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Pro-Gay Faculty Group Kicks off at Loyola

A pro-homosexual group formed this year for Loyola College faculty and staff held its first public event April 5.

LESDA, the Loyola Employee Sexual Diversity Association, sponsored a talk by Dr. Ruth Fassinger, professor of Counseling Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park.

Introducing Dr. Fassinger, Dr. Jonathan Mohr, a Loyola psychology professor, noted that although Loyola has had an active support group for lesbian, gay and bisexual students for several years, there has been no similar faculty group.

“As we all know, the themes of diversity and multiculturism are very important at Loyola,” he told an audience of about 50 in the Fr. Andrew White Student Center.

“I’m an openly gay employee; there aren’t many of us here,” he said with a broad smile.  “But I’ve had a wonderful reception at Loyola as an openly gay man.”

Dr. Fassinger first detailed statistical disparities and discrimination affecting women in the workplace, then segued into workplace discrimination and problems encountered by lesbians, gays and bisexuals.

“We have all grown up in a country that is racist, sexist and homophobic,” she told the audience, mostly young, college-aged women, with a smattering of older and male listeners.

“We all incorporate some of this.  But we can also unlearn some of what keeps us from being tolerant.”

Using feminist Audrey Lorde’s widely quoted metaphor, “The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house,” Fassinger urged her audience to work for laws and policies to construct a  more tolerant society.

“Enforceable legal mandates can be very important in workplace equity,” she said.

She called the Supreme Court’s recent decision, Lawrence v. Texas, which struck down sodomy laws, a “very positive” development, and exhorted her listeners to work for legislation legitimizing same-sex “marriage” and civil unions.

The general lack of domestic partner benefits for unmarried couples “is not a minor problem,” she said.  “Benefit packages can make up 40 percent of overall pay.

“Same-sex couples have been in the forefront of this fight, because they can‘t marry,” said Fassinger, who mentioned that she herself has a “partner.”

Fassinger recommended “tearing down these oppressive structures” by:

Educating others through workshops and training programs

Organizing  book drives to get some “diversity” books for your local library

Working actively for “anti-discrimination” laws

Making sure all your publications reflect diversity

Doing research projects that demonstrate the financial benefits of policy changes such as domestic partner benefits

Helping to get career diversity and sex education in schools.

A LESDA flyer states that the group was formed to “provide a support network for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) employees and their heterosexual allies, provide support for LGBT students, and promote a safe and respectful campus environment for all LGBT persons.”

Spectrum, Loyola’s student gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and allied awareness and support group, was founded “in the Jesuit tradition of men and women for others,” according to the college’s website, www.loyola.edu.

“Spectrum hopes to effect a college environment where homophobia and hatred are replaced by understanding, acceptance and inclusiveness,” the club’s homepage states.

Spectrum sponsored its Third  Annual Sexual Diversity Awareness Week March 15-19.

The group has also hosted a film series, orientation programs for GLBT freshmen, and Denim Day, “Loyola’s version of National Coming Out Day.”

Dr. Mohr is listed on a Bisexuality-Aware Professionals website as having conducted research on attitudes toward bisexual women and men, and as a speaker on bisexuality topics, particularly “biphobia.”