alumni withhold donations to the school and make their reasons clear, she said.
“I’ve heard from all sorts of people who are really disgusted and looking for a way to get the trustees to overrule the Chancellor and I’ve told them to speak out,” she said.
Jacques said she has not yet heard from DeWolfe in response to her letter. DeWolfe could not be reached yesterday.