STOP changes name to Gay-Straight Alliance

Elizabeth Moyer, '11, finds the word "tolerance" to be extremely offensive.

"You tolerate a baby crying on a train," she said. "You tolerate a sore throat."

The Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) was formally known as STOP, Students for Tolerance, Openness & Pride. Members of STOP, in hopes of having a name that would better reflect their mission, have gotten university approval to change their club's name.

"I just felt like ever since the beginning, it was discriminatory to not let us say what we were in the name of the group," said Michael Fath, '09, co-president of GSA. "I just hope that it makes the SJU community more aware and accepting and supportive really."

This isn't the first time the group has attempted a name change.

Leaders of prior years, especially Bob Morris, worked toward this goal too.

Dann Coble, a graduate student at Saint Joseph's University, attended a name change meeting a few years ago.

"They wanted to encompass all sexual identities that didn't limit it to sexuality," said Coble.

However, the name STOP quickly became too broad for the growing spectrum.

"The name STOP is incredibly ambiguous," said Moyer, a member of GSA. "It could be any social justice group."

Originally, GSA aimed to name themselves the Queer-Straight Alliance (QSA).

The term "queer" is a term that is debated in the Gay community, as well as others. Cary Anderson, Ph.D., vice president of student life, sought faculty input on using the term "queer" instead of "gay."

Ann Green, Ph.D., advisor for GSA, along with Fath and Laura DiGiambattista, '10, co-president of GSA, submitted a formal request at the beginning of spring 2009 to Anderson. GSA referenced other local universities, including Villanova, LaSalle, and the University of Pennsylvania had instituted GLBTQ groups, with names such as BGLOV, which stands for Bisexuals, Gays, and Lesbians of Villanova.

DiGiambattista said, "At our meeting he said, based on said conversations, that we could easily go forward with 'Gay Straight Alliance' and have it approved, or go through a tedious battle to attempt to approve 'Queer Straight Alliance' with unlikely success. At that point, we had to weigh our options."

Alumni of older generations, however, may not accept the specificity of the term.

"I like STOP better," said Coble. "Every place has a gay-straight alliance. STOP is a little bit more unique and accurate to what they are trying to do."

However, other members of the group welcome the change. As Moyer pointed out, she was unable to identify the group's focus until she met members-notably among them, Fath, who was dancing to Britney Spears in front of a rainbow flag-at the activities fair.

"Freshman year, I went onto the SJU website scrolling through the list of names or organization thinking 'I can't find this.' It's the 21st century, there has to be one," said Moyer.

So why is this change just now taking place at St. Joes?

"The stars were aligned," said Fath. "It just so happens that we have a great faculty staff that is willing to work with us."

The club emphasizes the term alliance, meant to bridge the space between the straight and GLBTQ communities. Allying with the community, rather than creating isolation, gives it strength.

"I'd like to see an increase in active membership, not just GSA supporters," said DiGiambattisa.

Focusing on sexuality as a civil rights issue, members suggest that a larger issue is one of inequality.

"A distinct feature of our current generation is its progressive perspective on sexuality," said Moyer. "Sexuality is no longer black or white, it's a spectrum of grey."

A name change for the group, which members believe is a step forward for GLBTQ rights as it gives the group an upfront, unambiguous name, doesn't indicate that its members believe the causes behind their concerns about inequality have disappeared.

Last Friday, GSA hosted "The Day of Silence," a day that brings attention to various forms of GLBTQ harassment.

"When I'm faced with opposition to the club-which I haven't faced much-or homosexuality in general, I try to keep an open mind," said Moyer. "I try to break it down logically, from a civil rights perspective because honestly that's what it comes down to: basic human civil rights."