ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, February 22, 1996 TAG: 9602220050
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: SALT LAKE CITY
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
note: below
The Chess Club - gone. The Ski Club - no more. Students Against Drunk Driving? Bible clubs? Nope.
Rather than let gay high school students form an organization, the city School Board voted to ban all nonacademic clubs.
``Everyone suffers because of the gays,'' complained Brett Shields, a 16-year-old at East High School and a member of the Beef Club, a social club that met last week to eat steaks and burgers and attend a ``monster truck'' rally.
The Salt Lake City School Board's 4-3 vote late Tuesday was the latest in a bitter statewide debate over a move by students to form a gay-straight student alliance at East High.
Board members said federal law and a U.S. Supreme Court ruling gave them only two options: allow all extracurricular clubs or eliminate them all.
The issue has reverberated from the classroom to the Capitol as Utah's conservative Republican-dominated Legislature scrambles for a way to ban gay clubs without closing down such student enterprises as the Beef Club and without being accused of discriminating against homosexuals.
Roughly 85 percent of the 104-member Legislature are Mormon, as are more than 70 percent of their constituents. The church condemns homosexual acts and any sexual relationship outside marriage.
Thirty service, ethnic or sports clubs at East will be affected, beginning with the next school year. The ban also will apply to the district's two other high schools.
Board President Mary Jo Rasmussen, who opposed the ban, said it remained unclear whether the high schools' varsity teams also would be eliminated.
Some students Wednesday blamed the clubs' demise on about two dozen homosexual or bisexual students who had pressed for a gay club.
``Some people are glad they got rid of it, but disappointed they also got rid of everything,'' Shields said.
Supporters of the gay club criticized the board's solution.
``I think they're punishing all of the Salt Lake City School District because they're afraid of one club,'' said Holly Peterson, a West High student and sister of Kelli Peterson, founder of the Gay-Straight Alliance at East.
At the 21/2-hour public hearing, backers of the gay club contended that kids struggling with sexual identity problems need one another's support in a homophobic environment. Opponents argued that allowing the club would be tacit approval of immoral conduct.
Shouting matches punctuated the meeting. Some opponents equated homosexuals with transvestites, alcoholics and perverts. Supporters of the gay alliance carried signs saying ``Down with homophobic clergy.''
Doug Bates, attorney for the state Office of Education, said the new policy will cancel any club not directly tied to a classroom. During the hearing, Bates told opponents of the gay club that no student could ``use the schools as a place to organize orgies.''
The Legislature is considering two bills addressing gay clubs. One would require parental consent for participation in clubs that meet on school grounds; the other would prevent school employees and volunteers from supporting illegal conduct, such as sodomy.
Gov. Mike Leavitt has not officially endorsed the legislation but has decried the formation of gay clubs in schools on personal religious grounds.
``As far as the activity, as far as the lifestyle, I'd like it not to be promoted,'' he said.
LENGTH: Medium: 68 linesby CNB