Making Change

Poli-Sci professor fights for rights on school board

Toleration: Official recognition of the rights of individuals and groups to hold dissenting opinions.
Political science professor and 2004 recipient of the Community Leadership Award from the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley, Dr. James Bowers, believes this is the key to unlocking some of the issues regarding sexual identity in today’s society.
“I understand the difference between toleration and acceptance,” said Bowers.  “I personally have no problem accepting someone’s gay lifestyle.  However, I don’t expect everybody to accept that, so I strive for toleration.”
Bowers has been a supporter of gay rights for many years, dating back to his time in graduate school.
“At that time I was good friends with a faculty member who was openly gay,” said Bowers.  “We got to know each other and talked quite often about relationships he was in, and it hit me that in a true caring relationship it doesn’t matter where the roots lay.”
This friendship became Bowers’ earliest association with gay lifestyles. 
Unfortunately, the tragic loss of a close friend would further that association, and leave a long lasting effect.
“I learned several years ago that a friend of mine had committed suicide under a bridge that was known as a rendezvous,” said Bowers.  “This is a matter of conjecture, but we are all pretty confident that he committed suicide because he felt that he could not accept his homosexual lifestyle, or that others could not accept it of him.”
Bowers has since promoted his theory of toleration. 
He took these ideas with him during his four-year tenure with the Rochester City School Board. 
It was during this time that he arranged for a meeting with openly gay faculty and students to discuss with school officials what they were experiencing in school.
“From those meetings, a task force on gay and lesbian bias and discrimination was formed, which I volunteered to chair,” said Bowers.  “I’m proud to say that we were able to change the school district’s code of conduct, so that a definition of gender identity came from the students instead of the administration.  It helped to protect the small number of students who were transgender.”
While with the school board, Bowers was also able to secure domestic partners benefits as a board policy. 
It was these two accomplishments that led to the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley awarding him with the 2004 Community Leadership Award.
Even though Bowers has received such an honor, he is quick to mention that he is not at the front line of the cause.
“I’m not a marcher,” said Bowers.  “There are many other people that are far more active than me.  I have really only been recognized for my work with the school board, but I lend support wherever I can.”
Bowers uses the same passion and support that he shows for individual rights in his classroom.
“He’s very vocal in class and likes people to participate,” said junior Jon Raab.  “He really likes to get to know everyone.”
In getting to know his students, Bowers has offered support to the gay community at St. John Fisher College, but has never become directly involved. 
During his 18 years at Fisher, Bowers has noticed considerable change for the better with regards to gender issues, but says the College is not yet where it could be.

“When I go to College events, while I have no second thoughts about bringing my wife, I do not see my homosexual colleagues bringing their partners,” said Bowers.  “So while I think that our creed and vision seem to suggest that Fisher is a tolerant and open society, I am not convinced we have gotten there yet.”

By Dan Kapuscinski
drk2149@sjfc.edu