Page Ten-Student Activities THE MICHIGAN DAILY Wednesdgy, September Z, 1970 Page Ten-Student Activities THE MICHIGAN DAILY Wednes ,_Seer be_ 2..197 Women's Lib: Abortion and day care centers F, appear in need, . By HESTER PULLING "Women's Liberation helps 'you realize that you are a woman and makes you more aware o' yourself as one," says Women's Liberation member Beth Schneider. ,Women's Liberation has been active in Ann Arbor for about two years, but only in the past year has the group become a co- hesive force. Small groups of women had been meeting periodically, but it was not until last January that a steering committee was formed with representatives from each of the smaller groups. Although still an amorphous organization, group- members organized several actions last winter term. The group's major effort has been directed towards a University-sponsored child care center-a proposal which the group has been working on since early March. According to Marty Lowry, a member of the Child Care Action Group, "The Univer- sity has buffered us about and shifted us around to different people all of whom said they are interested and sympathetic-but? their hands are tied. "Everyone -agrees there is a need for a center, but no one was willing to find us a place," she added. When finding "no one receptive to our need for a center," the group contacted John Feldkamp, director of University housing in late June. Feldkamp conducted the women on a tour of three possible day care sites and the group chose a Mary Markley din' hall for their center. The ceiiter opens J SI 6, but will only operate for the sumner term. Another group within womens' liberation is working for abortion law repeal and free availability of abortions for all women re- gardles of financial'status, marital position, race or age. This group has gone to several state legislative hearings, making statements and presentations. Women's Liberation has also supported the strike against Detroit's Fruehauf Trailer Corp. in an attempt to unionize clerical workers, most of whom are women. While working to "free" women, ideas on what does constitute a "liberated" woman vary throughout the group. "Women coming in jeans and clenched fists are letting themselves be used as gross examples," Nan Byam, a 1member of the group, says. "They just seem to be parroting grubby 'movement' men, something we need to get away from." Despite differing views on what a "liber- ated" woman is, members of the group have united to work on educating the public to the plight of women. Some Women's Liberation members are involved in research projects at the Uni- versity. "We have started on a general survey of internal and external conflicts among sexes and races," Roz Daley, a psychology student; explains. Also connected with -,the University is a. three-credit hour course on "Women in America" taught by Miss Byam. "The course involves a lot of academic work-it has an extensive reading list, guest lectures, projects and papers concerned with women," Miss Byam says. In addition to organized academic educa- tion, Women's Liberation distributes liter- ature and talks in dormitories, sororities and other organizations.. "Many people just don't realize the extent of the oppression women face," Gail Rubin, a member of the group says. To substantiate her statement, Miss Rubin points to a docu- ment from the U.S. Department of Com- merce stating that white women earn $2,600 'less- than white men and $1,500 less than non-white men, while black women earn $1,200 less than white women. "When the liberation movement started two years ago, it was sort of spontaneous," Miss Rubin says, adding that most of the women had initially been involved in some radical group. "We became dissatisfied with our role in these groups, wanting to be more active- to do more typing and mimeographing,' she says. In March, 1969,"Women's Liberation, join- ed by some graduate students and staff of the social work school, picketed the Miss Ann Arbor Beauty Pageant and followed up their protest with an education i rogram. "We were objecting to'the way avomen are treated as objects, as commodities, to make themselves beautiful for men," Miss Rubin says. "What would people think of a men's beauty contest?" is a peer indeed... The Student, Counseling 1018 Angell Hall Office' 73-1552. honest, open all the'time -- i I)l ITRICH'S Book Store Where the BOYS are( A IF"-- GLF: Fighting the social stigma I -Daily-Jim Judkis Educating the U' community .a One Wheel Cycling.. An Exciting New Sport By HESTER PULLING Charging repression by so- ciety at large - and specifical- ly by the University-Gay Liber- ation Front (GLF), a newly formed student group on cam- pus, has organized in an effort to remove t h e social stigmas about homosexuality and t h e resulting social harassment of. homosexuals. The group, recognized by Stu- dent Government Council (SGC) last March, has no uni- form ideology yet, although sev- eral members have participated in local political actions a n d the group came out in support of the BAM strike. Presently, GLF's major issue concerns their demand f o r a Midwest conference on homo- sexuality at the University - a demand Piesident R o b b:e n Fleming h a s consistently de- nied. The issue over the proposed conference was first raised last April when GLF approached the administration 'for permis- sion to hold a conference in University facilities. In a 'letter to Will Smith, as- sistant to the Vice President for Student Affairs, GLF stated they were "concerned about the problems of the homosexual and seek to improve the self-con- cept of homosexuals and their relationships with e a c h other and with t h e community-at- large." In an attempt to deal with these problems, the group hop- ed to sponsor a conference that would "offer workshops on ho- mosexuality, public lectures and panel discussions by such out- side specialists as jurists, doc- tors and religious leaders who would speak to homosexuals and to the public at large on legal, medical and religious as- pects of homosexuality." Fleming responded to tGLF's request with 'a letter to Bar- bara Newell, acting vice presi- dent for student affairs, stat- ing that "in order to qualify for the use of University facilities, any conference on the subject of homosexuality ought, in view of the law, to be clearly educa- tional in nature and directed primarily towards those people who have a professional inter- est in the field." Because the proposed confer- ence "does not qualify under these criteria. University facili- ties will not be available," Fleming' stated. Protesting the president's de- cision, GLF - joined by several other student, groups and sev- erai facuity members - demon- strated in f r o n t of Fleming' house during a presidential tea in early May. T.V. RENTALS $10.50/mo. NEJAC T.V. 662-5671 *l "Fleming reiterated his prev- ious position about the confers, ence but suggested, when we asked him about the possibility of a dance, that we talk with -the Office of Student Affairs," GLF member Larry Glover said. "It's a dilemma to me what's in Fleming's head," GLF mem- ber Genie Linzer said. "It seems to me that Fleming would more readily approve of us having an educational conferepce than let- ting us dance together." GLF members also objected to Fleming's criteria that the proposed conference be directed towards "people who h a v e a professional interest in the field." "We don't want to continue the professional exploration of homosexuals - we are not case studies," Glover said. "We are asserting our humanity and our right to assemble." Later in June, SGC co-spon- 4----- --- - -- sored a' letter w i t h GLF de- manding that Fleming reverse his April decision. "If the University is to be more than an extension of so- cietal repression toward homo- sexuals, then the University must stop bowing to the sick threat of bad publicity, and be- gin to defend, not suppress, the rights of homosexuals," the let- ter to Fleming stated. Emphasizing the possibility that a conference would have an adverse effect on legislative appropriations, Flemifig again refused University facilities for the conference. Despite Fleming's veto, how- ever, GLF has decided to pro-4 ceed with plans for holding the conference., According to Jerry De Grieck, executive vice presi- dent of SGC, Fleming has no role in the jissue because of a 1965 regental decision giving SGC the power to recognize, ap- prove and schedule events of student organizations. "I don't agree with their in- terpretation of the Regents' de- cision," F le m i n g countered. "The bylaw dealt with the eli- gibility of_ University facilities, not With, their assignment." However, commenting on what action he would take, if any, to stop the proposed conference, Fleming said, "I have enough problems at any one time with- out worrying about those in the future." The issue is now at a stand- still until GLF actively starts making plans to hold their Mid- west conference in University facilities. STUDENT BIKE 3 speed English Bikes-$48.95 Schwinn 3, 5 & 10 speeds " Raleigh 3, 5 & 10 speeds * Complete service on all makes * We sell Quality Bicycles and everything in Cycling-Locks, Baskets, Horns, Generator Sets The Friendly Store where students get their "Wheels" Ca 514 E. 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