There is tremendous amount of hate, harassment and discrimination faced by students at Iowa State. I was upset to read in Tim Borseth’s letter on November 21, 1997, of yet another example of intolerance.

I am always upset to hear or read about a case of discrimination.

Discrimination based on religious affiliation, such as that described by Mr. Borseth, such as that suffered by all non-Christians during the ISU Christmas Tree Lighting Celebration on Nov. 19, and such as that inflicted on Muslims by the residents of an Ames neighborhood (ISU Daily, Oct. 28), is truly a horrible thing.

Discrimination and harassment based on sexual orientation is also a horrible thing.

I was further saddened by Mr. Borseth’s letter when, after describing multiple incidents of discrimination based on religious affiliation, he launched into an attack on all lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender students and our allies.

Regardless of Ev Cherrington’s intention, his letter was one of the most offensive letters I have read in the Daily this semester. His letter expressed neither concern nor a willingness to reach out a helping hand. His letter was case of hatred put in writing.

There could not be enough denunciation of Mr. Cherrington’s letter. Mr. Cherrington’s letter was “extremely judgmental, intentionally accusatory and painfully slanderous.”

I believe that this issue deserves further discussion. Mr. Cherrington and Mr. Borseth both said the queer population in general faces a much higher suicide rate than the heterosexual population.

However, the article in the Daily and the research in question was based on information from teenagers, not the queer population in general.

Directly from the article (Oct. 10): “According to research done by the University of Minnesota, of 36,254 junior high and high school students in Minnesota who were used for the study, reports found gay students are seven times more likely to try and kill themselves than heterosexual students.”

The teenage years are very difficult for most queers. We are isolated from all support, told we are sick and wrong by people like Mr. Cherrington and Mr. Borseth, and are often rejected by family.

It should be noted that most of these teenagers identify as LGBT, but many have never had a same-sex relationship or even told another person that they are LGBT.

It seems like a jump in logic to say a “gay lifestyle” is the source of their suicidal thoughts, since they do not have what anyone could call a “gay lifestyle,” if there even is such a thing. Sexual orientation is not a “lifestyle” but is a matter of identity which requires no external manifestation or behavior.

The real point of my letter is to inform all the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students who might happen to be reading this that there is a community of support in existence at Iowa State.

People like Mr. Cherrington and Mr. Borseth should be ignored at best. They can see intolerance directed at them, but they can not see their own intolerance.

The LGBT student population is becoming more united. We are working as hard as we can to ensure a safer and more supportive campus. Despite the assertions of some university administrators, there are a great many unsafe, un-welcoming places at ISU.

If you are a different religion, a different race or a different sexual orientation, ISU can sometimes be a hostile and un-welcoming environment.

However, LGBT students are trying at etch out our own safe places. The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Student Services (LGBTSS) offers peer counseling, support, referrals, advocacy, a library and many other resources.

They are located in 224 Student Services Building. Their phone number is 294-5433, their email is [email protected] and their Web address is http://www.public.iastate. edu/~deanstdt_info/lgbss_home.html.

The ISU LGBTA Alliance is another safe space. It is a student run group which offers social, educational, and political events for queer students.

Our office is in G46 Memorial Union, our phone number is 294-2104, our email is [email protected] and our Web address is http://www.public.iastate. edu/~stu_org/Alliance.

Parents and Friends of Lesbians & Gays (P-FLAG) offers support for families, friends, and LGBTs. If you wanted to know more about P-FLAG call 292-8348.

In addition to the above there is GLB-Ames ([email protected]), the Margaret Sloss Women’s Center (294-4154) and the Student Counseling Service on the third floor of Student Services (294-5056).

There are a number of places to go for support, socializing, and education. And, soon there will be “Safe Zone” stickers popping up all over campus.

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Jason Gross is a senior in community and regional planning. He is the vice president of Iowa State’s LGBTA Alliance.