GLBT sponsors meeting to discuss professor's Web log

Concerned faculty, staff and students who disagree with the University's decision to allow a professor's controversial Web log to remain on an IU server held a meeting Wednesday to discuss possible actions to take.\nThe Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Student Support Service organized the meeting to brainstorm ideas about how to respond to the Web log created by Eric Rasmusen, a business professor. \nParticipants discussed ideas of how to respond, including educating the campus about homosexuality, asking for a response from the administration, taking action with debates, designing T-shirt campaigns and scrutinizing Web page policies. \n"I see this as giving the GLBT community a chance to set a better example," senior Matt Briddell said. "Nothing we do here can change (Rasmusen's) mind, but I'm more concerned about informing the general community."\nDuring the two-hour meeting in the Georgian Room of the Indiana Memorial Union, about 50 people contributed various ideas, filling several sheets of a large easel in the front of a room.\nOne student suggested a T-shirt campaign, where the Kelley School of Business would pay for the shirts. An idea was for the shirt to read "Take it off the server," on the front and "hate speech is not free speech" on the back. \n"By responding with a T-shirt campaign or an advertisement in the newspaper, it is very subtle but still a dramatic way of approaching this," senior Brian Moak said. "We don't want revenge, we just want to educate."\nMany reiterated the need for University administration to make a public response about Rasmusen's Web log, more specifically Bloomington Chancellor Sharon Brehm and IU President Adam Herbert.\nMark Brostoff, assistant director of undergraduate programs in the business school, said the administration has yet to comment publicly because attorneys are still looking into the legal ramifications and policies.\nAlthough everyone in the room had different opinions about the best way to approach the issue, most agreed that everyone must work together to come up with the best solutions.\n"In this meeting, I'm pleased that everyone was so productive, because we had a group of people that wanted to develop a helpful response and not a harmful one," senior Nick Blesch said. "It makes the message infinitely more powerful if students, staff and faculty work together."\nBill Shipton, director for student programs and services, said while he deplores the views expressed in Rasmusen's Web log against homosexuals, the outcome of the situation can be a positive one.\n"As awful as (Rasmusen's) statements have been, I do believe this is a teachable moment for us," said Shipton, who is also co-chair of the GLBT Anti-Harassment Team. "Out of the worst kinds of bigotry comes the best moment to teach."\nRasmusen's Web log sparked controversy when students and business faculty members noticed his remarks about homosexuals not being suitable for professional jobs when it was posted on an IU server. Students and faculty then sent complaints to the GLBT Anti-Harassment Team. The team will discuss the complaints at its monthly meeting Friday.\nSome say the very idea of open dialogue and discussion is a positive factor that has come out of the Web log controversy.\n"I think a lot of good can come of this," said graduate student Sharon Minsuk, who responded in an e-mail to the IDS. "By sparking a mobilization of activism, these events have created an opportunity for dialogue. If we can resist the low road to censorship, we can educate the community about the misconceptions of heterosexism. In the long run, we'll be glad we did."\n-- Contact senior writer Maura Halpern at mhalpern@indiana.edu