'Coming Out' in the Wrong Environment

To the editors:

I have been following the coverage in The Crimson of the shrinking membership of the Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Transgender and Supporters' Alliance (BGLTSA) with sympathy for Harvard's gay community and the difficulty it has in promoting gay awareness (News, April 10). When I walked out of my room April 11 to find sexually explicit photographs postered all over the Yard, however, I was disgusted. Everywhere I went, I saw erotic pictures of men and women that left little or nothing to the imagination. Since I saw no other information, such as a person to contact or a time for an upcoming meeting, it took me a while to realize that these posters were part of BGLTSA's "Gaypril" campaign.

Being gay is not about sex; it is about sexual orientation. The designers of many of the posters that were displayed around campus Tuesday morning seem to have lost sight of that concept. Gay awareness should address feelings and preferences rather than sexual acts. A list of rules that the BGLTSA wrote to guide their poster-makers included "No Extreme Profanity" and "No Uncreative Vulgarity"; my question is why the posters required profanity and vulgarity at all, regardless of their creative content. None of the words in BGLTSA's acronym include or imply obscenity in their definitions.

Could the goal of community awareness not be served by promoting legislation in the community? By peaceful demonstrations or fliers handed out in front of the Science Center? Or even by poster campaigns using inoffensive slogans which are intended to educate rather than titillate? The April 11 posters certainly gained the attention of Harvard students, but did nothing to advertise homosexual awareness.

BGLTSA has had many positive effects on the Harvard community in the past. Its response to the homophobic attacks on Mather House resident tutor K. Kyriell Muhammad earlier this year was completely appropriate. The petition signed by Mather House residents to further gay awareness and understanding promoted the cause of the BGLTSA in a non-confrontational way that unified the straight and gay communities of Harvard.

I fail to understand the need to turn to negative and offensive campaigning such as the posters that were displayed April 11. Perhaps the reason why so few Harvard students come out of the closet is because they would rather sort through their conflicting emotions in a nurturing environment than be associated with such a sexually charged organization.

Heather M. Langdon '03