 In
1979, when I arrived at UC San Diego Warren College Orientation
from Salt Lake City, Utah, I was perhaps naïve about Southern
California. I had been waiting to “come out” and college
seemed like the perfect place to express myself honestly and proudly—not
just my sexual orientation, but also my politics.
I hoped to somehow merge my interest in science and medicine with
public policy and social justice issues.
UC San Diego in retrospect was the perfect school for me, although
it started out slowly. You see, I asked simply at my student orientation
session—“where do I find the gay student organization?” The
student affairs staff member politely responded: “While at
one time there was such an organization, there is no such organization
now.” I asked why? And the response was, “I don’t
know, but you can start such a student organization if you are
interested.”
Slowly over the course of my freshman year, I found other lesbian
and gay students interested in forming a social-political organization.
And in 1980, we founded LAGO—the Lesbian and Gay (student)
Organization. This was my first lesson in budgeting, politicking
and public speaking. Scared as the devil, a small group of us asked
for, and received, a full-page Lesbian and Gay issues section in
the Guardian—once each quarter beginning in 1980. For two
years, we filled the pages with poems, private reflections, comics,
community event announcements, and a listing of resources—mostly
off campus. The group was notable by its inclusion of women and
men, and I received basic lessons in political activism from my
student peers including Paula Rosenstein, ’82, Muir, now
an accomplished attorney in San Diego, and Linda Sabo, who became
a Student Regent.
I took a big step out of the closet with my LAGO co-chair, Christina
Alvarez, ’84, Warren, M.A. ’95, when we were interviewed
for a Guardian cover story titled: The Challenge of Being Gay at
UCSD, which ran during January 1982. There was no going back at
that point, and we were invited with others to be on a panel for
the UCSD Contemporary Issues course “Human Sexuality”.
There were allied offices and places, although at the time there
was no formal recognition of this. The counselors from Psychological
Counseling and Services were a godsend for many of us as were peer
support groups for gay men and lesbians. Academic advisers in the
colleges were often helpful, and certain departments like sociology,
visual arts, music and political science offered classes that were
of a personal and academic interest to many. There were affinity
groups such as Associated Students—Assorted Vinyl record
store, Groundwork Books, the Food Coop and the CHE collective.
Pretty soon, we figured out that
we needed an office and a telephone information line in the Student
Center. It was granted by the ASUCSD.
We reached out to faculty and staff by hosting quarterly potlucks
in the International Center. We worked with faculty and staff on
issues in common, including a proposed minor in Lesbian and Gay
History, health policy issues, and issues of equality and non-discrimination.
We received support and encouragement from helpful faculty such
as Professor Harry Hirsch (now at Macalester College in Minnesota).
His research and teaching interests include civil
liberties and gay and lesbian politics.
One of my favorite memories is the establishment of the first “Susan
B. Anthony” Non-Sexist Dance, which took place on February
13, 1981. I hear the Non-Sexist dances are still going strong on
campus.
Congratulations UCSD on your commitment to diversity,
tolerance and programming for activities like the LGBT Resource
Center. Go Tritons! Go Bobcats! 
John O. White is a Capital Planning Director at UC Merced. |
