Allegedly, a member of the U.S. Army had some choice words to use against a member of the LGBTA last week when both
groups had tables in the Union advertising their organizations. While various sects of the armed forces are frequently on campus
trying to recruit, the LGBTA rarely sets up informational tables. According to some members, no one even knows the group
exists.

So to change this, the group decided to have a table in honor of National Coming Out Day. "We wanted to come out as a club,"
said one member of the executive board.
This act alone is one deserving of recognition. It takes a lot more bravery to sit under a rainbow flag and advertise your
homosexuality than it does to sit under an American flag and brag about your military involvement. This is something that
traditionally evokes sentiments of courage and strength as opposed to feelings of disgust and disbelief, which all too often
accompanies homosexuality.

This may have been what the soldier had in mind when he allegedly decided to pass the hour spent in the Union harassing the
LGBTA. The Army employee let loose on the gay person, who was by himself, calling him a freak and accusing him of being an
"AIDS infested -" when he spotted the gay person taking medication.

The abuse got worse when the LGBTA representative coughed, prompting the soldier to suggest that he should not have
swallowed so much - the night before. Needless to say, faced with three Army people, defending himself was the last thing on
the gay man's mind. Instead he had to sit in his own school fearing for his safety.

While the table evoked just a minimal amount of hostility from some students, the Army took it upon themselves to amplify this
hostility with down right harassment and hatred.

Unfortunately the U.S. Army could not be reached for comment but the LGBTA is planning on following up on this assault.
Although it is disgusting that people, military or otherwise, take it upon themselves to judge others they do not like, the fact that
the Army are outsiders to this campus makes this situation all the more disturbing.

The LGBTA is comprised of students and people that are involved with this campus. The Army is an outside group far removed
from the activities that go on here which just makes their alleged comments all the more inappropriate. Who are they to make
any sort of judgment call about anything they observe on this campus? They are not part of us and they do not contribute to our
campus community.

The other troublesome aspect of this, assuming it is true, is the traditional role a soldier is expected to play. They are supposed
to carry themselves with a degree of dignity and respect and approach all they do with stoicism. Instead, this one bad apple
resorted to the tactics of a drunken bigot in a bar.

We feel it is important to mention that Army representatives have not been able to defend themselves against these accusations.
In addition, of the three representatives that were in the Union, the LGBTA member said that it was only one that was
responsible for the harassment.