rrizzo@bbncca.ARPA (Ron Rizzo) (05/18/84)
I recently finished the book. Has anyone else read it? How credible do you think Boswell's arguments/findings are? I'd summarize the book except I'm short on time right now. Bookishly, Ron Rizzo
wdoherty@bbncca.ARPA (Will Doherty) (05/20/84)
I have read Boswell's book and find his scholarship quite compelling. For Boston area folk, you can see Boswell on Monday night (May 21) at 7:30pm at the Church of the Covenant, 67 Newbury St. I will be there with every religious (or interested non-religious, like me) lesbian or gay friend I can drag there. A friend of mine from Oklahoma recently had the unpleasant experience of being told by his father that he would not be welcome in the house anymore, and that he would be disowned, if he did not decide after a period of "counselling prayer" that he would renounce his homosexuality. His mother told him it would have been easier for her if he had driven a cross through her heart. His father said that homosexuality is not a lifestyle, but a deathstyle. So much for the compassion of the religious. I also just finished a term project in my Managerial Psych class. It is a study of the relative attitudes of MIT male fraternity and dormitory residents toward homosexuals. We found out quite a bit, and the data turns out to be statistically significant as well. At Bolt, Beranek and Newman, Inc, where I work on the weekends, we have formed an Employee Committee Against Discrimination (ECAD). We have been studying discrimination against women and minorities, including lesbians and gays, here at BBN. Even though we don't experience much non-subtle discrimination here at BBN, management has been quite uncooperative about stating a policy prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. We got about 20% of the company to sign a "request," asking that management alter the policy. Still waiting to see what will happen. What's the situation at companies where the rest of you work? Also, how are the local and state lesbian and gay rights bills going in your area? Here in the Boston area, both Cambridge and Boston are introducing bills into the City Councils this year. The bills will apply to all employment within the city limits, rather than simply to public employment. Housing protection already exists in Boston. The Massachusettts Congress passed a lesbian and gay rights bill through the House last session, but the Senate shuttled the bill off to the Supreme Judicial Court in the State of Mass. for an opinion about the legality of the measure (i.e. they didn't want to deal with it--postponing it until after the end of the last Congressional session). But it may very well pass both branches of the legislature this year in Mass. As far as I know, Wisconsin is the only state with a lesbian and gay rights bill. Does anyone know what they do about military discrimination in Wisconsin? Will Doherty