Out in the Mountains

Testing Diversity:
G/L pro—life group speaks at Dartmouth

Tom Courcelle
OITM Staff

HANOVER, NH — Does a gay man asking for directions to a
campus pro—life meeting sound unusual? "Head down Fraternity
Row to the Rockefeller Center  ," came the directions. Super.

Skepticism undoubtedly filled the minds of many of the
approximately twenty students who turned out for the November
28th meeting sponsored by the Dartmouth Coalition for Life. The
presentation, given by Philip Arcidi, president of the Washington
D.C.—based Pro—Life Alliance of Gays and Lesbians (PLAGAL),
illuminated on what it means to be gay and also pro—life, a
contradictory concept to most people in the gay and lesbian
community.

Arcidi admitted that in some instances, "it has been easier to be out
as a gay man than it has been to say I'm a pro—lifer." But others
apparently have had the same courage to come forth with their
feelings on the abortion issue — the group has approximately five
hundred members nationwide. PLAGAL also claims to be as
ethnically, politically, and agediverse as the gay and lesbian
community itself. Offices are located in Boston, Cleveland,
Minneapolis, and Philadelphia, among other cities. ‘

Somewhat disheartening were the stories Arcidi told about reactions
to PLAGAL — especially those reactions that came from gays and
lesbians. Having participated in many parades and marches, Arcidi
has had verbal insults as well as garbage thrown at him. This past
June while watching over a table for PLAGAL at the Boston Pride
Parade, a group of fellow women marchers accosted the PLAGAL
display, knocking down the group's flag and stealing material from
the table. Arcidi was forced to sit on the top of the table to prevent
further theft and fend off the crowd of fifty—plus angry marchers who
had closed in around him. The police told Arcidi that they couldn't
ensure his safety from the mob and suggested he leave the parade to
avoid injury. The parade manager agreed and even though PLAGAL
had paid to participate in the Pride festivities, suggested they leave
the function. Arcidi disappointedly left.

That the gay and lesbian community would be so hostile to a
counter-viewpoint when it advocates diversity in the first place is not
the least of the paradoxes Arcidi claimed concerning gay and lesbian
reaction to the pro—life movement. One of these paradoxes dealt with
the right to privacy. "Gays and lesbians assume that they have a right
to privacy somehow based on the Roe vs. Wade case  that we have
the same right to privacy as a woman has to an abortion, when this
clearly is not the case  The Hardwick case gave no privacy rights
to gay people instates with sodomy laws."

By Arcidi's account, genetics will soon be manipulating the lives of
the unborn. Of particular interest is new research indicating that
homosexuality may be a part of our genetic coding. If abortion can

 

 

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be defined as a window of
opportunity to appraise a life,
then there is need to worry. "If
there's a trait that makes
someone want to abort you
before birth, it indicates there's
something about that person that
you wouldn't like about them in
life  you wouldn't want them to
be alive as an adult." By Arcidi's
reasoning this should make gays
and lesbians not only scared but
angry. "Just because‘ some
people don't like me, doesn't
mean I shouldn't exist  It is
entirely impossible for me to
will away my existence."

Arcidi must put aside issues of
his sexual orientation at times to
focus on his pro—life beliefs.
Indeed, in most all of Arcidi's
stories, it is poignantly apparent
that PLAGAL . continuously
finds itself allied with
Republicans, right-wingers, and
the religious who would
otherwise find the group's
members offensive. In an "Open
Letter to ’ the Pro—Life
Movement," the tone is an
appeal for a meeting ground for
a common cause. "The only
mission of the pro—life
movement is to save the lives of
the unborn and rescue their
mothers from brutal
victimization without veering
into 'non—life' issues. Any enmity
against homosexuals is beneath
the dignity of a movement
founded on the self—evident
truth of the intrinsic worth of
each individual  Abortion is,
after all, not a homosexual
atrocity."

Other issues PLAGAL is
concerned about include funding
dispersal at various AIDS
functions. For instance, it was
discovered that part of the
monies garnered from the
sponsored event “For All Walks
of Life,” a walk-a—thon which
supports HIV research and HIV
support organizations, was being

distributed to Planned
Parenthood and other abortion
advocating organizations.

PLAGAL felt that the funding of
Planned Parenthood gave the
wrong impression, that it
condoned "doing away" with
HIV+ people, even if unborn.
PLAGAL's sponsorship of such
events was therefore removed.
The group has also taken leads
in exposing the link between
abortion and breast cancer, as
well as in championing the
effective treatment of HIV+
expectant mothers.

Kevin Walsh, treasurer of the
Dartmouth Coalition for Life
and organizer of the Tuesday
evening presentation, indicated
disappointment at the fact that he
had attempted, by both phone
and e—mail, to contact the
Dartmouth Rainbow Alliance to
arrange co—sponsorship of the
PLAGAL presentation, but had
received no response from the
group. Attempts to contact the
group for a statement proved
equally unfruitful.

Walsh, however, seemed
undaunted by any contradiction
between his group and the
objectives of his gay and lesbian
counterparts. "I think [the issue of
abortion] should break across
political and social issues. I think
there's a’ definite definition out
there of a 'pro—lifer'  that they're
Christian, and straight, and
whatever. But Mr. Arcidi's
presentation shows a need to break
across stereotypes. The more
dialogue, the more viewpoints,
the better off we are." V