1997
January 15th, 1997
Women’s and Gender Studies become new majors available at IU. Many students flock to study under the new majors.
Clarke, Olivia, “New Major Allows More In-Depth Study of Gender.” Indiana Daily Student, January 15, 1997.
January 21st, 1997
Martin Luther King Day sparks a protest organized by the Student Coalition concerned with the inequality of minorities on the IU campus. Among the demands of the protesters was the desire to expand the LGBT resources on campus.
Clarke, Olivia, “A Protest, A Day of Remembrance.” Indiana Daily Student, January 21, 1997.
March 3rd, 1997
7th annual Miss Gay IU crowned. An estimated 400 people attend.
Clark, Olivia, “Miss Gay IU 1997 Crowned.” Indiana Daily Student, March 3, 1997.
March 6th, 1997
The commUNITY Educators and the Campus Crusade for Chist host a debate about homosexuality and the Bible. The two participants in the debate were Craig Boeck, an IU grad and the founder of the law school’s LGB group called OutLaw, and Russell Di Silvestro, an IU junior and student leader in Campus Crusade.
Didion, Beth, “Students Debate Homosexuality in Bible.” Indiana Daily Student, March 10, 1997.
March 7th-8th, 1997
Falsettos, a musical about a man who leaves his family for his male lover who has AIDS, plays in Bloomington. The response by the community was very positive, touting the show as an example of modern family values.
Rueger, Lydia, “Falsettos Sings of Modern Family Values.” Indiana Daily Student, March 8, 1997.
March 14th, 1997
Second episode in a series called Crossing Borders (meant to discuss the integration of different communities) is held in which the Latino and Gay communities are discussed.
Maxwell, Tonya, “Series Address Racial, GLB Issues.” Indiana Daily Student, March 14, 1997.
March 26th, 1997
HAVOC, an AIDS awareness group on campus, organizes events in which HIV/AIDS topics, like preventative techniques and condom-use are discussed.
Maxwell, Tonya, “HAVOC Brings HIV/AIDS Education to Campus.” Indiana Daily Student, March 26, 1997.
March 30th, 1997
OUT announces their endorsement of OCBY, a group of students up for election to IUSA because of the responses of many students on a survey distributed by OUT. OCBY eventually won the election.
Martin, Millicent R., “Black Student Union, OUT Endorse OCBY.” Indiana Daily Student, March 30, 1997.
April 1st, 1997
A meeting between members of the Black Student Union and OUT concerning the difficulties with being a member of the two minorities.
Martin, Millicent R., ”Minority groups Discuss Race, Sex.” Indiana Daily Student, April 1, 1997.
April 3rd, 1997
“Local bands team up for AIDS benefit” (IDS). In addition to raising public awareness about the bands themselves, the benefit was meant to raise money as well as spread awareness about the disease.
Cohen, Nathan, “Local Bands Team Up Agains AIDS.” Indiana Daily Student, April 3, 1997.
April 9th, 1997
The first national Day of Silence protesting the silence forced on the LGBT community. The day is observed in Bloomington by many wearing rainbow ribbons and purple stickers and is not limited to the LGBT community but is encouraged by many minority groups on campus.
Fabi, Randy, “GLB Supporters Take Vow of Silence.” Indiana Daily Student, April 9, 1997.
April 9th, 1997
Christian Law students at the University of Wisconsin sue their university because of a student activity fee that they claim they were forced to pay and which was used to fund gay-rights groups and a women’s center on campus. They claimed this violated their first amendment rights. IU assistant Dean of Students and Director of Student Activities denied that a similar problem could occur at IU due to the extensive amount of input students have on what their needs are.
Paynter, Jennifer, “Courts Look at Student Activities Fee.” Indiana Daily Student, April 9, 1997.
April 16th, 1997
The movie Love! Valour! Compassion! comes out in theaters and many respond with disappointment as the movie seems to do nothing but promote common gay stereotypes.
Tsai, Martin, “Love! Valour! Compassion! Promotes Negative Gay Stereotypes.” Indiana Daily Student, April 16, 1997.
April 28th, 1997
Indiana’s General Assembly decides against recognizing same-sex marriages in Indiana. While the Senate voted in silence, an brief argument erupted in the House in which a democratic representative Vernon Smith accused the republicans who didn’t support the Family Leave Act of hypocrisy in claiming to support family values and yet refusing to vote for the act that supported gays’ right to marriage and family.
Jewell, Anthony, “Gay Marriages won’t be Recognized.” Indiana Daily Student, April 28, 1997.
April 30th, 1997
Ellen Degeneres comes out as a Lesbian on national television. The LGBT community in Bloomington demonstrated their support and believe that her coming out will promote tolerance. A fundraiser hosted by IU GLB Student Support Services was organized for the airing of the show.
Goshert, Josh, “Coming Out on National TV.” Indiana Daily Student, April 24, 1997.
June 2nd, 1997
National Women’s Festival comes to IU. Many IU students express negative emotions about the festival, while others do not. The Festival consisted of several different events, including a dance in the Ashton cafeteria “which had essentially turned into a lesbian bar.” Many male IU students, including IDS reporters, felt discriminated against by the women attending the festival, while women who were willing to speak to reporters said that the reporters were denied access because of the religious ceremonies being held. Other men reported no issue and felt positively about the festival although they seemed to be in the minority.
Indiana Daily Student, “Unfestive Festival,” June 2, 1997.
July 10, 1997
A column by Tony Manifold entitled The Joys of Lesbian Friends runs in the IDS. Manifold explains how a heterosexual male might enrich his life by forming friendships with lesbians. This gives him further insight into the feminine mind as well as a woman’s perspective on the female butt.
Manifold, Tony, “The Joys of Lesbian Friends,” Indiana Daily Student, April 10th, 1997, IDS columnist.
August 30, 1997
GLB office is a help to all students, not just members of the gay community, as it provides research materials for projects just like this one.
Marcus, Sharna, “GLB Office Helps All Students,” Indiana Daily Student, August 30th, Weekend edition.
October 8th, 1997
Lesbopalooza, a women’s festival, returns to Bloomington after a year’s break. The festival, mainly sponsored by OUT, included various performances and poetry readings as well as two workshops covering domestic violence and safe sex. Over 400 people were expected to attend.
Dick, Jeffery M, “Lesbopalooza Comes Back to Bloomington.” Indiana Daily Student, October 8, 1997.
October 10th, 1997
Martin S. Weinberg, a professor of Sociology at IU, conducted a discussion sparked by his book “Dual Attraction: Understanding Bisexuality” concerning the nature of bisexuality at the Kinsey Interdisciplinary Seminar. Weinberg commented that the study he conducted (and that his book covers) is pertinent to IU students because it is important for all to realize that there is a “great sexual diversity.”
Hulet, Sally, “Professor Explores Complexity of Human Sexuality.” Indiana Daily Student, October 13, 1997.
October 16th, 1997
Greg Lougainis speaks about Aids awareness and his struggles with the virus as a gay man in Alumni Hall in a free event that is sponsored by OUT, the Multicultural and Social Awareness division of Union Board, the IU Health Center, and the HIV And Volunteer Ourtreach Coalition (HAVOC).
Kearney, Heather, “Louganis to Speak About AIDS Awareness.” Indiana Daily Student, October 16, 1997.
November 2nd-8th, 1997
IU’s Pride Week. Events include a kiss-in and a lecture by Greg Louganis. OUT president Scott Denardo believed the low turnout during the week was caused by a lack of coverage in the IDS, while OUT’s vice president Rob Perez attributed it to the event fliers being torn down despite posting them repeatedly.
Dick, Jeffery M, “Pride Week Continues Despite Low Turnout.” Indiana Daily Student, November 6, 1997.
November 8th, 1997
Sabrina Soujourner, the first out Lesbian in the US Congress, appears in the Witenberger Auditorium (the Indiana Memorial Union) to emphasize the importance of diversity within a community.
Tay, Alfred. Image caption on front page, Indiana Daily Student, November 8, 1997.
November 11th, 1997
Senior T. Charles Hosna writes an article to the IDS expressing a negative view of the kiss-in that occurred during IU’s Pride Week. Hosna’s objection was that the event was the spectacle he claimed it made of the participants’ homosexuality.
Hosna, T. C., “Kiss-In was an Undignified Display.” Indiana Daily Student, November 11, 1997.
November 22nd, 1997
Oui Be Negroes” performs at the Waldron Arts Center. Many felt that the jokes, rather than offering a successful satire on common stereotypes, Oui Be Negroes instead succeeded in merely alienating the audience. One of the more offensive jokes involved one of the performers asking an audience member if they could go “camping,” going even further and asking whether the audience member would explain what had happened if he returned with dirty knees and elbows.
Harris, Brian, “Oui Be Negroes Disappoints, Offends Waldron Crowd.” Indiana Daily Student, November 24, 1997.
December 15th, 1997
A look back on the year in GLBT programs describes a successful year. The GLB Student Support Services provided its library of books and movies, OUT held many events (Lesbopalooza, the OUT dance, Pride Week); OUT president Scott Denardo commented that the closing semester was much fuller than previous years.
Dick, Jeffery M.“GLBT Programs Offer Education.” Indiana Daily Student, December 15, 1997.
