Other conservatives who attended the dinner said they often feel in the minority on campus and the reference to "coming out" was not at all inappropriate.
"It's quasi-serious," said Kevin A. Shapiro '00. "To be a conservative at Harvard is statistically rare."
Shapiro said he has often felt uncomfortable discussing his views in a group where no one shared his opinions.
Dinner guests said they were also disturbed that they were heckled simply for attending a conservative event.
"I think we should recognize persecution towards many different groups," said Heather A.Woodruff '03, who attended the dinner. "Each group deserves respect."
Event sponsors also said that the coincidence between the dinner's date and World AIDS Day was coincidental.
In fact, Housman said he had initially planned to hold the dinner today. He moved the event forward when he learned that several Republican members would be traveling to New Hampshire for this evening's Republican presidential candidate debates.
"The focus of this day is not World AIDS Day or some other group on campus, but the celebration of conservatism," Berry said.
Read more in News
Two Seniors Net Rhodes HonorRecommended Articles
-
Conservatives Lead "Coming Out" DinnerIt wasn't your typical coming out party. Braving heavy snow and bitter-cold winds to profess political beliefs they said were
-
Foolishness on the RightLast Wednesday, conservative organizations hosted a "Coming Out" party to celebrate their political ideology. The event was met with vociferous
-
Debating the Meaning of 'Coming Out'One feels almost inclined to applaud the brazen insensitivity of last Wednesday's Conservative "Coming Out" Dinner. Here, under the guise
-
Letters'Coming Out Dinner' Misrepresented To the editors: It is difficult to know how to respond to the curious mlange of
-
Letters'Coming Out' Matters in the Real World To the editors: I am continually astounded by the recurring and unmitigated attitudes
-
Conservatives Lead `Coming Out' DinnerIt wasn't your typical coming out party. Braving heavy snow and bitter-cold winds to profess political beliefs they said were
