By Stephen Collins '74

Last summer President William Adams appointed a "Task Force on GLBTT Issues" with three students, three professors and three administrators as members. (GLBTT refers to gay, lesbian, bisexual, transexual and transgender.) Task force members had an immediate impact when, at first meeting, they agreed to rename the group the Queer Task Force.

According to the task force's report, submitted this winter, the group changed its title "because the term 'queer' is most inclusive of all the different non-dominant sexual and gender identities . . . claimed by those whose experiences we were charged to investigate. We also meant to signal our participation in two larger national political projects: to reclaim a pejorative term and redefine it positively, and to claim the right to proudly embrace a non-normative identity."

But new terminology, while controversial, is not likely to be the most substantive change that results from the Queer Task Force Final Report, which was released to the campus community in February. The document enumerates five overlapping concerns that need to be addressed at Colby: invisibility of queer people and queer experiences, harassment that reinforces invisibility, insensitivity on the part of the majority community, a deficit of support systems and services and the absence of a healthy and vibrant queer community.

The 71-page document supports each concern with examples and lists 102 recommendations for improving the climate at Colby. The task force noted that prejudice, discrimination, heterosexism and homophobia historically have existed in the broader society as well as at Colby, and the report lists these goals: fostering a healthy, diverse, supportive queer community on campus and facilitating growth of a better informed, more open, more accepting campus community. The task force members say they seek to foster a climate in which queer students can comfortably pursue intellectual and personal development and in which the broader community can benefit from intellectual, cultural and social engagement with the queer community.

The work of the task force is an excellent beginning in our effort to assess the climate here and to fulfill our commitment to a fully inclusive community for all students and employees," said Adams. "Some of the concerns are being addressed immediately while others will take more time. And while it may be impossible to fulfill all of the recommendations, they will provide valuable guidance as we work to improve the climate."