"Gay student body prez takes helm at U. Penn"

[Rowdyboy]

"For gay young adults, the beginning of the school year can be a trying time, what with avoiding bullies and barbs of “fag” and “dyke.” Then there’s the all-important question about one’s place at the cafeteria table.

For gay college students, it can be a whole new world, especially at the University of Pennsylvania, where there is not only a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Center, but also a student body leader who is openly gay.

In April, Brett Thalmann was elected as chairperson of the Undergraduate Assembly, becoming one of the few out student government leaders in the U.S. He represents 11,000 undergraduate students"

Give the bastards hell, Brett. We've got your back!

http://www.epgn.com/090806/gaystudentbody.htm

[Kutjara]

1. Excellent news!

Nice to see a glimmer of light among all the darkness of the past years.

[ninkasi]

2. Good!

I pray the day will come when having a gay person elected as student body president will not be considered newsworthy.Would the color of the student president's eyes, or height, be considered news? Then gender, and sexual preference shouldn't be, either. It should be equal rights for every American citizen.

[Rowdyboy]

3. Wouldn't that be a magical moment? Maybe, someday.....

Whats so hard to understand about "equal rights"?

[ninkasi]

4. I think they understand equal rights...

I just think they don't support them. It would, truly, be magical, though, if people everywhere just tended to their own lives, and left others to theirs. The ironic thing, to me at least, is that two gay couples my children and I are very close friends with, enrich, and make our lives happier.

What's not to like about a couple who are law abiding citizens, pay their taxes, and are good to friends? They would do anything for a friend, and have always been there emotionally whenever one of us was going through a rough time.

If their actions didn't hurt so many others, I would be content to simply think them fools for not having a variety of people within their circle of friends, and cherish them for who they are. It's the pain and difficulties they have caused to my friends, and so many others, which make me feel so much contempt for them.

[Rowdyboy]

5. Thank you... People like you give me hope for the future...

I think thats why I've been coming here for the last 4 years....

Again, thank you my friend.

[xchrom]

6. lol -- and in pennsylvania of all places...

the irony...

and there's this from thalmann: ''Another of Thalmann’s priorities this year is to bridge the gaps between the student groups. “There is fragmentation in the student body,” he said. “We are trying to break down any barriers between communities and take advantage of the rich diversity we have at Penn.”

ain't life grand...

[davidinalameda]

7. Ohio State has a gay student body president as well

[btrains]

8. Yes we do...

Our Undergraduate Student Body President is very openly gay, and, as a matter of fact, during Columbus's Gay Pride Parade, the student body pres and the university's president were both the grand marshalls of the parade.

[AlexanderBarca]

9. I know Brett personally

Being an alumn of Penn, '06.

Let's not cheer too loud.