Junior Phil Anwer screamed in frustration as he exited East Hall following Monday night's meeting of Tufts Transgendered, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Collective (TTLGBC). A mob of angry students followed, engaged in heated discussion over the Tufts Christian Fellowship (TCF) ruling. Many were too upset to comment on the decision as they towards Oxfam Caf?© for the first of what they say will be many meetings regarding student response to the controversial ruling.
The feeling of exasperation was obvious as those in attendance struggled to understand the nuances and significance of this landmark case. The efforts at understanding underscored a common fear - that outcry over such a complex issue would remain within the gay community.
"I just hope that this doesn't turn into a queer issue. I hope that this is an issue that everyone cares about," Anwer said, shaking his head.
In an attempt to clarify the decision for the audience, Tufts Community Union Judiciary (TCUJ) member junior Michael Ferenczy came to facilitate the discussion and explain the intricacies of the ruling.
Passing out papers that laid out the decision, Ferenczy went through the various motions amid a constant bombardment of questions and critiques. Students jotted down notes as they listened to one another's comments and prepared for the next strategic move.
At the end of his explanation, Ferenczy assured the intimate crowd that the ruling did not justify or support the actions of the TCF. "What we didn't say in [the ruling] was whether this was right or wrong. We weren't trying to make a statement," he said.
Having clarified the issues and decision, the students' focus shifted to making their outrage known by the campus at large.
To ensure that members of the University relate to and understand the implications and true significance of the case and its outcome, students at the meeting decided to create a direct action plan. The first order of business was to create an "umbrella" organization called Tufts Students Against Discrimination (TSAD), composed of groups such as Hillel, TTLGBC, the Coalition for Social Justice, and Pan African Alliance (PAA).
Targeting the administration and the students, TSAD hopes to launch a number of initiatives both on and off campus. "At this point, the whole entire campus is without a discrimination policy," sophomore Adam Carlis said, explicating the impetus behind the movement.
Sophomore Louis Esparza, now a member of TSAD, agreed with Carlis. "It's pretty obvious that the non-discrimination policy isn't as effective as it needs to be and it needs to be changed," he said, rallying support from the group.
Members of the new organization have already set up a meeting with Dean of Students Bruce Reitman to discuss potential policy changes. Carlis is optimistic that this meeting, set for tomorrow, will make strides. "This non-discrimination policy can be effectively changed," Carlis said.
In addition to the assistance TSAD is hoping to garner from the administration, members plan to educate and mobilize their fellow students. They agreed to speak of the issues related to the non-discrimination policy and the ruling in their classes. "[We need to] help people relate it to themselves," senior Julie Catalano, the plaintiff in the case, said.
"We're all angry and we all have to do something," Carlis added. The specific impetus behind the direct action is the view that the ruling itself is yet another hate crime plaguing the Tufts community. "We used to have nine [hate crimes] and now we have ten," Esparza said.
Because students in the anti-discrimination group think the ruling is so nefarious, certain events already slated for next week have been reworked and intensified. The "Take Back the Night" rally scheduled for next Monday night has been renamed the "Take Back the School Rally."
Carlis shared his vision of an enormous rally that would take over the library roof and then some. Students at the Oxfam gathering spoke of preceding the rally with a University-wide walk-out scheduled earlier that day.
A request was also made to draft a letter to the administration, high schools around the country, and relevant newspapers such as the Daily, The New York Times and The Boston Globe. Students thought that a letter would be the most effective way to explain their perspective on the ruling. "We need to let them know that Tufts University is not a safe place," Carlis said.
Students are hoping that their actions will have a drastic outcome. "[Tufts is] going to have 10,000 [fewer] applications next year and then [it's] f---ed. People will say: it's not safe at Tufts," Carlis said.
Despite lofty hopes for change, some are wary of the administration's potential response. A member of Hillel made reference to a past student protest launched in the '80s that elicited stringent response from the administration.
Other members of the group were concerned that high schools receiving the information about the TCF ruling wouldn't be fazed. Touting the prestige of the Tufts name, junior Amy Gelender said that her guidance counselor would most likely not share the report about the incident with others. Other TSAD members disagreed, arguing that their high schools would not hesitate to share information like this with students.
Despite these difficulties, students plan to keep their campaign moving. In addition to their proposed activism Carlis has created a special web group to facilitate student involvement in the movement.
