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UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Friday, November 13, 1992
5
Driver reacted to hate signs
By Kristi Fogler
Kansan staff writer
Lisa McGraw was stopped in her pickup truck at a traffic light at the corner of 17th and MacVicar streets in Topea when she saw a man holding a large sign.
"Gays deserve to die," it said.
When the light turned green, something in McGraw snapped. As a lesbian, McGraw, Lawrence graduate student and KU library assistant, said she felt personally attacked and wanted the sign removed.
What happened next resulted in McGraw's arrest on counts of aggravated battery and misdemeanor criminal damage to property, and the filing of a police report by McGraw against anti-homosexual protesters led by the Rev. Fred Phelps. McGraw's reported criminal damage to her truck.
"This was not a political crusade," she said. "It was a personal, impulsive reaction."
McGraw said she had never had any record of violent behavior or any criminal interaction with the police.
"It was a momentary personal reaction that I've never done before and will probably never do again," she said. "It struck a chord in me and the people that know me."
McGraw said the reaction was one of rage and fear.
"I'm a lesbian, and I had pro-gay bumper stickers on my window, and
in a violent manner they were thrusting signs close to traffic," she said. "I didn't think I would get by safely. I felt these people were really coming after me.
"The more active we are, the more hate speech we will get," she said. Pryor said education was the key to stopping hate speech.
"I think that this is an example of how unjust this kind of hatred and victimization is. I think that what was contained on the posters I saw was hate speech, fighting words. . . They were looking for a fight, and I happened to be in a position to respond. It felt like entrapment."
Janet Pryor, Lawrence junior and co-director of Gay and Lesbian Services of Kansas, said she could understand why McGraw reacted to the signs on the corner of 17th and MacVicar streets.
"I can recognize that hate speech can bring about violence, and that's sure."
Pryor said the rise in hate speech was related to the amount of activism from gays and lesbians.
"I don't believe in suppressing anyone's right to speak. It can be very educational because people listen to it and listen to how much hate there is for someone." That is it. They become more sympathetic to my situation and the gay cause."
Pryor said GLSOK offered many speaking forums to educate students about hate speech. The group annual-
lyreaches about 1,500 students.
McGraw said that in order to stop the spread of hate speech, people needed to stop condemning it without taking any action to stop it.
"It's time for not only us to speak up," she said of the gay community, "but for people who are not gay to support us and speak up. Hate speech hurts, and the community has been incredibly tolerant.
McGraw said that she did not know what would happen to her next. Moral charges have not yet been filed by the Topeka district attorney's office. She has been on medical leave from the University since October, but he has not known what her status at the University would be if charges were filed.
"Would I do it again? Probably not for a number of reasons," she said. "I felt I was uniquely vulnerable at that moment. It was a very irrational response. It came from the gut.
"I feel it was legally wrong for me to do it. I am very remorseful if anyone was harmed or hurt. But removing the hate speech is morally right. Homophobia is escalating, and we have to confront it, but I don't advocate physical violence."
"The absurdity of it is that people want others to die because they love. But isn't that the highest capacity a human can grow to?"
"I could have been anyone. At that day, that moment, that time, it was me."
Coalition to offer diversity forums
By Christine Laue Kansan staff writer
Gender, religion, race and sexual orientation are the topics of a series of group discussions being sponsored next week by the KU Coalition of the Lawrence Alliance.
"We want to create an environment for people to think about ways to create greater appreciation for diversity," said Ann Weick, coordinator of the coalition and chairperson of the alliance.
The alliance is a community organization of 12 coalitions dedicated to creating a discrimination-free environment. The KU Coalition consists of faculty, staff and students.
Diversity dialogue
The coalition's members decided to hold next week's series after the success of their multicultural forum on Sep. 22, Shelly Witt, a member of the
coalition, said the series was a continuation of that forum but in a less formal manner.
"We're trying to make it as casual as possible." Witt said. "It's structured so people can leave when they need
to."
People can bring their lunch during the discussions, which are held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. The first discussion will be at the Oread Room in the Kansas Union, and the remaining discussions will be at the Regionalist Room on the Union's fifth floor.
"It's going to be very interactive," Witt said. "People can actually go in and talk to the speakers."
Witt said the discussions would give audience members an opportunity to speak on the issues and discuss their personal experiences or problems with discrimination.
Scheduled speakers include faculty from the School of Social Welfare, School of Religion, department of East Asian languages and culture, and the Organizations and Activities Center.
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