By ROB PELKEY
Online Editor
 

First forum begins with anger, accusations and self-recriminations
The first open forum on the weekend's events was held October 13, the Monday before break, in the Mays Center. Despite the fact that the forum was held during the 6:00 P.M. Commons rush hour, and was organized just a few hours earlier, an afternoon publicity blitz by the Coming Out Weekend Coalition (to become the Coalition of Angry Students) nonetheless managed to attract a standing-room-only crowd of over 150 attendees, the overwhelming majority of them students.

The forum opened with statements by Evette Rios '98, a member of the student coalition, and Dean of Students F. Celeste Branham, who ordered the removal of the Coming Out Weekend displays. Rios spoke first, expressing the coalition's thirst for justice. "We are here to charge Bates College with a hate crime," Rios said.

She described the removal of the displays only a few hours after their creation as "obviously an extremely threatening act ... it sends a message that we are not wanted on this campus."

Branham then defended her actions as supporting "preexisting policies that protect against clashes between free speech and hateful commentary."

Most of these policies were unwritten and oral -- most notably the "no chalking" policy prohibiting chalkings on campus walkways.

Branham then described her "existential crisis" over her actions' consequences. "I am responsible for these decisions, and for that reason I have to be held accountable for them. The effects were absolutely devastating, and for that I apologize," said Branham.

No holds barred discussion, oral policies decimated
The floor was then opened to questions and comments.

"I feel violated and deceived," said Carrie Delmore '00, a member of the coalition. She continued to say that the incident went against the egalitarian tradition that drew her to Bates.

The fact that an oral "no chalking" policy against drawing on walkways was cited as a justification for the removal of the quad displays angered many students. Several students cited times in the past when other students or groups had chalked sidewalks, but nothing was done about the matter.

Said one student, "These are selective policies, so they can be racist and homophobic whenever the administration feels like it."

In response, Dean Branham said that in the operation of the College, "We perceive policies as agreements, not legal documents ... There are many things in the operation of the College that we don't codify." She invited students to help review the issue of oral policies at Bates and to clarify inconsistencies that could lead to similar incidents in the future.

Since the forum, the Dean of Students Office and the Representative Assembly have begun forming a joint committee to address the problem of oral policies.

Administration's game of telephone ends with mixed messages
The string of administrative miscommunications that lead to the removal of the displays became more apparent as the administrators at the forum pieced together the events of the evening. Though the coalition obtained a blueslip to erect a display on the quad, this news apparently did not reach Security.

The Center for Student Activities claimed responsibility for not forwarding a copy of the blueslip to Security, since special services from security were not needed; "I take responsibility for that oversight," said Assistant Dean of Students Peter Taylor.

End of break does not mean end to discussion or controversy
The Deans issued an apology over break "for the damaging effects this decision has caused." The apology was a response to demands voiced by several speakers at the forum for a public, written apology for the removal of the quad displays. "We understand that disassembling the display crushed the anticipation, energy, excitement and pride the students experienced in connection with both the construction of the display and what the display represented to them personally and collectively," the deans continued.

The apology, signed by all five deans, was mounted on a set of large, rainbow-colored pallets in Chase Hall Gallery. The deans made and painted the pallets themselves.

Forum, take two
The coalition sponsored a second forum in the Chapel last Thursday. Instead of focusing specifically on the actions of the administration during Coming Out Weekend, this forum took a different tone, the discussion centered on the broader issues of homophobia and heterosexism at Bates.

Approximately 175 students were in attendance.

Opening remarks by members of the Coalition of Angry Students rehashed the coalition's perspective on the administration's actions on Coming Out Weekend, and illustrated the problem of homophobia on campus.

"There is homophobia on this campus. This is not a question. It is a statement. ... If there's anything I want you to come away from this forum knowing, it's that this is true," said Cali Mortenson '98.

Rachel Simons '99 then read from a contract presented to the Deans of Students, who were in attendance at the forum. (For more on the contract, see related story.)

Audience narrative brings personal dimension to forum
After the coalition's opening remarks, the audience was invited to come forward to share their personal experiences with issues of homophobia. For the next two hours, speaker after speaker came forward to share powerful narratives from their personal lives on these issues.

Associate Professor of Art Erica Rand went first, saying she "had so many examples that it was hard for me to know where to start."

Associate Professor of Rhetoric Charles Nero defended the students' right to be angry at the Deans' actions. "There's been a huge amount of talk about the incident and of how insensitive the people in GLBA have been to Dean Branham ... That's like saying, `well, if I kick you in the groin, how dare you say ouch!'"

Juan "Nacho" Echazaretta '99 told of an incident during his first semester at Bates in which he was confronted by a group of hockey players visiting Bates from another school. The visitors, who were intoxicated at the time, tore something out of the wall and wrote "go home fucking faggot" in red marker on the wall before his eyes. "I reported it to my RC in Parker and she said, `it's OK, they're just drunk.' Security was advised, and the hockey players were moved to another dorm... [but there was] no call from the deans' office. That was very inconsiderate," said Echazaretta.

Liz Moore '99 told of a homophobic incident during her first year at Bates to which she took particular offense. Living in Rand, she was watching a movie in a lounge when two lesbian women who were also in the lounge at the time started kissing. Describing the reaction of others in the room, she said, "This woman turned to her friends and said, `Oooh, that's so disgusting ...' That woman was my roommate."

Controversy takes its toll
Multiple students spoke emotionally, sometimes on the verge of tears, of the stress the events surrounding Coming Out Weekend had placed on them.

"I am really close to going to the Dean of Students' office and saying, `I can't handle this. I need a leave of absence, now ...' I can't deal with this," said Jessica Brown '98, expressing a sentiment many students were feeling.

"There are many gay students on this campus, but the majority of them don't feel safe here" not only because of the events surrounding Coming Out Weekend, but because of the usual climate towards queer students and queer issues at Bates, added Rachel Simons '99.

Some present spoke of a need to educate a larger segment of the Bates population than that which was present at the forum.

"My friends, all around us here, are under attack, their human rights are under attack ... This message needs to go out to the people in the library right now doing their Physics homework, this needs to go out to the people sitting at home watching some TV show," said John Connors `99.

Winding down and firing up
At the end of the forum, Mortenson asked the deans whether they would sign the contract that the coalition had presented them earlier in the forum. The deans conferred briefly before giving their Dean Reese came forward with the response that the contract would not be signed that night. "[We acknowledge that] this forum is long overdue; homophobia cannot be tolerated on this campus. ... [but] the deans can't do everything that all students want," said Reese.

"To say that we cannot sign on the spot ... means that we must give full consideration to what is here and to suggest that more be added," said Branham, indicating that the contract was not being rejected out of hand.

Despite the deans' pleas, the coalition and its supporters were incensed. "The reason why we made a contract is because we don't trust you. ... Your signature on this guarantees that we will have a committee," said Mortenson.

Simons then asked the Deans and the faculty present at the forum to leave, so that the students in the audience could be left to discuss issues by themselves.

Though the handful of faculty present left at once, the Deans stopped to confer momentarily. Dean Reese took the floor to reiterate that while the Deans supported the idea of forming a committee, they would not sign the contract on the spot.

The five deans then left the room. Once the Deans and faculty had left, the coalition leaders issued a call to action: "How does everyone feel about a sit-in tomorrow?" Mortenson asked the assembled students. Students were asked to get the word out about the sit-in, which would begin the following morning at 9:00 in Lane Hall. The forum then adjourned at about 10:15.