I am not gay. I have many good friends and a few family members who are gay. Frankly, I don't see them as gay but as simply friends or family nothing more nor less.

This article and messaging seems overly provocative. What I do not understand is the in your face feel of this short piece (assuming it is accurate) and of the message of these leaders and the true goal. Confrontation is perhaps enjoyable to those who present it, yet it usually is not as effective as seeking a common ground or simply continuing to lead in a wonderful way rather than simply stating "we're here to stay" as if heterosexual leaders must now cower and match such a view.

Who cares?

Yeah, jeff1, why can't they seek common ground sort of like those folks from Westboro Baptist Church?

I am gay. I am not a college president - but I'm working on it. I am who the message was designed for, and I love it. It's not "overly provocative" and the message is not inappropriate.

To be blunt, comment #1 sounds exactly like, "Some of my best friends are , so I can say this... .

The simple reality is this: gay men and lesbians are a large component of postsecondary education in the United States - but have been almost invisible in senior positions, particularly in president / chancellor roles. This video may help to point that out, to force some to confront their own internal issues (ahemm, jeff1), and to support the men and women who want to move toward the senior positions.

Good for them!

Heterosexual leaders who are homophobic, who refuse to celebrate and cherish difference, who are racist, who refuse to acknowledge difference and change should cower, as jeff1 suggests.

Although the technology didn't support it at the time, I can easily see the first four or five African-American college presidents making a similar video to encourage Black higher educators to aspire to the senior office. Why is this any different?

Terrific terrific terrific! I am not gay either, but it isn't hard for me to understand why my many gay and lesbian friends and family members, including those yet to be born, deserve this kind of intelligent, heartfelt affirmation. And we all deserve for higher education to have leaders who are as clearly committed and courageous as those in this video.

Well done.

Please stop the heterosexual privilege.

Please stop the heterosexual privilege.

I was going to comment, but 3345513 pretty much said it all.... I didn't much love the video, but sure didn't see it as confrontational in any way....

Like rbuckberg, I read the first posts and was ready to comment, but read 3345513's as well. S/he said it all. And I'm an out, proud, partnered lesbian provost. I think Chuck Middleton and his colleagues are heroes!

It's a courageous act that will inspire others simply to be who they are. I'm a long-out professor who has known some fine gay higher ed executives. Some have installed glass ceilings on their careers, never advancing to a presidency and thus preventing our benefitting from their talents, because they were concerned about the political implications of being out were they to advance. Others are already presidents who have had to live a kind of double life, whose partners are invisible and who are cautious about letting people into their lives. What some might not fully appreciate is that, while colleges and universities are fancied to be bastions of liberal tolerance, many are in fact reflective of local communities in which gay people are stigmatized. Even on campuses with a progressive faculty and staff, boards of trustees are frequently conservative in their social views (and its the board that hires and fires a president, and can do so at will). Heterosexuals don't usually realize the extent of heterosexual privilege.

Too bad 3345513, you don't get my point at all and see a counter attack as viable. I think you points are defensive and naive. Lead don't attack. Your response makes my point.

What is Ralph Hexter doing there? He's no longer president of anything, having deserted Hampshire College.

jeff1's continued defense of an indefensible position points out to everyone who reads this set of comments exactly why we need our senior leaders who are GLBTQ and who support those who vary "from the norm" to continue to exhibit leadership, as the video has demonstrated. People like the first poster, who bring in hatred and intolerance in round-about ways (my best friends black, so I'm not racist!) must be confronted and educated.

My response to jeff1 does make the point: well-behaved women seldom make history. You don't like the LGBTQ members of higher education fighting for their rights and the rights of our students and others? Too bad.

I'd like to thank the courageous leaders in this video and who saw the need and founded LGBTQ Presidents in Higher Education. As a gay graduate student in higher education with aspirations for senior leadership, it heartens me to see your success.

Thank you for blazing a trail and showing the way.

I believe this is their version of an "It Gets Better" video. Great job!!

I am tremendously moved and heartened by this video. Congratulations to all these brave, strong leaders. I wish they were at my campus.

The importance of this video will grow overtime and stimulate other meaningful communication. There will be the ups and downs of those who like it or not. Oh yes there will be the "bloggie people" who will make their cute but sad comments. Still this or any other comment here is not the point. The point is that "we the people", which started out as a very limited group, or the "American people" which is the favorite term of anyone, from any party, that is elected, are standing up, speaking out, and coming out on all issues related to social justice openness, inclusiveness for all peoples. Let us ring the equity bell for this growing vision.

The importance of this video will grow over time and stimulate more meaningful communication. There will be the ups and downs of those who like it or not. Oh yes, there will be the "bloggie people" who will make their cute but sad comments. Still this or any other comment here is not the point. The point is that "we the people", which started out as a very limited group, or the "American people" which is the favorite term of anyone, from any party, that is elected are standing up, speaking out, and coming out on all issues related to social justice openness, and inclusiveness for all peoples. Let us ring the equity bell for this growing vision.

This is an important statement. I know of at least two other LGBT college presidents who are not able to be out, so efforts like this will only make it easier for them to be true to who they are and not be penalized for it.

We're doing this to let you know what we are doing.

Please don't! Can't you peacefully and quietly just do what we all do and get on with our lives. There is no need to gloat, inform, announce or otherwise get wrapped up in embracing yourselves. Same gender partners are OK but why must you go further and introduce a male wife or a female husband. If you stretch the envelope it will break. Please don't do that now. Give some thought to others with whom you will live...

God created mankind of all types. If He loves the good and bad, the crooks and murderers, He loves all of you too. Who are we to judge who's right or wrong. Besides all of you are very talented and outstanding individuals. I salute each of you for being so courageous and true to your feelings. Too many out there act like pharisees and too self-righteous. What's that word: hypocrites?

I agree with hypatia, Congratulations!

Thats if you believe in God. Not everyone who works in Higher Education believes in God or Gods. Diversity is great! :)

We see heterosexuals and heterosexual privilege in our society each day. Something like this is great!

For all too long the attitude has been much too close to "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"! I don't believe that anyone who has not had the experience of having to hide something important about themselves, especially in this public role of a college presidency, can really appreciate the energy that takes and the energy which is then unavailable for the work at hand. As a married lesbian VPAA (and no, I don't have a female husband)I can speak to this issue. Good job!

I don't see anything provocative or confrontative about the video. Indeed, the tone seems comforting, encouraging, warm, and friendly. Although it appears that the intended audience was early-career lgbtq people, I thought the video made all of these people seem approachable to all. I think that's a good thing for a college president to be.

For zagreb -
Ralph Hexter assumes the presidency of the University of California at Davis on January 1, 2011. Ralph is here because he was one of the first out college presidents and worked hard to assemble this group when the group had far fewer members. Thanks Ralph and all of you who paving the road for the rest of us aspiring to this post.

rsp0001 said the following:

"Can't you peacefully and quietly just do what we all do and get on with our lives. [...] Same gender partners are OK but why must you go further and introduce a male wife or a female husband."

rsp0001 is bigoted (as are many commentors in this thread) and here's why:

(1)
Heterosexual presidents and CEOs almost ALWAYS include or are asked to include their opposite gender wives, husbands, or spouses in an institution's their promotional materials. In these heterosexual leaders' speeches they refer to their personal lives and families. Some presidents, boards, and fundraisers even think it's a great idea to trot out the children of heterosexual spouses.

(2)
Heterosexual colleagues (professors and staff) routinely talk OPENLY and FREQUENTLY about their spouses, their engagements, their divoirces, their children, their losses, and other personal manifestations of their heterosexuality.

(3)
Heterosexual women and men routinely talk openly about their bereavements, their health problems, their surgeries, and other personal issues and they garner empathy from community members who genuinely care. Campus wide emails are sometimes sent around to ask for condolences, to request support for employees going through tough health times, and more.

(4)
But when homosexuals talk OPENLY about their spouses or partners it is somehow WRONG to the bigots in this thread.

(5)
But when transgenders or intersex folks talk OPENLY about their health concerns it is somehow WRONG for bigots in the world.

(6)
This is the face of homophobia and heterosexual privilege.

(7)
LGBTQI college administrators and professors don't need your tolerance, your subtle put-downs, your entreaties to "shut up" or "pipe down" or your claims of "not seeing sexuality" or your proclamations of "it's okay BUT."

(8)
We require FULL ACCEPTANCE ***JUST LIKE HETEROSEXUALS*** and the same kind of FULL institutional OPENNESS that heterosexuals routinely enjoy.

Full equality and nothing less.

Thank you for your comment, thomaslawrencelong.
It is true for MANY who have longed their entire lives to be able to live, aspire, contribute, and have the opportunity to succeed while being "who they understand themselves to be." That would be freedom to pursue life, liberty and happiness, an idea whose time has come.

Why is this news? Why the need to "out" themselves? It's one thing to "be" homosexual, but why the need to turn being homosexual into some kind of crusade or career? They should just shut up about it and go about their business and their lives. My wife calls this kind of thing "TMI", or too much information.

@softshellcrab: And has it occurred to you that your mentioning "my wife" may be equally viewed as TMI for some of us? The images you force us to have in our heads--why can't you keep your "other gendered" relationship to yourself!

I have a feeling that people here making negative comments about this video are heterosexual and will never understand how they abuse their heterosexual privilege.

This would make a fantastic piece to spoof! I am perplexed as to why GLB's always need to tell people their preference. Most of us don't care and would rather not know. I don't feel compelled to tell people I'm married or that I like men. It just comes across as weird and I'll be happy for the day GLBs can get over it and get on with their lives...

By the way, 'steiny'...I pray you aren't a teacher!

Well said, Johnny6!

The more LGBT people that straight people become aware of, the harder it is to demonize them or classify them as an unknown, stereotyped "Other."

Coming out to friends and family (and to the world) is the best and most healthy thing that LGBT people can do. If someone stops loving you for being honest, they never loved you in the first place.

There are enough problems in this world--but it will be a *much* better place if people just remember that it isn't who you love or how you love--only *that* you love.

Balancement...I don't care who you love or how you love. That is the point and what is so confusing to me. Why do you bring it up in the first place? I DON'T CARE. Is it viewed that because I don't care, I am somehow a bigot like Johnny6 said? If I don't act all enthused and gushy does that mean that I hate GLBs? I don't, however I bet you think I do.

Thank you for putting a smile on my face today. I applaud the brave efforts of these university leaders and their spouses. From reading the comments to this post today, it makes me even more aware of how many people don't realize the sacrifices that GLBT people make to "come out" and finally be themselves. I decided to resign from my position as a professor at a Christian university in order to finally be "out" and be myself after years of hiding who I was to myself and others. Due to the job market, I had to take on a completely different career path (but I'm still in education). I hope there will come a day when no one is required to make such sacrifices in order to be themselves.

"being a bearded, bald, gay man has actually helped my career". Who wrote the script?

". . . They should just shut up about it and go about their business and their lives. My wife calls this kind of thing "TMI", or too much information."

No. We will not waste our lives in some closet to accommodate the delicate sensibilities of those who think their discomfort is more important than our very lives.

All else aside, I'm ready for an SNL parody of the video.

How appropriate that this revelation of deviance in high places came out on the Winter Solstice, the darkest day of the year. What's next, an article on celebration of Bacchanalia by college presidents?

This is so "yesterday's news." Isn't it time to move on already?

Kindly do whatever you wish in the privacy of your own home, only please, do try to avoid frightening the horses out on the street.

thanks for sharing... but really, one of those bumper stickers is enough.

What do you see when you see me? I would hope you see the person I want you to see. I would hope you see my Public Self and not my Private Self. I would hope you see those qualities, those aspects of my self which are my best, which add the most to our public interaction. At the same time, I hope that you don't see my insecurities, my hesitations, my unthinking judgements, my unconscious biases. I hope that you don't see how I feel about chocolate...or liver and onions....or a long pair of legs....or a tight sweater...or hot oil massage. I would hope that my private sexual preferences remain entirely exactly that and therefore completely opaque if I were to ask you, indeed: what do you see when you see me?

Truly, people, we don't want to know. We prefer the 'public' self for public interaction, not the private. We don't need to understand that our neighbor likes to dress in diapers...that my grocer is polyamorous...that the man who sold me a new washer and dryer enjoys light bondage. And God I hope, particularly when it comes to College Presidents who are responsible for leading the institutions which educate our youth, that the "most important thing" is NOT " that we're an out and proud lesbian couple"! How pathetic! How exceedingly trivial! How mistaken to attribute some sort of public importance to something so entirely inconsequential (save, of course, to the individual in question).

Truly, what are the priorities of these smugly "out and proud" College Presidents? As the nation is torn by debate over the future of education, the value of a degree, the performance standards for teachers and students, how can the most important thing be the private sexual practice of our college leaders? Do I want my cardiologist to still publicly bemoan the fact that he was bullied as a 10 yr. old? Do I want my accountant to celebrate in public ceremony his sexual fixation on pacifiers? Would I expect to see in my dentist's office a plaque on which the words are inscribed, "The Most Important Thing is that I'm an Out & Proud Leather Daddy." No! I would switch doctors, switch accountants, switch dentists....NOT because of their celebrated delectations but because I want their "most important" priority to be Cardiology...or Accounting....or Dentistry....or whatever it is that I'm paying them to do.

What I want to see when I see you is COMPETENCE. I want to see BRILLIANCE. I want to see Vision and Inspiration and Drive and a Strategic Grasp which is unmatched. I want to be convinced that the mission of the institution you lead is your mission, and that your heart and soul is dedicated to its fulfillment. As I listen to this self-important blather about fat, balding, gay partners and grade-school bullies and how totally awesome, dude, to be both out and proud, I am only convinced that none of these presidents is at all presidential. And that is exceedingly sad.

Why does the Chronicle let such homophobic people make heterosexist comments on here?

Why is it okay for heterosexual people to talk normal in our heterosexual society, but once a gay person talks they are automatically criticized?

We need more heterosexual allies.

keis8427 expresses homophobic and heterosexist comments. It is easy for someone to be heterosexual in our society. Heterosexual privilege at its worst!

"Why does the Chronicle let such homophobic people make heterosexist comments on here?"

So we can all see how the double-standard operates?

There is no double standard. Homophobia does not belong in higher education or in our society!

Sure it belongs. As the position whose illogic we demonstrate.

I wonder how long someone who is homophobic will last in higher education? Well, I mean at a decent institution. Schools like Liberty U don't count.

It's the homophobia that shows up in subtle ways (or not so subtle)--such as tenure reviews that view a candidate's research as not serious or their teaching as insufficiently rigorous (how's that phallocentric writing). And it's not just about homophobia--it's about faculty who hold other opinions not in the majority or whose lives don't fit into a nice nuclear family model. Trust me--it still happens.

ZZzzzzzzzzzzz.

bdavis52 - Wow, you have a vivid imagination...and way too much time on your hands, especially for someone who doesn't care to know about the private lives or identities of others!

keis4827 - Be honest, you do so care about others sexuality; otherwise you wouldn't have spent so much time being offended first at those who insist on being treated equitably and reaching out as role models to LGBT students,staff, and faculty, and then again when johnny6 points out your bigotry.

attis - I have a suspicion that the darkest day of the year for you is any day when someone else challenges your religious or moral sensibilities.

johnny6 - you're my newest hero!