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The Dartmouth
July 26, 2025 | Latest Issue
The Dartmouth

College will fight gay ban in courts

The College has refocused its efforts to change the military's ban on open homosexuality after conceding that the courts, not the government, are most likely to change the policy.

In a recent letter to Peter Williams '76, a member of the Dartmouth Gay and Lesbian Association, Board of Trustees Chair John Rosenwald said the College will attempt to take an active role should any judicial challenge to the policy arise.

"Although in April there seemed to be some prospect of pursuing a satisfactory resolution to this issue within the legislative process, it is certainly now clear that for the foreseeable future, an improvement in the 'Don't ask, don't tell' policy can only be the result of judicial developments," Rosenwald wrote.

Last April, the College's Board of Trustees voted to keep the Reserve Officer Training Corps on campus, but admitted the program discriminates against homosexuals and pledged to change the military's "Don't ask, don't tell" policy.

"Regrettably, changing the 'Don't ask, don't tell' policy is not a short-term goal," he wrote.

In his letter, Rosenwald also mentioned the College's plans to "provide the requisite advising and support that gay, lesbian and bisexual students need."

"Whatever influence Dartmouth may or may not have in altering federal policy, it clearly has more control over the status of gays, lesbians, and bisexuals on campus," Rosenwald wrote.

Members of the College's homosexual community said they were not surprised that the College has had little success at changing the policy.

"The letter confirms what I already knew -- the movement is not going to happen at a national level anytime soon," said Religion Professor Susan Ackerman, co-Convenor of the Coalition of Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Concerns.

"Clearly the wheels of government grind slowly and Dartmouth is going to have a minimal effect on that."

Ackerman said Rosenwald's letter was heartening because she said it was the first time the Trustees had ever made a statement about the possibility of an adviser for gay and lesbian students.

Co-Chair of the College's Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Organization, Earl Plante '94 said he will meet with Dean of the College Lee Pelton next Wednesday to discuss funding for the position.

Plante added that he hopes interviews for the position will begin this spring, and the successful applicant will begin next fall.

"At a minimum the College should be committing resources in support of gay and lesbian students as it is committing resources to ROTC," said John Crane, the Coalition's other co-convenor.

Ackerman said that the College should place more emphasis on changing on-campus dynamics.

"I thought [changing the policy] was unrealistic in April, I think it is unrealistic now," she said. "What is realistic for us to do is to change the attitudes on our campus. That's where the focus of energy rightly belongs at this point."

Assistant to the President Peter Gilbert said Dartmouth is a member of a task force group which includes other colleges and universities that are involved in a coordinated effort to submit amicus briefs or legal arguments to the court.

But Gilbert said there are not any court cases Dartmouth can join now. He did say that "there may very well be down the road."

Crane said the College's efforts to change the policy are laudable but said, "we are fundamentally disappointed with the Trustees' decision and that simply will not change."

In a telephone interview, Rosenwald said the decision to keep ROTC at the College was a "tough, tough, tough decision ... I know that it was very hurtful."

"It was very difficult for the Board of Trustees to handle. It was difficult because we knew that it would disenfranchise someone, no matter how we voted."

Rosenwald said the College will continue its efforts to change the policy as part of the commitment the Trustees made to the gay community at Dartmouth.

But Crane said it was more important now that the College helps the gay and lesbian students at the College.

"Overall the College efforts to assist the courts in changing the discriminatory policy is laudable but are not central to the lives of gay and lesbian students at Dartmouth," Crane said.

"There is a lot of rhetoric, and talk is all well and good, but when the chips are down, the main thing that gay and lesbian students at Dartmouth will be looking for is action," Plante said.