Three Memphis gay rights activists will speak to University ofMemphis students tonight about the effects the possibleconstitutional amendment banning gay marriage would have onhomosexuals.
The speakers will focus on the social, spiritual and personaleffects of the controversial amendment to ban gay marriagescirculating in Congress, said Eric Sirignano, U of M Bisexual Gayand Lesbian Awareness president.
"The amendment itself has created a media windstorm, most ofwhich has been very negative," Sirignano said. "You have peoplejust coming out of the closet who are being pushed further backinto the closet by legislators who are saying that being gay iswrong."
However, recent media attention has opened the issue fordiscussion, making people more aware of the issues facing gaypeople, Sirignano said.
Speakers will include Rev. Jean Rowe of the Neshoba UnitarianUniversalist Church; Arnold Drake, founder of the Memphis chapterof Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays and Jim Maynard,Memphis gay and civil rights activist.
"My primary focus is that the gay issue is a civil rightsissue," Maynard said. "It's not a religious issue or a spiritualissue. The government cannot single us out and deny us equal rightswith heterosexuals. We should not be treated like second-classcitizens."
Maynard also equated the gay rights movement to other rightsmovements.
"I think the civil rights leaders recognize that the gay rightsmovement is part of the same struggle for social justice," hesaid.
However, BGALA members said they not only experiencediscrimination in political arenas but also on The U of Mcampus.
A BGALA poster announcing tonight's meeting was removed from theUniversity Center after last weekend's Foreign Language Fair.
"I rolled up two banners in the UC due to the language fair,"said Leo Connolly, U of M German professor and co-director of thefair. "We had high schoolers in attendance as young as ninthgrade."
Connolly also said he thought the banners were promoting gaymarriage.
"I thought (the posters) were inappropriate for people of thatage to see," he said. "I had every intention to unroll the bannersas soon as the fair was over, but I forgot. When I returned Mondayto unroll them, they had been removed."
According to the student handbook, The U of M extends equalopportunities to all students, despite race, age or sexualpreference. The handbook also says diversity enhances theeducational process.
Connolly said he agrees with The University's policy on equalopportunity.
"I fully respect (BGALA's) right to hang banners promotingunpopular views," Connolly said. "I even have a poster promoting anunpopular view hanging in my office. But not every banner isappropriate for a high school group."
Founded in 1984, The U of M chapter of BGALA serves 49 membersand encourages students of every sexual orientation to attend its 7p.m. meeting in the UC.
"There is a common misconception that we're only open tobisexuals, gays and lesbians, but in reality we're a gay-straightalliance," Sirignano said. "We even have a few straight members,including one married with children."
