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by Jeanne Lombardo arts and entertainment/features editor

"I've always been a lesbian, but I didn't realize until I was 13 years old that I was one of 'those lesbian:people,' that I was one of thos~ 'bad persons,' who society doesn't like," a Cabrini student who wishes to remain anonymous, said.

We will call her Beth.

Beth has always known she was gay. She was attracted to other females beginning at a young age.

"I was very comfortable with who I was. I knew I had a crush on my second grade teacher," Beth said. "When I was a young girl and I was with my brothers, we would talk about girls. I was very comfortable in my orientation."

Unlike some gay teens, Beth was not confused about her sexuality when she entered high school, but she was not open about it with any of her friends until her senior year.

"I didn't put it right in their face that I was a lesbian, but at the same time I didn't pretend Jike I was straight. I didn't talk about boys or go out with them," Beth said.

Beth's father and step-mother had confronted her about her sexual orientation when she was 15 years of age. The first time they had asked her if she was gay, she said no because she did not want to talk about it yet. The second time they asked her about it she was open about her sexuality. youths are two to three times more ouths. Up to 30 percent of completed isexua/ youths. Up to 80 percent of rt feelings of severe loneliness and

Two hundred anonymous Cabrini students participated in the following survey.

Of the 200 surveyed, 174 are straight, llare gay and 15 are bi-sexual.

.Do you think Cabrini is accepting of ga)" lesbian and bi-sexual students, in general?

-Anonymous

"They didn't seem to accept it until a few years later," Beth said, "It was funny. After I had told them I was gay, they pretended like it had never happened. They would talk about boys or when I was going to get married and have kids."

Beth waited until the age of 19 to come out to her mother because she did not feel that her mother would be supportive of her.

However, her mom has accepted it and is supportive of Beth.

When Beth came out to her brothers and older sister she found that one of her younger brothers took a little longer to accept his sister's homosexuality.

One problem Beth did run into in high school was the disapproval that can come from attending a Catholic institution.

"When I was in high school, wherever I would learn about religion, I would also learn that it was wrong to be homosexual and that it was wrong to engage in the activity," Beth said. "That did give me some trouble. I was told t~at God hated it and I wondered if God would hate me for being homosexual."

Beth has found Cabrini to be both supportive and insensitive.

"My experience has been that the faculty are very accepting and supportive of homosexuals here, but that mostly students are not," Beth said. "There are exceptions. I have had a couple friends here who have been very supportive, but then there are others who haven't and others who have been harassing."

Beth has definitely had her share of harassments here. One girl who lived next to Beth last year screamed, "you f-cking lesbos," through the wall dividing the two rooms.

Beth was not in her room that night, but her roommate was. She and her roommate filed a report and charged the girl with harassment and wort. Beth felt that Resident Life was very supportive in this situation, but that Student Development was not.

Beth has also received a number of harassing phone calls. She and her roommate are living off campus this year for a number of reasons.

Beth thinks it would be great to have a gay, lesbian, bi-se_xual,straight dance to celebrate their diversity. She does not feel that there is really a defined place at Cabrini for gay/lesbian and bisexual students.

''Maybe it has to do with the fact that it's a Catholic college," Beth said. "I guess the archbishop or the pope wouldr.'t condone making a place here for homosexuals. I still expect more from this community. 1 expect them to make this community a welcoming place for homosexuals."

Beth is grateful for the positive experiences she has had here and hopes that other students learn from the example of her roommate Ill>well as her other supportive friends.

"I am very pleased with people like my roommate and some of my friends who are very accepting, who are accepting of the lesbian part of me. I hope more people can get to that place."

Do you know any 110 gay, les- 105 bian, 100 and/or bi- 95 sexual students on 85 campus?

Are you in favor of gay, lesbian and bi-sexual students "coming out of the closet'"?

Would you alienate a friend who told you he/she was gay?

IFriday, November 15, 19961

EDITORIAL Homophobia?

After reviewing the events leading up to the cancellation of "As Is," it would be both irresponsible and inaccurate to label the students of Cabrini College as homophobic. Though recent events may support this claim, one mQstrealize that all evidence of any homophobia is circumstantial at best.

What is certain, however, is this. The theater director felt compelled to cancel the production because he had yet to assemble a complete cast and crew two weeks before the play was scheduled to open. To make matters more complicated, he began to doubt whether or not students would even show up.

Since the curtain will never open on "As Is," the intentions of this production should at least be recognized.

The theater department was making an attempt to help what is considered to be a relatively intolerant community, Cabrini students, live and learn tolerance. For this, they should be given credit.

Maybe no one cares. Perhaps a big deal is being made over nothing. But it seems a shame that the director of the college's theater believes that the students of a hberal arts college are unable to tolerate a play that promotes tolerance.

The purpose of the liberal arts educations that we apparently receive at Cabrini is to learn to think with something broader than a one-track mind. The fact that the school could not provide a complete cast or crew, could be considered evidence that students·here are either not prepared or not willing to deal with the subject matter.

If "As Is" was canceled because enough student support was unable to be generated, then that is one thing. But if the play was in fact canceled because of homophobia, then a problem exists at Cabrini.

The namesake of this fine institution, Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, might have said it best when she said, "When we are -open to one another, we are open to God."

Consider the advice.

Loquitur is establishedas a forum for student expressionand as a voice in the uninhibited,robust, free and open discussionof issues.