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Campus jumps into gay-marriage debate
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Also by Abby Peterson:
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- In-Depth: Bush, Kerry largely ignore higher-education issue (October 14, 2004)
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by Abby Peterson
Wednesday, March 24, 2004
This article is part one in a five part series examining the debate surrounding gay marriage.
The hot-button issue of gay marriage, which has led to a controversial proposal to ban same-sex unions in Wisconsin, has come home to the University of Wisconsin campus as groups on both sides of the debate organize and speak out to make their mark on the uncertain future of same-sex marriage.
<p>Campus proponents of gay marriage, who are plugging into the university’s liberal tradition and strong base of support for homosexual rights, have become a vocal force at the university.
<p>”Madison’s campus has a pretty good history of consciously addressing the problem of homophobia in society. A lot of that speaks to the history of activism and left-wing politics on campus,” Chris Dols, head of the Civil Marriage Equality Coalition, said.
<p>The Madison campus, long friendly to a plethora of gay-rights organizations from the LGBT Campus Center to the Ten Percent Society, has become especially active in recent days on the issue of marriage rights for homosexual couples.
<p>The newly formed Civil Marriage Equality Coalition met at the Humanities building Tuesday night to discuss different ways to win the right to gay marriage in Madison and across the state. The group sought to turn a theoretical discussion about civil rights and marriage equality into a practical brainstorming session that could lead to an eventual legalization of gay marriage.
<p>The group made plans to stage a march to the state Capitol April 17 and also debated possibly pushing Dane County Clerk Joe Parisi, who has publicly acknowledged his support for gay marriage, to begin issuing marriage certificates to same-sex couples.
<p>”Actions speak so much louder than words. If you really believe in gay marriage, Joe, then prove it. Start issuing marriage licenses,” Dols said.
<p>Despite the fact the group faces tough opposition from a Republican-controlled state Legislature which recently approved the initial stage of a Wisconsin constitution gay-marriage ban, the coalition is confident it can unite with university organizations and students to push for civil marriage equality in Wisconsin.
<p>”There is a real sense of support on campus,” Dols said.
<p>Although gay-marriage advocates at the university are often the most vocal side of the debate over same-sex unions, there are student groups quietly protesting the idea of homosexual unions. Many university religious organizations oppose gay marriage but do not take a formal stance on the issue because of a liberal campus culture that might perceive such an action as prejudiced and intolerant.
<p>”I think the LGBT has a very strong voice on campus. I think that the voice of Christians is not always heard as being genuine and concerned but rather (is heard) in the condemning way,” Timothy Borgstrom, an InterVarsity Christian Fellowship campus staff worker, said.
<p>Denell Woller, head of the Catholic Student Union, agreed that students find it intimidating to speak out against gay marriage.
<p>”Students who oppose gay marriage don’t speak out as much because it’s not the cool thing to do. Even if they do, they are outnumbered,” Woller said.
<p>Borgstrom said the thing most often inhibiting students opposed to same-sex unions from more actively shaping the marriage debate on campus is that students are pressured to equate understanding gay individuals’ struggle with an actual tolerance of homosexuality.
<p>”Usually we associate openness with acceptance,” Borgstrom said, adding that although it is important Christians learn about the “struggle” of being a homosexual, they should “be able to voice their concern that [homosexuality and gay marriage] isn’t right.”
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