Will Lutz

Before You $end Your Tax Dollar$
Much Less Your Child!

To UT Austin...
Did they raise the tuition for this?

October 17, 2005
By Will Lutz

One of the most widely believed myths at the Capitol is that the University of Texas administration is conservative. It's amazing anyone believes this. After all, during the Hopwood case, UT Chancellor Mark Yudof was dean of the law school and a passionate defender of the racial quota system thrown out by the court. Now, like other universities nationwide, UT has gone on a spending spree, hiking tuition and making UT less affordable for middle class families.

And now this. In January, the University of Texas at Austin's Dean of Students opened the Gender and Sexuality Center, which promotes homosexuality and transsexuality. Of course, UT isn't about to fund a center which promotes traditional family values or alternatives to abortion.

I recommend a visit to the center's website. It will tell you all you need to know. Here's the link: http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/gsc/home.html

On this website you will find a list of "Gender Neutral Bathroom Locations." (I'm not making this up.)

The center is sponsoring the "Living with Pride" educational series currently going on at UT during the fall semester. (Again, this center is set up by the UT Dean of Students Office). A little history. In 1994, UT tried to host the Living with Pride series out of the student health center. The Young Conservatives of Texas objected and after getting an earful from the Capitol, UT backed down and funded the event privately. The agenda and speakers' series is almost identical to the one in 1994. The seminars include the following: "The Love Boat: The Dos and Don’ts of Dating," "From Alcohol To Zippers: A Discussion of Health Issues," "Chocolates, Roses and You: A Romantic Look at Safer Sex," etc. The center also offers "diversity/sensitivity workshops" for campus groups.

I also recommend a look at the center's Frequently Asked Questions page:

http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/gsc/faq.html

Here are a few choice excerpts:

* Is it the parent's fault if their child is gay? It is never anyone's "fault" if they or their loved one grows up to be gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. If you are asking yourself why you or your loved one is GLBT, consider asking yourself another question: Why ask why? Does your response to a GLBT person depend on knowing why they are GLBT? Regardless of cause, GLBT people deserve equal rights and to be treated fairly.

* Is being LGBT normal? Yes. Each culture defines what is "natural" or "normal" to fit it's own context. Definitions differ. Historians have determined that homosexuality has existed since the beginning of humanity. Anthropologists report that LGBT people have been part of every culture. LGBT people are represented in every socioeconomic class, educational level, and race. Homosexual behavior is often criticized because it doesn't result in procreation. In fact, most heterosexual encounters don't result in births either, and relationships of all sexual orientations may have children. A homosexual identity involves both an emotional commitment to people of the same gender and membership in a community.

* What is sex reassignment surgery (SRS)? SRS is the permanent surgical refashioning of sexual anatomy to resemble that of the appropriate sex. For MTF transsexuals, SRS involves the conversion of penile and scrotal tissue into female genitalia. For FTM transsexuals, it may be limited to just top surgery (breast removal) and sometimes hysterectomy. While many transmen become satisfied with their new male anatomy, most opt out of genital surgeries for a variety of reasons, including the expense and dissatisfaction with the results. Many MTF trans people also undergo additional cosmetic procedures, including electrolysis to remove facial and body hair, breast augmentation, Adams Apple reduction, hair transplantation, liposuction and many types of facial surgeries.

* What is the difference between gender identity and sexual orientation?Gender identity is a person's internal sense of being a man or a woman, a boy or a girl. Sexual orientation is someone's sexual attraction to others who may be of the opposite sex, the same sex, or either sex. Like other people, transgendered people can be straight, gay, lesbian or bisexual. Generally speaking, their gender identity - not their physical sex status - determines their sexual orientation."

In 2003 and 2005, the Texas legislature has affirmed traditional marriage and rejected gay "marriage." This year, it did so by a two-thirds majority. We have a Republican governor, who has publicly stated his commitment to traditional families and nine Republican members of the University of Texas System Board of Regents. Yet that obviously has not sunk in to UT administrators.

UT has no business spending its money on this center or giving its imprimatur to this. The money would be better spent providing scholarships for middle class students or reducing tuition. If UT administrators can't say no to the gays, than they should at least create and spend an equal amount of money on an official center that promotes the majority viewpoint in Texas (traditional family values).

The Gender and Sexuality Center is yet another example of how the law allowing the UT Board of Regents to hike tuition without legislative approval is a complete failure. If UT has money to waste on the Gender and Sexuality Center, than it obviously has too much cash on hand.

(T4T: go here for a list of UT Austin Regents)

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Will Lutz is the managing editor of The Lone Star Report.

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