GLBT office still needed

Ten years ago, a proposal to use the back room of the house on 705 E. Seventh St. for the location of the then-Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Student Support Services office caused quite a stir among many community members, IU students and Indiana legislators.\nAlthough GLB proponents argued the center would provide counseling, referral services and information to all students, many opponents argued the office would encourage homosexuality. \nState Representative Woody Burton, R-Greenwood, accused IU-Bloomington Chancellor Ken Gros Louis of promising funds without allowing the entire Bloomington Faculty Council to review the GLB plan. He threatened to propose an amendment which would pull $500,000 from the University's budget saying: \n"What they're suggesting (they'll do) and what it's going to do are two different things," he said in an Indiana Daily Student article (Friday, September 2, 1994, "Center of Debate: IU's GLB office stirs controversy at Indiana Statehouse"). "I believe it's going to be used as a tool to say, 'the state University promotes us, so that gives us an excuse to promote our lifestyle.'"\nIn October of that year, Young Americans for Freedom sponsored a Straight Pride Week, coalitions were created to fight the GLB's office-opening and various figures spoke out against the use of Hoosier tax dollars to support a so-called "special interest group."\nDespite strong opposition, the search for a GLB director continued and, with the aid of private funds, the offices opened.\nThat was 1994. \nIt's now 10 years later, and scenes like the one involving members of Old Paths Baptist Church outside IU's law school Tuesday confirm one thing: The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Student Support Services is as important today as it was when its offices opened for the first time 10 years ago.\nWe'd like to congratulate them on 10 years of educational outreach and counseling efforts and recognize their impact on this community.