Earl Plante '94, co-chair of the Dartmouth, Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Organization, found a flier yesterday in DaGLO's Hinman Box informing the group about a discussion scheduled for Saturday titled "Let's Talk About Faggots."
"We don't know if it's legitimate or not," Plante said following a DaGLO meeting last night.
Plante sent a copy of the text of the flier to The Dartmouth by electronic mail. The flier said some of the topics for discussion at the meeting in the lounge of French residence hall would be "Is it OK to shoot gays? Do we have to accept homosexuality?"
"Whether we like it or not, homosexuals have an agenda aimed at earning complete tolerance and equality in America," the flier said. "On February 18, we will talk about why gays do NOT deserve special rights."
Plante, who said he is very upset about the flier, said it had a handwritten note on the back saying, "Just thought you guys should know about this."
"It was an outrage," Plante said. "I think it was very hurtful because although the radical sentiment conveyed in the flier may not be the view shared by the majority of students on campus, I still believe fundamentally that homophobia is endemic in the institutions of this College."
DaGLO members discussed the letter at the group's meeting last night. Jen Collins '94, the female co-chair of DaGLO, said members "were angry -- that was the overall sentiment. They were conflicting on how to react."
Plante said he gave the flier to Safety and Security yesterday afternoon and Safety and Security discussed it with the Hanover Police.
"I have already met with the Hanover Police and we already have everything set," said Harly Bettis, the Safety and Security officer in charge of the investigation. "I'll be working with Hanover Police on it if there are any leads."
"If there was a type of hate crime here, it would depend on the nature of it to see what the charges would be," he said.
A meeting is scheduled for this morning with Dean of the College Lee Pelton, Safety and Security, staff and DaGLO members to discuss the situation and further responses.
