Antone's Nightclub
Give Me a Break
RECEIVED Fri., Dec. 14, 2018
Dear Editor,
So a female UT student signs up with an all-women, off-campus dorm that has a well-known and longstanding policy against male visitors ["Flight From Scottish Rite," News, Dec. 7]. This is so the 315 female residents can focus on studying and not be distracted by romantic liaisons and attendant drama. Kaj Baker, a lesbian, is upset that she can’t bring her girlfriend into the dorm during times that male visitors are barred? That sounds like equal treatment to me, not “discrimination.” Yet the Chronicle tries to turn SRD’s even-handed response into a controversy? Give me a break. Baker is seeking preferential treatment, at the expense of her fellow students. Find something real to complain about.
So a female UT student signs up with an all-women, off-campus dorm that has a well-known and longstanding policy against male visitors ["Flight From Scottish Rite," News, Dec. 7]. This is so the 315 female residents can focus on studying and not be distracted by romantic liaisons and attendant drama. Kaj Baker, a lesbian, is upset that she can’t bring her girlfriend into the dorm during times that male visitors are barred? That sounds like equal treatment to me, not “discrimination.” Yet the Chronicle tries to turn SRD’s even-handed response into a controversy? Give me a break. Baker is seeking preferential treatment, at the expense of her fellow students. Find something real to complain about.
Sincerely,
Mark Pulliam
Mark Pulliam
News Editor Mike Clark-Madison and writer Beth Sullivan respond: Actually, Baker's complaint is that she was asked to not have any guests, including her girlfriend, at times when other visitors – male or female – were not barred. SRD Director Mary Mazurek's explanation for this, ultimately, was because some residents had allegedly expressed they were uncomfortable with Baker's sexual orientation. That's what makes it potentially discriminatory.