During the past month is has been difficult to overlook the Bisexual, gay, Lesbian, Transgender and Supporters Alliance (BGLTSA)

Members have distributed pink triangle stickers from a table in front of Widener, postered all over campus, hosted litany of speakers and held its second annual "Queer Politics" conference.

But the united front of this 300-member organization masks an ideogical divide over its mission and method

Social or political? Conservative or progressive? Raised publicly in February's BGLTSA election, these issues face outgoing and incoming BGLTSA officers as they seek to define an organizational agenda and settle an issue of identity confronting gay groups nationwide.

Sparking a Controversy

The political nature of the BGLTSA surfaced in February when David A. Campbell '00, the organization's former vice chair, was impeached by the BGLTSA executive board and the results of the elections that Campbell was responsible for organizing nullified.

"[Campbell's goal] and the goals of the BGLTSA were just so different that it really was not appropriate for him to be on the board, and eight other people recognized that," said Lauralee Summer '98, the outgoing BGLTSA co-chair, at the time of Campbell's impeachment.

But the problems with the BGLTSA's leadership, Campbell maintains, have little to do with election results that would have placed four white males on the board of an organization that represents a much more diverse community. And, according to Campbell, they have little to do with the ideological differences between Campbell and members of the board interested in pursuing a progressive agenda.

Instead, Campbell says the BGLTSA's biggest problem is that is has "no clear consensus as to whom [it] represents and what [its] goals are."

"BGLTSA needs to be more selective about what issues it takes on if it hopes to represent the entire community," Campbell says.

Room For Debate

While Campbell might be one of the most strident in his criticism of the organization, there are those among the current BGLTSA leadership who have raised similar concerns.

Adam A. Sofen '01, who after a second set of elections will become the co-chair of the BGLTSA in June, says he is "proof that you can be a so-called sellout and still prosper on the BGLTSA."

"The BGLTSA board encompasses all types," says Sofen, who is a Crimson editor. "My style is more the assimilationist user-friendly style. I'm not out to shock anyone, but I'm also not about to censor anyone."

Sofen's approach differs from that of his incoming co-chair Nicole L. DeBlosi '99.