Kiss-ins not necessary for acceptance

As members of the OUT executive board, we feel it is in our best interests to respond to Duncan Mitchel's column "Kiss Ins show we have a long way to go" (March 19). \nDuncan argued that because OUT no longer sponsors the Kiss Ins, acceptance of IU's GLBT community is lagging behind. We would like to respectfully disagree. Several years ago, OUT used to hold an event where gays, lesbians and bisexuals would show public displays of affection by kissing members of the same sex in front of passing students.\nWhile we're sure this program had its merits, general public opinion among the members of OUT seems to lean toward the notion that these Kiss Ins are unnecessary. According to Duncan's argument, our reasons for not continuing with the Kiss Ins centered around the fact that we "missed the point" or that heterosexuals never kiss in public, so why should we? Well, we agree with Duncan when he says that heterosexual couples do kiss in public, but the fact remains that many people simply do not care to see anyone engaging in blatant public displays of affection … no matter what their sexual orientation might be. \nWhy should we use an outrageous demonstration of bad etiquette to represent our cause? In addition, we feel that it is unfair to make the assertion that, because OUT no longer sponsors Kiss Ins, "we have a long way to go." OUT, as well as the GLBT office, provides a wealth of supportive and educational programs that cater to the needs of the GLBT community. In addition, the GLBT speakers bureau, headed by none other than Mitchel himself, is a wonderful teaching tool for the IU community, and its popularity on campus sincerely reflects that. \nIU has come a long way toward acceptance of the GLBT community. In essence, we feel that the IU community would be more receptive to educational programs that are direct and to the point. We are students, and we understand the way our generation thinks. Blatant demonstrations seem to have more of a slap-in-the-face effect rather than educational merit. \nWhat's more, the Kiss Ins do not allow participation from Allies, our straight supporters. Support from this group is key to the success of the GLBT cause. Overall, we've found that the most effective method for fostering open-mindedness and acceptance among the IU community is to show everyone that we're normal people … just like everyone else. Playing tonsil-hockey on a high-traffic street corner displays us as a laughable side-show rather than respectable members of a diverse population. This goes for everyone … heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual: If you want to kiss in public, go right ahead. But we'll save it for the bedroom. \nSincerely,\nOUT Executive Board 2000-2001\nJason Jones\nSenior, president\nSarah Savino\nJunior, internal vice president\nTim Spear\nSophomore, external vice president\nLaura Smith\nJunior, secretary\nAmanda Thompson\nJunior, treasurer\nSid Bosley\nSenior, webmaster