Outrage over BGALA action should be refocused on deteriorating education

This letter is in response to Hattie Sabia's letter that appeared in the Wildcat on Tuesday ("Associated Students' action on BGALA seems to reflect homophobic attitude"). I believe that your accusation that the Associated Students of the University of Arizona government is "homophobic," just because they prompted to ask for BGALA's removal as an association, is not only ungrounded, but unjust.

This has nothing whatsoever to do with any organization's feeling towards any other organization just because of sexual preference. This is not about homosexual, heterosexual, black, white, man, woman, or any other similar factor. This is about GREEN - money. Whether you like it or not, the money used to fund everything requires a source. It doesn't just grow on trees. While you are too busy complaining about losing this organization, the student government also ordered to disband and conjoin about 15 degree programs the same week! I'm sorry to inform you, but university life is not about "finding yourself," or "coming out." It is about EDUCATION! I don't see why I, along with all of the rest of the students that attend the University of Arizona, should have to pay for your organization, or ANY organization.

If you want to be active, do fund raisers like other clubs. If you want to complain, then yell about the fact that this university is slowly deteriorating its diversity of curriculum (meanwhile, another Engineering building is being built on Speedway).

I personally believe that all organizations and clubs are helpful to the students of the university, but that doesn't mean we should be forced to pay for something that may or may not be beneficial to us. I received no benefit from "National Coming Out Day." I am glad there is a day for gay and lesbian students to announce their sexual preference, but that doesn't mean it is up to me to finance it.

The true phobia here is not homophobia. It is your fear that you might have to go raise money rather than just be given it. Hate to tell you, Hattie, but that's life. You have to earn what you get.

By Thomas Henry (letter)
Arizona Daily Wildcat
April 24, 1997