Since folks have begun constructing personal web pages, it has been interesting to observe the things they disclose about themselves. Under "personal," some will give such "personal" things as their e-mail address and fax number, while others will provide pictures and narrative concerning their families, e.g., spouse and children. It seems to me that any or all of this is appropriate, particularly those things that provide folks a window into the other dimensions of an individual's nature.

Since some folks have felt free to post pictures and/or narrative related to their spouses and children, I will attempt to provide a little balance by way of pointing out that not all of the faculty and staff are married heterosexuals with the average 1.7 children. To be specific, I am gay.

From 1973 to 1992, I lived in a committed relationship with another man. Alas, this relation ended when my partner died after quite a long battle with AIDS. For those who hate all gays and are now reading this, hoping I, too, will succumb to this disease, I must disappoint you by telling you that I am HIV-. So I suppose you'll have to wait for a stroke or heart attach. Who knows, I'm in my 50s maybe something will happen. Say your prayers!

For many years, my partner and I were involved in various kinds of gay rights activism. Among many other things, my partner was involved with the United Methodist Gay Caucus (later called "Affirmation") for many years. He and I also co-authored a computer-related textbook. With his passing, my activist propensities have turned in the direction of faculty governance here at SWT and serving on the Faculty Senate.

If you're wondering: "Does the SWT administration know about Sawey?" The answer is that they've know for nearly two decades. They knew even before I was the first faculty sponsor of a gay and lesbian student organization at SWT. This was sometime in the 1980s. If forget precisely when.

When my partner died in 1992, just before Thanksgiving, the funeral was held the Friday following the Thursday of Thanksgiving.   All (some 7 or 8) of the senior faculty of the Computer Science Department who were not out of town attended.  The chair of the Faculty Senate was also there.  I shall be forever grateful for their care and support through those very grim times.

When it seems appropriate, I raise gay-related issues in the Faculty Senate and with the administration. At one point, the Faculty Senate combined efforts with the Associated Student Government in asking the Regents to add sexual orientation to the list of non-discrimination categories. So far these efforts have met without success. I doubt that anybody who knows Texas is surprised. I can, however, honestly say that I know of no example where any SWT administrator has acted against me because of my sexual orientation. So although we might disagree on many issues, they are at least appear to be a pretty tolerant lot.

Somehow, I am reminded of an interchange between President Supple and myself at one of our Faculty Senate meetings with him and Dr. Gratz (Vice President for Academic Affairs).  President Supple had just told us of the Regent's new policy on drug use.  The policy allows for disciplinary action against faculty members even if there are no criminal charges or convictions.  There are similar policies in place for students and staff.

In our discussion, I told President Supple that with this policy, my being gay and his being a yankee, we could soon expect to share front row seats in a cattle car out of town.  In his remarkably quick-witted fashion, he allowed as to how he would likely be first.