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Astronomer, 1975
Choragos, Thursday, October 9, 1975
editorial
Sympathy not enough
The sympathy for 'Astronomer' shown by this week's contribution of anonymous messages to the Bulletin Board is a positive, but not very practical, response to her letter titled "Anniversary in Loneliness" which appeared in last week's edition of Choragos. It is necesary to realize that 'Astronomer,' in writing the letter, was making a courageous attempt to bring the subject of lesbianism at Mount Holyoke College into public discussion so that she, as well as other lesbians here, would no longer have to feel isolated, guilty, or oppressed.
It is not enough to provide "Astronomer" with anonymous sympathy. Such sympathy, when not followed up by constructive action, constitutes empty emotionalism, particularly when that sympathy is couched in heavily symbolic terms which no one but the author of the message can understand.
Lesbians on this campus must be recognized as a minority with legitimate interests. Women must feel free to form lesbian discussion groups, to meet openly, and to admit their lesbianism within this community without being ostracized by other students or penalized by faculty, administration, or health personnel. Oppression and continued anonymity are not constructive responses to the appearance of lesbianism as a public issue.
--seh
