A
      Matter
      of
      Conscience
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Part
      2:
      sexual
      orientation
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Craig
      Douglas
     
    

    
     
      wo
      weeks
      ago
      I
      wrote
      an
      article
      in
      the
      X-
     
    

    
     
      Press
      pertaining
      to
      the
      issue
      of
      toler-
     
    

    
     
      ance
      in
      society.
      I
      have
      decided
      to
     
     
      continue
      this
      section
      on
      a
      weekly,
      if
      not
      bi-
     
     
      weekly,
      basis.
      I
      believe
      that
      such
      an
      issue
      can
     
     
      not
      be
      dealt
      with
      in
      one
      week
      and
      on
      one
      page.
     
     
      Each
      week
      I
      will
      attempt
      to
      deal
      with
      various
     
     
      issues
      which
      seem
      to
      predominate
      in
      our
      lives
     
     
      whether
      it
      be
      at
      home,
      school,
      the
      workplace
      or
     
     
      at
      other
      social
      locations.
      I
      want
      to
      say
      I
      am
      no
     
     
      expert
      in
      these
      areas
      of
      analysis
      and
      I
      am
      only
     
     
      a
      concerned
      student
      who
      feels
      that
      such
      issues
     
     
      must
      be
      forced
      out
      into
      the
      open
      so
      at
      least
      we
     
     
      have
      the
      opportunity
      to
      approach
      these
      issues.
     
     
      It
      is
      because
      of
      this
      I
      would
      be
      more
      than
      happy
     
     
      to
      invite
      you
      to
      comment
      on
      these
      articles.
      I
     
     
      hope
      that
      these
      articles
      may
      incite
      comment,
     
     
      whether
      it
      be
      agreement
      or
      disapproval.
      The
      list
     
     
      of
      articles
      that
      might
      be
      dealt
      with
      will
      be
     
     
      determined
      by
      how
      many
      issues
      of
      the
      X-Press
     
     
      will
      be
      printed
      til
      the
      end
      of
      the
      Winter
      semes-
     
     
      ter.
      The
      first
      of
      these
      articles
      will
      deal
      with
     
     
      sexual
      orientation;
      whether
      it
      be
      heterosexual-
     
     
      ity,
      bisexuality,
      or
      homosexuality.
      I
      believe
     
     
      this
      issue
      is
      one
      of
      great
      importance
      due
      to
      the
     
     
      many
      factors
      which
      this
      issue
      affects:
      our
      de-
     
     
      velopment
      with
      each
      other
      in
      society,
      expres-
     
     
      sion
      of
      feelings
      for
      each
      other;
      emotional
      or
     
     
      sexual,
      and
      our
      basic
      individual
      moral
      charac-
     
     
      ter.
      These
      factors
      seem
      important
      to
      each
      of
      us
     
     
      in
      our
      daily
      activity
      and
      interaction
      with
      ours.
     
     
      There
      are
      many
      studies
      out
      there
      that
      give
     
     
      varying
      statistics
      on
      the
      percentages
      of
      homo-
     
     
      sexuals,
      heterosexuals
      and
      bisexuals
      that
      exist
     
     
      in
      society
      today.
      Of
      course
      these
      statistics
      are
     
     
      developed
      by
      asking
      individual
      people
      for
      their
     
     
      responses
      on
      the
      question
      of
      sexual
      orientation
     
     
      and
      by
      no
      means
      is
      it
      a
      perfect
      science.
      But
      a
     
     
      general
      answer
      to
      this
      question
      of
      percentage
      of
     
     
      basic
      sexual
      orientational
      groups
      that
      exist
      in
     
     
      Society
      is
      the
      following:
      (taken
      from
      the
      Kinsey
     
     
      Institutes’
      study
      on
      human
      sexuality,
      1990)
     
     
      The
      percentage
      of
      the
      population
      which
      prac-
     
     
      tices
      heterosexuality
      is
      approx.
      75-90%,
      those
     
     
      that
      practice
      homosexuality
      at
      approx.
      10-25%.
     
     
      The
      orientation
      of
      bisexuality
      is
      much
      harder
      to
     
     
      acquire
      numbers
      on
      due
      to
      the
      shortage
      of
      data
     
     
      onthe
      subject.
      Some
      studies
      done
      by
      the
      Kinsey
     
     
      lnstitute
      estimate
      the
      Bi-sexual
      population
      at
     
     
      between
      10-25%
      of
      the
      population,
      but
      this
      is
     
     
      Clearly
      inconclusive.
      Again,
      to
      emphasize,
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      these
      numbers
      are
      based
      on
      the
      responses
      of
      the
     
     
      individuals
      approached,
      whether
      they
      were
      be-
     
     
      ing
      honest
      or
      not.
      We-will
      have
      to
      assume
      the
     
     
      indidviduals
      were
      honest.
      ‘
     
    

    
     
      In
      reference
      to
      an
      article
      that
      appeared
     
     
      in
      the
      X-Press
      a
      few
      weeks
      ago
      dealing
      with
      the
     
     
      question
      on
      the
      numbers
      of
      the
      student
      popula-
     
     
      tion
      that
      are
      believed
      to
      be
      homosexual
      these
     
     
      percentages
      would
      have
      us
      believe
      that
      there
     
     
      exists
      a
      large
      population
      of
      homosexuals
      and
     
     
      bisexuals.
      The
      approximate
      size
      of
      the
      student
     
     
      population
      being
      2,800
      fulltime
      students
      and
     
     
      many
      more
      parttime
      students
      would
      have
      us
     
     
      assume
      that
      there
      may
      be
      as
      many
      as
      700
     
     
      homosexuals
      on
      campus
      or
      as
      little
      as
      300.
      The
     
     
      amount
      of
      bisexuals
      is
      harder
      to
      conclude.
     
     
      These
      numbers
      are
      based
      on
      the
      one
      study
      done
     
     
      by
      the
      Kinsey
      Institute.
      There
      are
      many
      other
     
     
      studies
      which
      approximate
      the
      percentages
      of
     
     
      sexual
      orientational
      groups
      at
      other
      varying
     
     
      amounts
      but
      Kinsey’s
      study
      will
      be
      the
      one
      used
     
     
      in
      this
      article.
      If
      these
      numbers
      were
      assumed
     
     
      to
      be
      true
      to
      reality,
      it
      would
      seem
      that
      a
      large
     
     
      percentage
      of
      these
      homosexuals
      or
      bisexuals
     
     
      remain
      closeted.
      This
      closeting
      of
      their
      indi-
     
     
      viduality
      may
      be
      having
      a
      pernicious
      affect
      on
     
     
      their
      ability
      to
      develop
      relationships
      with
      oth-
     
     
      ers;
      whether
      it
      be
      the
      harbouring
      of
      resentment
     
     
      against
      those
      who
      oppose
      such
      sexual
      orienta-
     
     
      tion
      or
      themselves,
      either
      of
      which
      would
      have
     
     
      a
      great
      affect
      on
      the
      University
      community
     
     
      itself.
      It
      is
      because
      of
      these
      circumstances
      that
     
     
      we
      as
      individuals
      must
      develop
      an
      awareness
      of
     
     
      each
      other
      whatever
      our
      orientation
      may
      be
      and
     
     
      respect
      our
      own
      individuality.
      Is
      the
      individual
     
     
      copping
      out
      of
      their
      obligation
      to
      fairness
      and
     
     
      tolerance
      of
      other
      groups
      in
      the
      university
      by
     
     
      maintaining
      that
      there
      is
      only
      one
      ‘‘true’’
      ori-
     
     
      entation
      (heterosexuality)?
      Those
      who
      believe
     
     
      that
      there
      are
      no
      homosexuals
      they
      associate
     
     
      with
      or
      that
      exist
      at
      this
      university
      will
      have
      to
     
     
      come
      to
      terms
      with
      reality.
      The
      reality
      is
      that
     
     
      there
      are
      many
      groups
      which
      make
      up
      the
     
     
      diverse
      university
      community,
      each
      of
      which
     
     
      should
      have
      the
      same
      rights
      and
      priviledges
      that
     
     
      other
      groups
      have
      claimed.
      They
      may
      not
      be
     
     
      vocal
      or
      outspoken
      of
      their
      individuality
      but
     
     
      they
      do
      exist
      no
      matter
      how
      much
      we
      try
      to
     
     
      avoid
      facing
      or
      ignoring
      them.
     
    

    
     
      __
      The
      tolerance
      that
      I
      spoke
      about
      in
      my
     
     
      last
      article
      must
      be
      circulated
      througout
      our
     
     
      community.
      In
      the
      book
      Human
      Sexuality:
      4
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Campus
      Environment
      for
      Gay
      and
      Lesbian
     
     
      Life,
      John
      D’Emilio
      explains
      that
      policies
      of
     
     
      equal
      treatment
      should
      be
      placed
      in
      such
      insti-
     
     
      tutions
      [universities]
      on
      the
      side
      of
      equal
      treat-
     
     
      ment.
      Gay
      faculty,
      administraters,
      staff,
      and
     
     
      students
      need
      to
      know
      that
      their
      school
      is
      com-
     
     
      mitted
      to
      fairness,
      to
      treating
      us
      on
      the
      basis
      of
     
     
      our
      abilities.
     
    

    
     
      The
      university’s
      responsibility
      towards
     
     
      its
      gay
      members
      goes
      well
      beyond
      these
      el-
     
     
      ementary
      procedures
      of
      fairness,
      however.
      Ad-
     
     
      ministrators
      will
      need
      to
      take
      an
      activist
      stance
     
     
      to
      counteract
      the
      misinformation
      about
      gays
     
     
      and
      lesbians
      that
      many
      members
      of
      the
      univer-
     
     
      sity
      community
      have,
      the
      cultural
      prejudices
     
     
      that
      are
      still
      endemic
      in
      Canada,
      and
      the
      grow-
     
     
      ing
      problem
      of
      hate-motivated
      incidents.
      The
     
     
      following
      areas
      need
      attention.
     
    

    
     
      1.
      One
      of
      the
      prime
      locations
      where
     
     
      harassment
      occurs
      is
      in
      the
      residence
      halls.
     
     
      Dormitory
      directors
      and
      their
      assistants
      need
      to
     
     
      be
      sensitzed
      about
      gay
      issues
      and
      trained
      in
      how
     
     
      to
      respond
      quickly
      and
      firmly
      to
      instances
      of
     
     
      oppressive
      behavior
      and
      harrassment.
      Inan
      age
     
     
      when
      heterosexual
      undergraduates
      routinely
     
     
      hold
      hands,
      walk
      arm-in-arm,
      and
      engage
      in
     
     
      other
      simple
      displays
      of
      affection,
      lesbian
      and
     
     
      gay
      students
      need
      to
      know
      that
      they
      will
      not
     
     
      have
      their
      rooms
      ransacked,
      or
      their
      physical
     
     
      safety
      endangered,
      for
      doing
      the
      same.
      They
     
     
      also
      need
      reassurance
      that
      campus
      activism
      on
     
     
      gay
      issues
      will
      not
      come
      back
      to
      haunt
      them
     
     
      when
      they
      return
      to
      their
      dorms
      each
      night.
     
    

    
     
      2.
      Student
      affairs
      programming
      is
      an
     
     
      important
      tool
      in
      fostering
      toleration,
      under-
     
     
      standing,
      and
      enthusiasm
      for
      5
      differences
      in
     
     
      culture
      and
      identity.
      Resources
      should
      be
      made
     
     
      available
      to
      sponsor
      special
      gay
      awareness
      week
     
     
      events,
      as
      well
      as
      to
      integrate
      gay
      films,
      public
     
     
      lectures,
      and
      other
      events
      and
      activities
      into
      the
     
     
      regular
      programming.
     
    

    
     
      3.
      Late
      adolescense
      is
      an
      especially
     
     
      stressful
      time
      for
      gay
      men
      and
      lesbians.
      These
     
     
      may
      be
      the
      years
      when
      they
      become
      sexually
     
     
      active,
      form
      their
      first
      relationships,
      and
      grap-
     
     
      ple
      with
      issues
      of
      identity.
      School
      counselling
     
     
      services
      need
      personnel
      who
      are
      sensitive
      to
     
     
      these
      issues
      and
      who
      can
      foster
      self-acceptance
     
     
      and
      self-esteem
      rather
      than
      reinforce
      self-ha-
     
     
      tred.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      continued
      on
      next
      page
     
    
   
   
    
     
      7