USI elects gay officer, rejects "outing"

USI MEMBERS have voted against support for the "outing" of homosexual public figures. At the union's lesbian, gay and bisexual conference, held in Dublin last weekend, a motion mandating students to support "outing" - the naming of prominent lesbians, gays or bisexuals who may have chosen to keep their preferences private - was defeated by a considerable majority.

According to USI's LGB rights officer, Duane Farrell, the motion was based on the belief that people in power influence the opinions of others and, if they are being hypocritical, then they should be exposed as such. Only three of the 30 students with voting rights in attendance supported the motion.

Delegates at the conference elected Farrell as USI's first full time lesbian, gay and bisexual rights officer. Earlier this year, delegates to USI's National Congress in Westport voted by a two thirds majority to create the new full time position.

Farrell, a DIT student, has been USI's part time LGB rights officer. He describes the election of a full time officer as "an important and historic event in the history of Irish student unionism" and says that it marks the "opening shots in the campaign to defeat homophobia".

His immediate duties will include building of a "homo friendly environment" in member colleges and providing skills and information to students' union officers to help conduct LGB campaigns on campus. He will also provide aid and support to LGB students and "challenge the views of mainstream student unions with regard to the issue of homophobia".

Conference delegates also voted in favour of bulk buying condoms for USI colleges and mandated USI officers to combat political homophobia, including protests at visits to Ireland by political leaders who have expressed homophobic sentiments. This follows the visit of the Zimbabwe's president, Robert Mugabe, to Dublin recently for an Irish Times debate. At the debate, Megan Stewart, also one of USI's LGB convenors, demanded an apology from Mugabe for comments he has made about homosexuality.

. Meanwhile, a music and cultural festival in the west of Ireland is one of the possible developments being examined by Alan Kelly, recently been elected USI's western area convenor. Kelly believes such a festival could become a permanent fixture if managed properly.

"Information is my first priority, though," Kelly says. "We have to start with the students and make them aware that there is someone working for them at a national level in the region." He hopes to organise a roadshows aimed at first year students, in particular, and possibly to expand the western area office in Galway to include commercial services for students.

Kelly also hopes the office will be able to offer a translation service into Irish: "I think the culture of the Irish language is dying a bit in the west and if we don't act now it may die altogether."

. Ian Lucey, USI's southern area convenor, is likely to run for a second term in the position. He will announce his decision at USI's emergency national council in the today.