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6

4 - Friday, October 9, 2009

The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com.
E-MAIL BELLA AT BELLZ@UMICH.EDU

74C IWC4igan +

BELLA SHAH

Edited and managed by students at
the University of Michigan since 1890.
420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
tothedaily@umich.edu
ROBERT SOAVE COURTNEY RATKOWIAK
EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR

GARY GRACA
EDITOR IN CHIEF

A istory of homophobia

0

Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily's editorial board. All other signed articles
and illustrations represent solely the views ofttheir authors.
Stigmatized for life
States should reconsider flawed sex offender registries
There's no question that sexual assault is wrong. But, like
other crimes, punishment shouldn't mean the end of the
offenders' lives. Highlighting this issue is the case of a
Washtenaw County teenager who is fighting to remain off the state
sex offender list for a crime he committed when he was 15. State
laws that require long-term registration on the sex offender list
even after incarceration and parole create a social stigma around
these people that ruins their lives. Michigan and other states should
reevaluate their laws on sexual offenses and work toward rehabili-
tating offenders rather than permanently ostracizing them.

Threeyears ago, athen-15-year-oldWasht-
enaw County male was convicted of second-
degree sexual misconduct after he grabbed
a female classmate and touched her breast.
The male was put on probation for 18 months,
required to complete a sex offender rehabili-
tation program, avoid contact with the vic-
tim and register his name with a nonpublic
sex offender registry for juvenile offenders.
At the age of 18, he was legally obligated to
reregister on a public adult sex offender list
for the next 22 years. But his lawyer was
able to successfully petition Family Division
Judge Darlene O'Brien to keep his name off
the public registry. O'Brien determined that
22 years of registration forbthe relatively mild
offense qualified as "cruel and unusual pun-
ishment." Washtenaw County prosecutors
are appealing the decision.
This case aptly demonstrates why the
sex offender registry is deeply flawed. This
teenager may have committed a crime, but
not one that's memory should be shackled to
him for much of his adult life. And some even
less notable crimes - like public urination
and streaking - can also land people on the
list for 25 years. Such strict penalties for less
serious crimes are patently absurd.
But having one's name placed on a public
sex offender registry is an unfair burden for
more serious offenders, too, and often pre-
vents their successful re-entrance to soci-
ety. Being placed on a registry constrains

the ability of sex offenders to find jobs or
places to live. Last winter, a Michigan home-
less man froze to death because the law pre-
vented him, as a sex offender, from staying at
local shelters. According to the Grand Rap-
ids News on Jan. 28, the local shelters also
housed women and children, meaning that
homeless sex offenders can't use them. A
more extreme example is Florida, where the
law requires convicted sex offenders to live
at least 2,500 feet from public places where
children gather. On Aug. 5, the Economist
reported that due to limited housing options
in Miami and the 2,500 feet law, many sex
offenders have no choice but to live together
under a bridge. The fact that sex offenders
are unable to find a home in Michigan and
nationwide is a tragic failing of the law.
The goal of the corrections system should
be to prepare offenders for reintegration
into society, not continue to punish them by
removing them from society forever. Instead
of prohibiting sex offenders from living
a normal life after serving their time, sex
offenders should participate in rehabilitation
programs that prevent further offense and
allow them to become productive members
of society.
Sex, offenses are terrible, but the fact that
offenders are forced to live on the streets
because of them is equally terrible. Legisla-
tures should make rehabilitation the rule,
not stigmatization.

n Saturday, film writer and
producer Tyler Perry admit-
ted on his website to being
mentally and phys-
ically abused in
his childhood, the
details of which
are all too common
in the worlds of our
black youth. One
might think that
beingbeaten bloody
by one's father, wit-
nessing him molest MATTHEW
your 12-year-old HUNTER
girlfriend *' and
being washed with
ammonia to eliminate bad germs
-better known as asthma - by one's
mother might draw sympathy. And it
did, to an extent. But many accused
Perry of being gay because, one of his
experiences included being molested
by a man he met at church.
Somewhat ashamedly, I scanned
through the gutters of black com-
munity opinion on bossip.com (black
gossip), and, for the first time, I
questioned my support of the First
Amendment. The majority of over
200 comments on Perry's online con-
fession condemned him, assuming
he must be a homosexual - a label
with which Perry does not iden-
tify. For many, Perry's molestation
proves that he is gay, which is a bad
thing to many blacks. One bossip.com
member shared his logic: "Yup, that
turned that nigga gay. Children that
get molested can sometimes turn out
gay and you can look that shit up."
On September 7, 2008, four men
attacked Tony Hunter, a gay black
man, in Washington, D.C. on the way
to a gay bar. Hunter died days later.
According to a Sept. 18, 2009 article
in the Washington Blade, one black
man, Robert Hannah, pled guilty to
manslaughter. Rev. Abena McCray of
D.C.'s Unity Fellowship church led a
ceremony where Hunter was attacked
after his death to build awareness
about black homophobia. McCray

is among a minority of outspoken
church leaders who endorse gay
rights and oppose leaders like Rev.
Lester James who condemn equal-
ity for gays. James told the New York
Times back in 1993 that "He (God)
hates the homosexual lifestyle."
In understanding the nature of
oppression related to the black com-
munity, discussions of equality should
not only be had about issues in which
whites and blacks are at odds, but also
those injustices that seem unique to
and practiced by the black community.
But it isn't as easy as putting blame
on blacks. This issue is related to whites
to the extent at which all injustices in
the black community - from crime to
poverty to the education gap - have
their roots in the historical relation-
ship between blacks and whites.
In her book, "We Real Cool," bell
hooks describes the process by which
the black man's role in the church
and at home was one of defensive
patriarchy. While she holds the black
community responsible for taking
on these roles, the roles themselves
were learned from the whites who
oppressed them. The black patriarch
was viewed as important to main-
taining a familial stronghold against
oppressive white society, and was
endorsed as such by the church. The
one remaining acceptable image of
black men was one of heterosexual
patriarchy and gays were considered
harmful to the black family unit.
Obama's former Trinity pastor,
Jeremiah Wright, also supports gay
rights. On May 20, 2008, Rick Garcia,,
political director of a Chicago-based
gay rights group, told The Washing-
ton Post, "Trinity has been among
the strongest supporters of LGBT
rights ... I have the highest regard and
admiration for Rev. Wright." Even if
these accepting black churches are a
minority, acceptance by religious fig-
ures speaks to a doctrine of greater
acceptance, and works to counteract
bigotry elsewhere.
But I think those who oppose gay

rights today have already lost the
battle, as new gay rights triumphs are
made every year. Same-sex marriages
are now legal in Massachusetts and
Connecticut. In the past two years,
New York, Oregon, Connecticut,
Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire and
other states have made significant
progress toward establishing equal
rights for gays. But just as slavery
existed as discrimination for 100
years after it was banned, discrimina-
tion against gays, especially by those
who submit to limited definitions of
men and women, will continue for a
longtime before full acceptance.
Black intolerance
of gays is rooted in
racial history.
So while we are waiting on the world
to change, we can find some solace in
the timeless contributions of numer-
ous gay blacks, all of which, to some
extent, are widely accepted in the
black community. Lee Daniels was the
producer of Academy Award-winning
film Monster's Ball; Audre Lorde was
a prolific poet and activist in the '60s;
Octavia Butler was a brilliant fiction
writer; James Baldwin is one of the
most recognized African-American
writers in the world - to name just a
few. The more openly gay role models
we have, the more we can cherish the
representatives of our common strug-
gle for equality. Even though Tyler
Perry has never identified himself as
gay, if he or any other prominent face
in the black community (like Kanye
West or LeBron James) were gay and
publicly and they came out, I think it
would be fantastic for further accep-
tance in the black community.
- Matthew Hunter can be
reached at majjam@umich.edu.

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SEND LETTERS TO: TOTHEDAILY@UMICH.EDU
Daily wrong - those against LGBTQ march for equality
gay marriage not a minority combats misinformation

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor. Letters should be less than 300 words and must
include the writer's full name and University affiliation. Letters are edited for style, length, clarity
and accuracy. All submissions become property of the Daily. We do not print anonymous letters.
Send letters to tothedaily@umich.edu.
Skewing the curve

a

a

TO THE DAILY:
"The fact that this injustice has been pushed
onto most of the country by a hateful, socially
conservative minority is fundamentally wrong..."
Even in a commentary that consisted of little
other than delusion, this particular delusion
stood out more glaringly than the rest in the Dai-
ly's Thursday editorial condemningthe marriage
protection amendments approved by voters so far
in 30 states (Taking back marriage, 10/08/2009).
For the Daily editorial staff, who obviously
aren't majoring in political science, and appar-
ently missed even rudimentary eighth grade civ-
ics, here's how direct democracy works:
State constitutional amendments defin-
ing marriage as only between one man and one
woman have been enacted because a majority of
voters in 30 states - not a minority, "hateful" or
otherwise. Infact, the average percentage of the
vote in favor of those 30 state amendments has
been a super-majority of well over 60 percent.
Here in Michigan, our Marriage Protection
Amendment was approved by 59 percent of vot-
ers, including - according to Detroit Free Press
and Detroit News pre-election and election-day
exit polls - two-thirds of union households and
two-thirds of African-Americans. It passed with
majorities in the cities of Detroit, Flint, Saginaw,
Benton Harbor and multiple others with large
African-American populations.
Michigan's amendment was also approved
by a ten-point margin in Hamtramck, a notable
example since four years later, that city voted 87
percent in favor of Barak Obama for president -
meaning lots of those "hateful, socially conser-
vative" Obama supporters had to have voted for
it. Come to think of it, doesn't President Barack
Obama say that he too is against redefining mar-
riage? Does the Daily's editors think we should
sign him up for "hateful, socially conservative
minority" as well? If they're pushing mathemati-
cal as well as moral relativism, maybe so.
What's far more likely is that the Daily's edi-
torial writers are so far left and so intractably
intolerant of those with a diversity of opinion on
this issue that they really do think anyone who
dares disagree with them - including most union
members, most blacks, even half of all Demo-
crats - really are all a bunch of hatemongers. But
isn't falsely labeling and maligning people just
because you don't agree with them the very defi-
nition of prejudice and hate? Sadly, such prejudi-
cially hateful stereotyping of any who disagree is
a commonly observable tactic of those who sup-
port radically redefining marriage and will toler-
ate no resistance.
In 30 states so far, the minority - who I won't
call any names - have been those who voted
against constitutionally affirming that marriage
is and always should be only between one man
and one woman.

TO THE DAILY:
On Friday around 10:00 p.m., a charter
bus will load a group of University students
and deposit them in Washington, D.C., for a
weekend of grassroots education and activ-
ism focused on one thing: full and equal rights
under the law for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-
gender and queer people. These Wolverines
will join thousands of other LGBTQ people and
their Allies at the National Equality March;
The National Equality March comes at a time
where LGBTQ people are on the cusp of gain-
ing rights denied to them in a number of areas:
the right to serve openly in the armed forces,
the right to work without the fear of unjust
dismissal and the right to have their social con-
tracts recognized by the federal government,
to name a few. Never before have Congress and
the President been more active in discussing
the lives of the LGBTQ community, but discus-
sion is not action. The National Equality March
is an opportunity to give that extra push - a
way for LGBTQ people and their allies to state
clearly, "the time is now." Surely, eyes and ears
will be on Washington Saturday night, where
President Barack Obama will be speaking at the
Human Rights Campaign Annual Dinner. It's
unclear what statement he will make, but many
hope for more than an excuse for inaction and
another plea for patience.
. The National Equality March moves forward
with the weight of history at its back. The actu-
al day of the March - Sunday, Oct. 11 - falls
on the thirtieth anniversary of the first March
on Washington in 1979. This march birthed
National Coming Out Day, celebrated every
year on Oct. 11. The premise of National Coming
Out Day is both simple and infinitely complex
- celebrate and embrace your authentic identi-
ties and be OUT. National Coming Out Day is
a strong vehicle in combating the gads of mis-
information about the lives of LGBTQ people.
In being OUT in our identities, we boldly state
that LGBTQ people are all around - leading
healthy and fulfilling lives as your colleagues,
neighbors, professors and friends.
When we return from the National Equal-
ity March, there will be work to do. Organizers
of the march expect people to return to their
communities and enact change in congressio-
nal districts statewide. Even in our own resi-
dence halls and classrooms, we need to actively
and proactively stand against homophobia,
hate and discrimination. If you cannot join us
in Washington, then join us when we get back.
You can be an important partner in the work
for LGBTQ equality through your involvement
in programs like the LGBTQ Ally Training Pro-
gram or the National Coming Out Week rally.
For more information, visit SpectrumCenter.
umich.edu.

A mong the whispers about
midterms, paper deadlines
and who's going out at night,
one topic sneaks
its way into count-
less conversations
in the supposedly
"silent" graduate
library - Adderall, s
a prescription drug
intended to help
people with atten-
tion-deficit hyper- LEAH
activity disorder POTKIN
and similar disor-
ders concentrate.
But with papers to
write, tests to ace and bars to frequent,
many University students sans ADHD
couldn't manage without the help of
this friendly and easily available pill.
Or at least that's what many think.
Adderall increases the flow of neu-
rotransmitters in the brain, strength-
ening a person's ability to concentrate
forextended periodsoftime.Forthose
diagnosed with ADHD, Adderall can
relieve symptoms and help to per-
form daily activities. But many undi-
agnosed students wrongly ' assume
that Adderall is a safe and innocuous
cure-all for poor study habits.
And though pulling an alj-nighter
without the distraction of snacks and
TV shows may boost a student's GPA,
the long-term consequences may out-
weigh the short-term benefits. Study-
hungry students should consider both
the physical and mental consequences
of taking this drug before popping
their first 20mg dose.
I have never tried Adderall. I've
been tempted, but the cons continu-
ally seem to outweigh the pros. I have
read all of the warnings, heard all of
the praise and ultimately decided the
drug isn't for me. But my lack of first-
hand experience doesn't discredit my
opinions, so hear me out.
While the medical literature on

Adderall lists the normal litany of pos- her newfound source of income as a
sible side effects (difficulty sleeping, study-style drug dealer.
dizziness, dry mouth, loss of appetite, Thanks for the offer, but from one
nausea, nervousness, restlessness, scattered brain to another, even tak-
etc.), these are admittedly infrequent ing something that makes the arduous
and not an overriding concern. If any- task of studying more palatable doesn't
thing, side effects such as loss of appe- make me want to risk losing confidence
tite only encourage students whose in the study habits that have gotten
favorite study snacks include cheesy me this far. If I did choose to take it,
bread from Pizza House and colliders I might begin to underestimate my
from Rod's. natural abilities and become reliant on
I am more fearful of the psycho- the drug-. and that scares me. I know
logical impact associated with Adder- many users only diagnose themselves
all - on those who use it and believe as Adderall-needy during midterms or
that success in school might be impos- final exams, but as with many drugs,
sible without it, and on non-users dependency is a related concern. The
who may harbor resentment over the problem starts when reliance sets in -
unfair advantage it could provide. This and itnvery easily can.
advantage could pressure students
who feel their GPAs are at risk due to
the enhanced abilities of classmates Adderall isn't
who use the drug. At this point, the e te
stakes have been raised, and it's only
a matter of time before students feel great study buddy
forced to try Adderall simply to keep
up with over-stimulated peers. After students think.
all, how could they compete with those
able to study for hours on end without
sneaking a single snack break or Face-
book check? Despite my reservations, it's unde-
Let's first state the obvious - Adder- niable that the Adderall epidemic is in
all is not intended for recreational use. full force. Even my pediatrician was
But when used by studiers to get an shocked (thoughrelieved) tohearIhad
extra boost, the drug can give undiag- never tried it. It worries me that when
nosed users an undeserved leg up. In , I told a friend I was writing an article
the same way that steroidsgive athletes about this issue, he was quick and
unfair advantages in sports, Adderall unashamed to say that he would read
does so for school. We all know how it but it definitely wouldn't change his
competitive Wolverines can be both mind or study habits. But in the spirit
on the field and in the classroom, and of at least slowing the epidemic, I chal-
the Adderall obsession may skew the lenge all the self-prescribed Adderall
playing field. addicts out there to set your pills aside
Dispensing prescription drugs is and settle down in a quiet room with
illegal, yet the buying and selling of a cup of your favorite coffee. If you
Adderall has become so commonplace trust yourselves as much as you trust'y
that students with true prescriptions an unprescribed dosage, you might be
hardly think twice when sharing (or surprised at the results you get.
selling) their beloved study buddy
with an eager classmate. Just today, - Leah Potkin can be reached
one of my classmates boasted about at Ipotkin@umich.edu.

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EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS:
Nina Amilineni, Emad Ansari, Emily Barton, Ben Caleca, Brian Flaherty, Emma Jeszke,
Raghu Kainkaryam, Sutha K Kanagasingam, Erika Mayer, Edward McPhee, Harsha Panduranga,
Asa Smith, Brittany Smith, Radhika Upadhyaya, Rachel Van Gilder, Laura Veith

0

Gary Glenn Gabe Javier
The letter-writer is president of the American The letter-writer is assistant director of the
Family Association of Michigan. Spectrum Center.

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