Gay-rights appointment ends row

USI has nominated John Brennan, a second year student of business and legal studies in UCD, as its part-time lesbian, gay and bisexual rights officer.

Brennan says his priority is to facilitate the establishment of LGB societies in colleges and USI's LGB working group is working on leaflets and posters for the LGB campaign at present.

The nomination of Brennan brings to a close, for the present, the difficulties which arose over last year's election of a full-time LGB officer. That election was subsequently ruled null and void by USI president Colman Byrne amid opposition from some quarters to creating a full-time LGB position, despite support for the move at USI national congress. The election also led to claims that some students who voted were not actually from the colleges in which they claimed to be studying, while LGB supporters argued that an amendment to the constitution, passed at congress, had been ignored.

The wounds from that particular controversy could soon be reopened, given that newspaper Gay Community News is set to publish details of what took place during the campaign for a full-time officer in its next issue, as part of a feature on a proposed LGB students' federation. That issue of GCN will be on the streets on January 30th.