Conservative Groups Gain Strength At WSU Fight Against Gay, Lesbian Status Brought Many ‘Out Of The Woodwork’

Conservative groups have gained new attention at Washington State University this year, in part because of a fight against granting official status to a homosexual group.

Last week’s granting of official status to the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Association ended a one-month fight by conservatives who opposed the move.

Still, the battle “brought conservative students out of the woodwork,” said John Musella, a member of the student senate.

WSU’s College Republicans group was near dead last year, according to the group’s current president, Craig Bowling.

A reorganized chapter he formed in October has more than 30 members, he said.

Bowling is tired of liberal students having the upper hand with student government.

The “straw that broke the camel’s back,” he said, was when the Associated Students of WSU this year appropriated $300 of student money to operate a phone bank to protest cuts in federal financial aid programs.

Students could only call Republican congressmen, he said.

The College Republicans set up a booth in the student union building to counteract the “propaganda,” Bowling said.

The College Republicans is the only conservative political group on campus, according to Bowling. But several religious student groups have a presence, including an anti-abortion group.

The Campus Christian Fellowship has doubled membership since last year, according to member Janice Newlon. About 200 students regularly attend meetings, many from the nearby University of Idaho, she said. They also opposed the recognition of the homosexual group.

The debate over the homosexual group brought more than 200 people to a public hearing.

It was “the first time I’d seen any students weighing in on any issue we were talking about,” said student senator Neil Walker. “We never get more than 100 people at any of our meetings.”

Musella said many students and community members argued against homosexuality on religious grounds.

He believes the religious tone of opponents hurt his cause. He thinks some senators who might have voted against GLBA recognition changed their position after hearing the strident tone of many of the speakers.