OSU Gay Student Groups 1976-2006
Outline of October 31, 2006 speech by Thomas Kraemer for the Oregon State University Queer History Month celebrating the 30th anniversary of the first gay student group to be officially recognized by OSU. (See meeting announcement Thomas Kraemer: 30 years of OSU LGBT History, OSU Memorial Union Room 206 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM Oct. 31, 2006)
Thomas Kraemer graduated from Oregon State University in 1977 (BSEE) and 1978 (MSEE). On November 4, 1976, Kraemer along with about ten other students formed the first gay student group to be officially recognized at OSU. The Gay Peoples Alliance was renamed several times over the years and is known today as the Rainbow Continuum.
Photo: Berlin University students carrying away the library from the home of Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld and loading the volumes into a van. They were hauled away and destroyed with others May 10, 1933. (See OSU Foundation Magnus Hirschfeld Fund)
- Halloween is the gayest night of the year to be giving a speech:
Photo: OSU students streaking on Halloween night in 1975 as shown on the front page of the student newspaper The Barometer Nov. 3, 1975.
- May 2002 Pride history event speech (See blog OSU gay life 1972 vs. today) and speech by Prof. Gwil Evans inspired me to research the exact date the first OSU gay student group formed
- History research yet to be done before 1972 and 1987-1999
- W. Dorr Legg (1904-1994) early homophile activist and Oregon professor in 1935 (See blog Gay Oregon Professor 1935)
- Sexual Behavior in the Human Male 1948 - Kinsey scale (See blog Kinsey scale and asexuality 1948) Kinsey found a higher prevalence of homosexual behavior than conventional wisdom assumed, including asexual behavior, which has also been found in OSU research sheep herds.
- Why is history important? When I entered college in 1972 I was ignorant of pre-1969 Stonewall riot history. For example, Randy Wicker and Barbara Gittings marched in a homophile protest at Independence Hall in Philadelphia on July 4, 1966 (See blog Randy Wicker and Jack Nichols) Unfortunately, most students with a minority sexual orientation or gender identity are still entering college without any historical understanding. Unlike most other minority children, few have parents who can pass on their cultural history.
- History as a bragging right: Oregon State University Gay Point Average = 16 - long history is listed proudly - an active LGBT alumni group is one criteria (See blog The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students and OSU LGBT honor in Gazette-Times)
- Proposed LGBT Alumni Beaver Club: Steven Leider, Coordinator, Outreach and Services, LGBT Services Office could be a source of historical accounts - OSU Valley Library Archives Collections Pertaining to Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender People in Oregon hopes to collect historical artifacts
- OSU's most famous gay alum (See blog Esera Tuaolo) came out on the cover of The Advocate Nov. 26, 2002
- OSU cross burning in 1976 (blog) and vandalism at the OSU Lonnie B. Harris Black Cultural Center - similar bigotry has been more recently experienced by the OSU Pride Center - SOL LGBTQQIA People of Color Support Network of Oregon State University - double minorities are a good bridge to understanding (Also see blog Black vs. gay civil rights)
- Oregon sodomy laws forbid "osculatory relations" (See blog Oregon blue laws circa 1950) The Gay Insider 1972 guide book included a section about sodomy becoming legal in Oregon on Jan. 1, 1972 and gay life in Eugene, Portland and Salem. (See blog The Gay Insider USA 1972)
- Homosexuality aversion therapy - OSU ex-gay groups predated gay friendly groups in 1976 (See blog Doctors on homosexuality 1962, Doctors on homosexuality 1950 and the book "Anything But Straight," by Wayne Besen )
1976 Corvallis newspaper ruckus about gay women in Corvallis wanting to get married - 2004 gay women in Corvallis still wanting to get married - University of Minnesota student body President Jack Baker forced the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on gay marriage in the early 1970s. (See blog 1976 gay marriage controversy and "Thirty years later, views of gay issues same," Corvallis (Oregon) Gazette-Times, Sept. 13, 2005, p. A11)- Census 2000 data showed Corvallis has 6th highest concentration of lesbians in the U.S. - Population Today, May/June 2002 (See blog Corvallis lesbian census 2000 data)
- OSU Women's Center formed in 1973 and an informal women's group in Corvallis led to the formation of the first gay student group to be officially recognized by OSU. Long time Corvallis resident Dunbar Aitkens of 1460 SW 'A' Avenue was a co-instructor for Experimental College classes on homosexuality.
- Nov. 4, 1976 Gay Peoples Alliance meets for first time and becomes the first gay student group to be officially recognized by OSU (See blog History of Oregon State University gay student groups 1976-2006)
- Undated photo of Eddie Hickey and Scott Lucas circa 1984 owned by the Oregon State University Pride Center - Hickey is often incorrectly credited with being the first president of the Gay Peoples Alliance because he was the first to appear in The Barometer in a big way. (See blog OSU Eddie Hickey Scott Lucas Photo, OSU 1982 GT Eddie Hickey article (10/1/07), OSU gay panels 1982, OSU gay funding defeat 1982 and OSU GPA funding not unprecedented)
- Oregon's "Moo U" "Cow College" reputation was straight laced and conservative (See blog Oregon Straight cow college) Today OSU is famous for having gay sheep (blog) and fruit flies (blog)
- Gay lifestyles at Oregon 'Straight' 1984 (blog) (See note about proper use of "lifestyle" in GLAAD: History of LGBT-Related AP Stylebook Updates) - Backlit photographs 1984 - Backlit CBS TV interviews by Mike Wallace 1967 - Jack Nichols NY Times obituary 2005 - 2006 G-T shows LGBT OSU Students (See blog OSU LGBT honor in Gazette-Times)
- Virus likely to cause AIDS was discovered 1984 - Condoms for AIDS prevention at OSU 1987 (See blog Safe sex hits OSU 1987 and Understanding AIDS 1988)
- Fashion history examples: Lige Clarke and Jack Nichols 1972 - Lige shown wearing an anti-Vietnam War peace symbol belt buckle and Jack wearing bell bottoms (See blog Lige Clarke and Jack Nichols fashion 1972, Tailored vs. baggy clothing look at OSU and the Gay Blade Clothes for men store in downtown Corvallis)
- Wall Street Journal 1975 sale of Advocate - "Advocate touching your lifestyle" t-shirt subscription offer (See blog The Advocate Wall Street Journal Story and Advocate Touching Your Lifestyle 1976 for a picture of Thomas Kraemer wearing his Advocate t-shirt in 1976)
- For more see Thomas Kraemer's blog at http://thomaskraemer.blogspot.com/
Thomas Kraemer started his professional career in the Corvallis, Oregon Hewlett-Packard calculator research and development lab where the first inkjet printer was developed. Thomas Kraemer was an engineer or manager at Hewlett-Packard from 1978-1998 for numerous calculator, computer, network and instrument products. More recently, Kraemer became the founding benefactor of the OSU Foundation Magnus Hirschfeld Fund, which will be funding educational, scientific and ethnographic research activities at OSU concerning people or animals with a minority sexual orientation or gender identity.
