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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume 37, No 15. July 3 1974

Outrage at Gay Forum

page 6

Outrage at Gay Forum

A forum on homosexuality was conducted by Gay Liberation at Wellington Teachers' College on June, 27. In the middle of one speaker's sentence the microphone was snatched from his hand and a member of the Students' Executive announced that the forum would have to discontinue. The management of the cafeteria found the content distasteful, he said and we were forcing people to listen against their wills.

There were outraged reactions, Some students resented that such censorship should occur in their college. One speaker unable to contain his anger, became somewhat abusive toward the management. Not a very good idea maybe, but a very natural reaction.

Immediately afterwards he attempted to apologise to the manager for his language. She screamed at him: "Don't touch me you dirty, filthy, evil queer." When he followed her into the kitchen in an effort to force his apology, she retaliated "Get out of here. You're contaminating the food."

Meanwhile the forum continued upstairs. Only a quarter of the original number could be accommodated. Those who followed to the new venue were forced to identify their interest: it was noted that several gays were frightened to do so, but all students present had experienced a tangible example of anti-gay discrimination. On this count, the incident worked for us.

The background is relevant. Firstly, we had been invited to give the forum by the Students' Executive, two weeks previously. Traditionally forums are held in the cafeteria; permission is not required; this unspoken right has never been challenged before.

At 12.10pm the initial complaint was registered by the cafeteria management to an Executive member. Her complaint was about the content and that we were forcing unwilling individuals to listen. At that point the first speaker was discussing the oppression of gays in the minority groups perspective. No earlier objection had been received, even though two, posters advertising the forum had been in the cafeteria itself for four days.

Immediately a solicitor was consulted to determine whether the management were legally justified in their demand. The answer was in the affirmative. At 12.45pm the forum was halted, continuing in a room which held about 50 in contrast to the original several hundred.

Following the forum, the Gay Liber-ationists went to the near-empty cafeteria for coffee. Several of us were served. When the manager noticed, she went to the cashier whom she directed: "Don't serve him (indicating the member who'd lost his cool) adding: "They're all tarred with the same brush". Immediately we demanded refunds and left.

In an ensuing statement to the NZBSC, the Principal (Mr Mackey) denied the forum had been halted on account of its content. The reasons he offered were: that no permission had been given for the venue; and secondly, we were hindering the serving of food at a peak period.

Our comments: As already noted permission has never before been requested for any forum held in the cafeteria, nor has the 'right' been challenged. On the second count, the serving area is physically barricaded from the rest of the room; neither has this constituted a problem in the past; and at the point when we changed venues there were empty seats. Nor are any of these reasons substantiated by the manager's initial comments and her subsequent actions.

The 'Human Development and Relationships in the School Curriculum' document advocates discussion of the social implications of homosexuality in the secondary school. Are tertiary students to be denied the opportunity of hearing discussion on the same topic? Furthermore, who are the cafeteria management to decide that future teachers are so immature that they may be unfavourably influenced by the opinions of a minority group? Fears were expressed that this censorship may occur at future forums, particularly at one scheduled on Abortion.

The media showed a considerable degree of bias. In one radio news bulletin a recorded interview was played with Mackey denying the reasons behind the incident. Nothing of a similar interview with a Gay Liberationist, which would have negated effectively his argument, was used. Is freedom of expression systematically becoming a mere Utopian dream?

—Rae Dellaca

Artwork of a men wearing a suit