LGBA honors King's legacy

Speakers applied King's message to the lesbian and gay struggles. Members of the University's gay community and leaders of Philadelphia's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered communities discussed the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s influence on their lives and activism Tuesday night in Houston Hall. The event was part of the University's commemorative celebration for King. Guest speakers on the panel included University alumni Kuyoshi Kuromiya, Kathryn Furano, Kevin Vaughan and Cathy Barlow. College senior and Co-Chairperson of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Alliance Maria Gonzalez, served as the discussion's mediator. "In remembering Dr. King and his work, it's crucial to remember though his work didn't directly address the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender movement, the philosophies and the desires for equality are the same across any spectrum," said Gonzalez. "And now that we're continuing his legacy, we must do it as a unified whole," she added. The panelists agreed that King's speech served as a major power tool, as it wrestled for equality through virtuousness. Barlow, one of the founders of the W.E.B. DuBois College House, said, "[King's] speech made a battle for equality not of reason but of moral rightness." The guest speakers discussed the correlation between King and the gay rights movement -- despite the fact that the number of openly gay people in King's civil rights movement may have been limited. "Whatever prejudices people have with gay people get thrown out all the time, and I'm sure that happened a lot with Dr. King, too," Vaughan said. Panelists suggested that lack of communication has thwarted the progression of equality. "Through myths, groups are pitted against each other, when in fact there can be very strong unifying movements," Kuromiya said. Near the end of the discussion, panelists focused on unity, optimism and the ways to ultimately achieve equality in today's society. Furano presented a hopeful idea for the future, saying, "The model that Martin Luther King espoused in reaching other communities should just be the model." And Lesbian Gay Bisexual Center Director Bob Schoenberg said, "Although Dr. King didn't actually say that much in terms of gay rights, I would like to think that had he lived longer, he'd be a great supporter of the gay rights movement." At the close of the discussion, panelists encouraged students to bring their adeptness into the University setting. "Just as Dr. King had many different skills, each of you may have different skills which you can bring out into the community," Barlow said.