GLBTI head speaks at Notre Dame

Mike Yaksich, director of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) issues for the UGBC and A&S '05, traveled to Notre Dame last week to speak about accepting homosexuality at Catholic colleges. Yaksich was the featured speaker at a panel titled "The Catholic Church and Changing Times: Perspectives on Homosexuality at Notre Dame" last Thursday, and on Friday he spoke with members of Notre Dame's unrecognized gay/straight alliance about obtaining recognition.

Thursday night's panelists discussed whether Notre Dame should have a recognized gay/straight alliance, which is a pressing issue in South Bend, Ind. On March 4, the University refused to grant recognition to United in Diversity, a proposed alliance. Yaksich discussed the similar struggle to have the Allies of Boston College approved.

"I was actually a little surprised by how receptive the audience was and how positive the tone of the discussion turned out to be. I think we moved quickly beyond the issues of should we help the GLBT community to how," said Joe Dickmann, a board member of OUTReachND, Notre Dame's unrecognized gay, lesbian, and bisexual student group.

Approximately 130 students and faculty attended the forum. The other panelists were the assistant vice president of Student Affairs, the assistant dean of the College of Arts and Letters, a university psychologist, the student body president and vice president-elect, and the former co-chair of OUTReachND. Yaksich gave a presentation about acceptance at BC, focusing on the theme that "acceptance is found in recognition."

"What was surprising to me was how open everyone was," said Yaksich. "I felt like they were getting to realize and actually executing dialogue."

Last fall, as director of GLBT issues, Yaksich contacted gay and lesbian student groups at various universities. "Part of my effort this year as the director was to get in contact with institutions to create a network," he said.

Yaksich wanted to contact OUTReachND in particular because of the similarities between BC and Notre Dame. In late December, Dickmann called Yaksich and invited him to speak at the panel. "We both felt that our institutions mirror each other because we're both the larger Catholic schools in the country," said Yaksich.

Before going to South Bend, Yaksich prepared for his presentation and meetings with Notre Dame students by researching the history of the struggle for a recognized gay/straight alliance at both Notre Dame and BC.

"I've been speaking to Notre Dame alumni about their experience to get the initial history and information about what's going on at Notre Dame," he said before leaving for Indiana. While researching, Yaksich learned that the panel was not the first time BC and Notre Dame have worked together to discuss issues of homosexuality. In the '90s the BC and Notre Dame gay alumni associations hosted a barbeque together.

On Friday, Yaksich spoke with Notre Dame students about how to gain approval for a gay/straight alliance. Despite the recent university rejection, the movement is gaining momentum on the Notre Dame campus. Before the panel on Thursday OUTReachND held a T-shirt campaign. The group gave out 1,500 orange T-shirts reading "Gay? Fine by me," for students to wear to promote tolerance. Yaksich is planning a similar project for BC this spring.

In his Friday meeting with student leaders, Yaksich focused on the role a student government could play through programming to help a gay/straight alliance gain acceptance.

Yaksich believes it will be difficult for the Notre Dame student government to plan programs dealing with homosexuality. "They have to go get permission [from the University]," he said. "Their money has to be approved." The Notre Dame student government is also smaller than the UGBC

"There are people who are higher up who have the wet blanket effect," said Dickmann about the move to have a recognized gay/straight alliance. He said that gaining recognition from the administration will be a struggle. "I'm always optimistic but I've heard from people that the administration who are currently in place would not allow a gay/lesbian group," he said. He cited one administrator, Sister Mary Louise Gude, assistant vice president for Student Affairs, chair of the Standing Committee on Gay and Lesbian Student Needs, and a panelist on Thursday, as an ally of the cause.

"She's definitely out there to help us and the advantage she has is that she knows the ins and outs of the administration," he said.

Notre Dame's student newspaper, The Observer, reported that Father Mark Poorman, vice president for Student Affairs, wrote a letter on March 16 in response to students' disappointment with the university's failure to recognize United in Diversity. The letter said that Poorman and the Office of Student Affairs would welcome a continued dialogue, but he warned students against, "unrealistic expectations about the likelihood of a change in the decision about recognition."

"We're going to keep on trying because the only weapon we have is to keep on trying," said Dickmann.

Yaksich emphasized using Catholic documents about acceptance and love to foster tolerance. "Acceptance and recognition is essentially the answer to the question we have [of dealing with homosexuality at a Catholic university]," he said.