This is the contract signed at Bates College, Lewiston, Maine by the Deans of Students and people in on the negotiations, including students--who generated the activism, formulated the initial contract and demands, and planned the sit-in--and several faculty and administrators working as allies.

COALITIONAL CONTRACT ADDRESSING HOMOPHOBIA AT BATES

The following is a contract to promote the erasure of homophobia on the Bates Campus formulated by the Coming Out Weekend Coalition. Signature of this contract represents a firm commitment to the terms stated below.

Contract:

A committee dedicated to addressing and implementing the demands of the Coming Out Weekend Coalition must be formed.

The committee should be formed within two weeks (i.e., before November 10, 1997).

The committee should have a bimonthly public report on their progress by publishing minutes, made available through the Dean of Students Office and the Director of Multicultural Affairs Office.

By February 1, 1998, the committee must formulate a comprehensive plan and a timeline for the coalitional demands listed below.

The committee should be composed of students, staff, administrators, faculty. The committee will be limited to a total of no more than twenty-five members, including the people named below. These individuals have been chosen because of their dedication to human rights and represent all corners of the Bates community.

Erica Rand Martha Crunkleton Cali Mortenson Evette Rios Jeff Pelletier Baltasar Fra-Molinero Joanna Lee Charles Nero Jan Bernabe Juan Echazarreta Chris Cuevas Kerry Maloney

Czerny Brasuell Arthur Stamoulis Rachel Simons Patrick Rivers Carmita McCoy Daniel Ludden Brinda Tahiliani Meg MacDougal Carrie Delmore Bill Corlett Bryan Loveland

DEMANDS:

The Coalition demands that the agenda of the committee will include the following items.

The Deans of Students will commit themselves to fighting for these changes.

1. To create a curriculum for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered studies with necessary faculty staffing and training programs which will include the active advocacy for the hiring of new faculty, recognizing the instiutional processes for evaluating net additions, and with an implementationngoal of September 1999.

   The Deans of Students will support the Committee in bringing forth its recomendations to the Committee of Five [faculty panel] and the President. Additionally, the Deans of Students will report to the faculty on how this curriculum will conribute to the transformation of the campus by helping to recognize and eradicate homophobia in the lives and education of students, as well as in the institution. Further, the Deans of Students will undergo significant retraining in preparation for this presentation to the faculty.

2. Sensitivity Training: Mandatory sensitivity training will be provided for all members of the Bates community. The purpose of such training is to address issues of privilege within the community and to increase awareness of homophobia, sexism, anti-Semitism, religious discrimination, racism and classism.

3. Sponsorship of Speakers, Presentations and Performances: The administration must provide funds yearly to bring speakers, presentations and performances of national renown to speak in honor of National Coming Out Day.

4. Alumni/Admissions Recognition: The Deans of Students will assist and support strongly the Committee in its work with the Admissions and Alumni Affairs departments to recognize the presence and contributions of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered students and Alumni, for example, in their publications, reports, and at reunions.

These demands must be met in order to ensure that homophobic acts and homophobia are not accepted or tolerated at Bates College. These are a few of the necessary steps that need to be taken, and the formation of this committee will ensure that these issues are addressed in a timely and fair fashion.

We commit ourselves to assist in forming this committee, and will help the committee in all ways necessary in meeting its goals. This assistance includes securing financial resources, budgeting for future financial needs, as well as staff support for the committee.

Sincerly,

[signed by many people including the Deans]