Spectrum protests may turn ‘activist’

Rallies, sit-ins, protests and a University-wide petition could be used to force the administration to amend the anti-discrimination policy, according to Spectrum Vice President Nick Florio.

In conjunction with the Student Union, Spectrum — the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender student group — is currently devising ways to push Boston University to add sexual orientation to its anti-discrimination policy.

“The BU administration is homophobic,” said Florio, a College of Arts and Sciences junior. “The reason why they are not giving it to us has a lot more to do with homophobia and discrimination in itself.”

Florio cited recent contacts with the BU administration as reasoning why further and more extreme actions may be taken. On Nov. 30th, Vice President and Dean of Students Norman Johnson declined an invitation to attend the latest Spectrum meeting, and a day later School of Education Dean Edwin Delattre followed suit.

“We received two e-mails [from Johnson and Delattre]. The Dean of SED said our outrage was misplaced, and something along the lines of ‘There’s no such problem [with the policy].’ He mentioned in the e-mail that he wasn’t going to support the movement,” Florio said.

If current plans, such as a petition drive, are not effective, Spectrum will resort to more activist-style tactics, Florio said.

“If they decline a meeting with us, then we’ll probably consider more ‘activist’ actions,” said Spectrum Secretary Jasmine Smith-Gillen, a CAS sophomore. “We’d like to go through safer lines first before we really get into extreme [activism].

“If we have some sort of level of integrity we think we will be able to present ourselves better and maybe we’ll get more respect that way. But, if that doesn’t work then we might resort to that.”

Staging a sit-in similar to the one at Tufts University earlier this year is a strong possibility if the upper administration refuses to meet with Spectrum or if they refuse to change the policy, Florio said.

SED senior Patrick Donovan, vice president of the Student Union’s Safety Services Committee, said although sit-ins and protests may be necessary, they will not be used now.

“It’s not something I want to do,” Donovan said. “A sit-in is something that you do when everything else has failed, and I don’t think we are at that point yet. I would hope that the administration is reasonable enough that we don’t have to get to that point.”

To avoid organizing protests and sit-ins, Florio said they are planning on a full-scale petition drive to gain more support from students. This, he said, will prove to the administration adding sexual orientation to the policy is a University-wide request.

“We were thinking of something that the student population can read over, sign and send directly to either [BU Chancellor John] Silber or the Board of Trustees,” Florio said. “The only way to go forward with this is to get as many people on campus aware about what’s going on and taking it into letter-writing and petition form.”

“We’re definitely going to put it in their face and say, ‘Look how many people want this changed,’” Smith-Gillen said.

Donovan planned to draft the letter this weekend, Florio said, and is set for distribution at the start of the spring semester. The letter will state support for amending the anti-discrimination policy and have a signature line for the students.

Spectrum will utilize its alliance with the Union, Florio said, to reach a vast majority of the BU population.

“Part of what the Student Union can do, because we involve so many people and because we involve every residence area and every school on campus, is that we have access to a very wide range of people,” Donovan said, citing each senator’s constituencies as potential supporters.

Donovan said Spectrum’s plans are extensive and well prepared, a stark contrast from previous years’ attempts to amend the policy.

“Previous attempts have focused either on educating students or on bringing a proposal to the administration,” he said. “What we’re trying to do this year is mobilizing and maintaining a lot of students so that everyone knows what’s going on.

“At the same time, [we are] bringing a proposal to the administration that says ‘Here are our points, they are very rational and well-thought out, and this is what we need you to do.’ At that point, the administration will be in a very public eye, so that they will have to act in the best interest of the students.”

Spectrum has also discussed the legalities of their cause, Florio said.

“Prior to [last Monday’s] meeting, we went to GLAD [Gay and Lesbian Advocate and Defenders] to get some counsel: what they thought we could do, tips they would have for us,” Florio said. “We weren’t seeking legal counsel; we just wanted to know their take on the situation.”

Other than the Union, Florio said Spectrum has received support from the CAS Forum, the Women’s Center, the Wellness Center and UNITE. Soon, a formal coalition of all supporting groups will be set up.

“I think they haven’t added the clause because they want to maintain a conservative philosophy and image,” Donovan said. “Right now, a lot of their practices, although not enough of them, accept people no matter what their orientations are, so changing the clause would not be a major step for BU. But it is something they have consistently rejected in the past.”

Union Senate Vice Chair and CAS freshman Leslie Cook said alienating alumni could be the reason the administration has refused to add sexual orientation to the anti-discrimination clause.

“I wouldn’t say all the administration is homophobic,” Cook said. “I think they are not caring about the right things. They are worried about people — the alumni — that funds won’t come in because maybe we are advocating homosexuality.”