OUT AND ABOUT: Same Difference

A week-long series examining the Universities gay, lesbian and bisexual community The famous 1953 study of psychologist Alfred Kinsey in reported that approximately one out of 10 people have homosexual tendencies -- which would mean that out of the University's 20,000 students, 2,000 may be gay, lesbian or bisexual. Although the University's active lesbian, gay and bisexual community does not confirm such a staggering ratio, its activism -- socially and politically -- makes gay communities at other universities pale in comparison. "A lot of Penn students perceive that the lesbian, gay, bisexual community is not very visible," said Kurt Conklin, a health educator at Student Health Service. "But compared to many college campuses, I would say it's increasingly visible." Because there is no way to estimate how many students have not come out of the closet with their homosexuality, the University's gay population cannot be estimated, according to Bob Schoenberg, coordinator of the Program for the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Community at Penn. But student leaders have put the number in the hundreds. These individuals belong to organizations like the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Alliance, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Social Workers at Penn, and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Staff and Faculty Association, which hold activities such as dances, rallies and lectures. Although the community has its sexual orientation in common, many gay University students and faculty feel the gay population is not strongly unified. The gay community "is a mirror of society in that people who have something in common unite," said College junior and Generation XX magazine co-editor Jennifer Manion. "They're united on the things they're together on, like being gay, but they also have their differences. Their differences are not more prevalent in the gay community as they are elsewhere." Others believe that one of the community's greatest strengths is its diversity. "Different people, different talents," College senior Stephen Houghton said. "So long as they're supportive of each other, that's important." But some members of the community said this lack of unity hurts gays at the University. "I'm very cynical," College sophomore Melissa Krakowski said. "I don't think we're unified. Everyone's dissatisfied with some part of it. I feel there are problems. The only thing we have in common is that we're gay and it sometimes doesn't keep us together." One reason for the division in the community is leadership struggles evident among some of the groups. "People are at each other's throats all the time about who's going to be in charge," Krakowski said. Houghton said he sees this problem as well, adding that disagreements sometimes arise between undergraduate and graduate student organizations. Because the various lesbian, gay and bisexual organizations have different priorities, debate arises about "whether students' energy should be focused on creating social events or political action," Conklin said. "Some feel the best use of their time is to create cultural events so that straight students can socialize with gay students. For other students, they would rather use resources for political change so that civil rights are observed." The University has established several different resources for the lesbian, gay and bisexual community. The Program, as PLGBCAP is called, provides services directly and solely for the gay community, while other University agencies offer services to many different minority groups on campus, including gays and lesbians. The Penn Women's Center provides advocacy services, educational programs, counseling and support groups for all women, including lesbians. Student Health Service offers health awareness programs and counseling, while the Greenfield Intercultural Center holds programs addressing the gay, lesbian and bisexual community, such as its panel-discussion earlier this month entitled "Twice Proud: Homosexuality and the African-American Family." However, many gays at the University feel these resources are inadequate. "Penn has more [resources] than other college campuses do, but that doesn't mean it's enough," Schoenberg said. "We can't do all the programming we'd like to. We'd like to be available to other offices on campus to help them do their jobs better. We'd like to spend more time on other issues that are affecting the community." Schoenberg added that he would like to narrow the focus of his office -- he's the only full-time worker -- but he does not think that improvement is feasible in the near future due to economic constraints. And unfortunately, many students also feel there is a lack of resources on campus. A student who wanted to be identified as "Bill S." said he had an eating disorder while attending the University and had no place to turn on campus because he is a man. The Student Health representative "told me that she really couldn't meet my needs," he said. "There aren't services on campus for men who have these problems." Bill said the University's gay community needs more than adequate services. "If I were to dream, we'd have a big lounge where we can hang out -- a place to be," he said. "And there'd be more under-21 activities for people under 21 who can't go to the bars." In addition to providing support and organizational services, the University recognizes homosexual couples and offers them domestic partnership benefits, according to Schoenberg. This arrangement is the closest a gay couple can come today to being recognized as a married couple by the University. Benefits such as insurance, transportation services, and access to recreation facilities are included in this agreement, implemented in April 1994. However, according to Schoenberg, the arrangement is cumbersome, laden with excessive paperwork, red tape and strict rules. The sign-up process is "much more rigorous than it is for heterosexual partners," he said. "Up until domestic partnership benefits, the University never asked for marriage licenses, they just took your word for it." Now, to qualify for these benefits, a couple has to provide leases, wills and certification that the relationship is monogamous, Schoenberg said. And if the couple breaks up, they have to wait a year before applying again, while heterosexuals who divorce can reapply as soon as their papers clear. Regardless of the adequacy of the resources the University offers, many students said they feel that it is the mainstream community's tolerance and acceptance of alternate lifestyles that helps individuals who are coming out of the closet. "Penn as a whole presents a different climate to be gay in," Manion said. "And as far as individuals, I guess depending on the support network the person has and if they are at the stage that they're comfortable identifying with what you are will have an easier time coming out." Krakowski experienced this first-hand. "When I came as a freshman and I went into the LGBA office I felt comfortable," she said. "What I didn't feel comfortable [doing] was going to the meetings and telling my friends in the freshman dorms where I was going."

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