LGBA criticizes radical 'queers'

Lesbian Gay Bisexual Alliance members had mixed reactions yesterday to the establishment of QUIP -- Queers Invading Penn -- a new homosexual students' group on campus this semester. An official position statement from LGBA Co-chairperson and Wharton senior Jason Walthall said the group "supports . . . QUIP's rights to open expression and freedom of speech." But College junior and LGBA board member Jim Walsh said that "the membership of LGBA doesn't support . . . radical techniques by gay groups" such as QUIP. Walsh said he is skeptical about QUIP's effectiveness. "In terms of political goals at the University, I don't think QUIP will achieve very much because I don't think the University administration will ever take them seriously," he said. He added that although QUIP might be able to increase gay visibility on campus, the "majority of students at Penn will be offended and will not be supportive." "It won't increase acceptance at Penn," he said. "It's not going to make people think, 'oh, gays are the same as straights, let's be nice to them.' " QUIP is a new campus organization catering to gay and lesbian students which aims to increase queer visibility on campus through "direct confrontational action", something which QUIP says University groups that receive funding, such as LGBA, are unable to do. In addition, homosexual students said they view the LGBA as low-profile and conservative and said it shies away from radical tactics. "There are two big strains of political thought in the gay community," Walsh said. "On the one side, are the more radical groups who use a lot of 'in-your-face' shock tactics, and on the other side are more assimilationist groups such as LGBA." Walsh added that the gay community at the University has traditionally been less radical than that at other schools. "Members of LGBA are very conservative, half of our board is Republican," he said. Second-year graduate student and QUIP member John Young said that LGBA's "basically conservative white male" composition is a problem for some homosexual students. "White males tend to have a white male agenda," he said. But Walsh pointed out that LGBA is "one of the most diverse groups on campus" and that "one out three members of LGBA is colored." As for LGBA's overwhelming male majority, Walsh said that it was essentially a "cyclical thing" and that a few years ago, it was a predominantly female organization. The formation of PEARL -- Penn's Eagerly Awaited Radical Ladies -- is another reason that there are not as many women in LGBA, he said. Walsh expressed doubts about the need for a group like QUIP at the University. "In the real world, you need both conservative and radical gay groups," Walsh said. "This is not necessarily the real world, it is a college." He added that QUIP's presence might make the LGBA more conservative by taking radical students away from his organization. (CUT LINE) Please see QUIP, page 5 QUIP, from page 1