“Some people felt that it was too political,” says Oussama Zahr ’06, chair of the BGLTSA’s new political committee.

This year, the group’s calendar features many more social events than political activities, though the BGLTSA this week decided to form a standing political committee to encourage rank-and-file members to participate in deciding the group’s political stances.

“It’s easier to achieve consensus about social goals than political ones, since within our ranks we certainly harbor a spectrum of divergent opinions about issues like queer studies or ROTC,” says Marcel Q.A. LaFlamme ’04, the public relations chair.

The concern that such bold political statements will alienate members is not limited to BGLTSA.

Former co-chair of the Asian American Association (AAA) Sophia Lai ’04 says that, while students who are very interested in Asian Pacific American issues are comfortable with both political and social aspects of AAA, “the majority of students are more comfortable with the cultural and social aspects.”

BSA President Charles M. Moore ’04 says he has seen similar dynamics at play within the black community, when students who attend BSA social events such as dances or Apollo Night might distance themselves from the official group because of its connotations.

“Students who I see at BSA parties and events I consider part of the community,” he says. “But we’re cast in a light that pigeonholes us.”

Like the BGLTSA, RAZA has a system for deciding the stances they will take and how political the group will be.

RAZA conducted a membership survey earlier in the year, asking members how they would like to be involved in politics and in community service. In addition, Hernandez says the group votes before getting involved in political issues, like last year’s much-publicized push for Latino studies.

“We’re trying to cater to their interests,” says Hernandez.

In the Spotlight

But even when the membership agrees on an identity group’s political stance for a particular issue—or on whether the group should be political in the first place—still more obstacles loom.

Not only do they face hurdles in mobilizing their group, but their actions come under close scrutiny, group leaders say. This, even though current political activity more often takes the form of lecture series and letter-writing campaigns than the explosive demonstrations of the 70s.

They say the situation represents a catch-22.

“If you’re not doing old-style rallies some people say you’re apolitical,” says Fred O. Smith ’04, vice-president for the BSA and a former BGLTSA chair. “But if you are, you can get labeled as too radical.”