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Columnist misinformed

To the editor,

At first blush, Zach Armstrong's Commentary, "Why are we marching again?"; seems to be a fair assessment of what could be considered a futile effort to change the views of those against the sexual-orientation minority ("SOM") community.

However, Mr. Armstrong's understanding is uninformed. Those of us in the SOM community do not hold such demonstrations thinking that the result will change the narrow minds of certain individuals. Rather, a primary purpose of the demonstration was to unify, mobilize and motivate those who ARE sympathetic with our situation - to become active in the community and make efforts directed toward broad, long-term social change.

Everyone in attendance was called upon by the organizers to become active in the community and law-making process: from encouraging President Likens to do what he can to give SOM employees the same benefits for their partners as married employees currently receive for their spouses, to communicating with friends and relatives and encouraging them to get in contact with their legislators regarding issues that impact the SOM community.

Only with recognition and equal treatment in the law and workplace can SOMs' expect to proceed further down the road to equality on which we have progressed thus far. Without formal recognition, those against the SOM community feel justified in treating us as inferior. The only way to obtain such recognition and equal treatment is by a grass-roots effort of those in, and sympathetic with, the SOM community. Thus, a march and demonstration was planned and took place. If we are not united to fight against our own repression, who will be?

Craig McPike

Third-year law student