University of Virginia Library

GSU President
Defends Allocation

By JOHN EPPS

Gay Student Union (GSU)
President Larry W. Cress said
yesterday, "The GSU finds it
deplorable that the motives of
an organization are being
questioned on the basis of its
members' private lives."

Mr. Cress issued his
statement in response to the
announcement made by
fourth-year man Bill Hurd that
he intends to fight Student
Council's recent decision to
allocate $45 from the Student
Activities Fund to the GSU.

'Private Lives'

"To our knowledge, no
other student organization has
ever been examined on this
basis," Mr. Cress said. "No
matter how deplorable a few
members of the community
may think the private lives of
gays, this is no grounds for
denying funding to a
recognized and legitimate
student organization."

"The GSU would like to
emphasize that it has never
encouraged anyone to violate
any law pertaining to illegal
sexual acts or anything else.
The goal of this organization is
to change present societal
attitudes toward
homosexuality," he continued.

'Educational Group'

Mr. Cress denied charges
that the GSU is a political
organization with the goal of
changing laws against
homosexuality. "The GSU is
primarily devoted to educating
the public," he said, "and is a
completely apolitical
organization, and takes no
stand on the current
anti-homosexual laws."

Mr. Cress said the $45 will
be used by the GSU for office
supplies and to pay expenses in
bringing speakers to the
University. The Union has
already made arrangements to
bring Frank Kameny, a noted
authority on the subject of
homosexuality and community
education. Mr. Kameny will
speak Dec. 14.

Pursuing Appeals

Mr. Cress said that the GSU
"will pursue the appeals as long
as we have the resources to do
so." The GSU's opposition has
stated that they will pursue the
case in court if necessary.

If the case doesn't appear in
court, the actual legality of the
Student Activities Fund may
come into question. Mr. Hurd
told the Daily Progress that he
feels the mandatory fee has
violated the constitution.