The Muhlenberg Weekly

Issue date: 2/1/07 Section: News

The Martin Art Gallery in the Baker Center for the Arts has displayed the Pennsylvania Diversity Network (PDN) photo exhibit, "100 Same-Sex Couples: Facing Inequality" since Jan. 16. The exhibit is supported by the College's Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA). Students, faculty and staff can view this photo exhibit from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily. The exhibit will conclude on Feb. 6 with a reception sponsored by the Martin Art Gallery and the Multicultural Center held from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the galleria area of the Baker Center for the Arts. The exhibit has previously been displayed in the Theatre Outlet, Metropolitan Community Church, Air Products and Northampton Community College.

The photo exhibit features photographs of 130 same-sex couples from Pennsylvania, 90 percent of which are from the Lehigh Valley. Some couples featured in the exhibit are employees of Muhlenberg College. Listed with each photograph is the number of years the couple has been together, occupations of each individual and how many children they have. Many of the featured couples have been together for at least 20 years. The purpose of the exhibit is to illustrate that these same-sex lesbian or gay couples in Pennsylvania are being denied the rights that come with heterosexual marriages. The photos will remind viewers of the discrimination and inequality that the gay community will endure if proposed anti-same-sex relationship amendments to both the State and Federal Constitutions are passed.

Liz Bradbury, PDN coordinator and photographer, has been working on this photo exhibit since February 2006 when she heard Lynn Swann, candidate for governor, say, "Two men together? That's not okay, we have to get that in the Constitution...," in reference to same-sex relationships.

Bradbury said, "He [Swann], and many other people don't realize that we're here. We've been around forever and we're not going away even though we are discriminated against everyday, because we cannot be legally married in this

country. In every venue we've exhibited these photos, viewers have recognized people they know and learned how these friends, neighbors, and colleagues have to endure the lack of civil rights that the rest of the population takes for granted." Starting on Feb. 17, Civil Union will be granted to same-sex couples in New Jersey. However, Pennsylvania will still fail to have legal recognition of same-sex couples.

Adrian Shanker '09, co-president of GSA at the College said, "The Muhlenberg GSA is proud to support this exhibit. The more people who are able to put a physical face to the politics of a loving, committed, gay relationship, the less power homophobia will have in limiting the rights of gay partners."

Anita Kelly, Director of Counseling Services and Director of Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual, and Transgender People (GLBT) said, "The exhibit is an opportunity for individuals to put a face with the gay men and lesbians in our community who are directly affected by our laws that prohibit equality in marriage. The photo exhibit is an opportunity to see that these are normal individuals who are being denied a civil, decent human right."

Bradbury said that she hopes to add 70 more couples to this photo exhibit by next February.

She added, "Muhlenberg has an excellent Non-Discrimination policy and supports same-sex relationships to the best of its ability by offering domestic partnership benefits to the same-sex partners of its employees. More corporations should follow the lead of fair-minded institutions like Muhlenberg College."

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