[ also in this issue ] November 16, 2010 Volume I | Issue 2

*
Columns: A former bully, a faculty member and a
and a Christian all weigh in | 3

**
Guide to local organizations and LGBT resources | 4

Gay student, veteran on Don’t Ask Don’t Tell | 7

2 Focal Point November 16, 2010
From the staff: when Can Liberty and Justice
awareness isn’t enough truly be together?
With this edition of Nothnagle writes
The Focal Point, the about the struggles of
staff wanted to bring gay students on and

[ staff ] to the forefront a piece

of student life often
overlooked until it is
off campus. Focal
Point editor Kaylee
Woods spoke with
Editor too late. a gay former service
Kaylee Woods The last few months member of the U.S.
have been tragic for the Navy and veteran of
Editorial Staff gay community with the Iraq War.
Kaylee Woods the suicides of several The Focal Point
Christopher Carter gay teens across the is designed to be a
Josh Nothnagle country. vehicle for discussion
Keegan Stierle These students sat in addition to its
next to hundreds of informative purposes.
Cartoonist other students in their We encourage you, the
Sarah Homeyer classes. Now, each of reader, to let us know
their seats remains what you think of this
Creative Design empty — a silent and every issue we
Christopher Carter reminder of the deadly bring to you in The
John Rodriguez side effects from Focal Point.
schoolyard taunts.
A dviser In this edition of Thank you for reading,
Michael Prince The Focal Point, Christopher Carter
About Us Olympian Staff, Josh Staff Writer

T
he Focal Point Letters
is a special Letters to the editor
section of must be typed and 300
The Olympian, the words or less. Writers
award-winning student- must include name, ad-

Homosexuality: nature or choice?

produced newspaper dress, phone number
of Olympic College. and e-mail for verifica-
The Olympian and The tion.
Focal Point is gener- Letters may be sub-
ally published every mitted in person or by
two weeks during the e-mail to olyeditor@
fall, winter and spring olympic.edu. If that’s your thing, then
quarter and online year- The Olympian re- I think it’s a choice. You can
do your thing. At the
round. serves the right to edit, choose to be with who you
The Olympian is a condense or reject any
end of the day, it’s your
want.
program of Student letter. choice.
-Jessica Flanagan
Services and is funded -Jon Bernston
by both Student Activi-
ties Fees and through
advertising. It is a mem-
ber of the Associated It’s different for everyone.
Collegiate Press. It’s a choice because I In my opinion, it’s nature
The Focal Point and
The Olympian wel-
think anyone can love because it’s really
comes all student, staff who they want. something that should be
and faculty contribu- -Ahn Ngo regarded as if you were
tions and letters. born with it.
1600 Chester Ave. -Franco Duerme
Tech Building 101
Bremerton, WA 98337 The Focal Point | www.ocolympian.com | Phone (360) 475-7690 | e-mail focal-point@ocolympian.com
 November 16, 2010 The Focal Point 3

Talking Point
From the bully’s perspective: Bravery and strength is the
your words are worse than sticks and stones masculine girl and feminine boy
baseball and soccer, and even gave
boxing a go, but never really found his “But because I didn’t
niche. He turned to music and acting, read immediately as
we thought it strange sure, but he
seemed happy and was surprisingly gay and I managed to
good. This created a divide in our pronounce “s” with-
relationship. out much sibilance,
Cameron and I were constantly
out doing stuff. Playing baseball in
I even became the
the cul-de-sac, catching dragonflies, model homosexual.”
building bike jumps, ect. All the
By Clayton Pettay while Chad stayed inside and kept to Slight, slender, lispy, bitchy, graceful,
Olympian Staff himself. By Ian Sherman feminine, pretty. Didn’t matter.
Olympic College Faculty

T
As a child the only reason for Whatever it was, it was enough to get

he term “brotherly love,” it’s
about caring for your brother,
helping them when they are
in need, but it has nothing to do with
being nice to them.
I don’t exactly take pride in the fact
that my brothers and I fought often,
however it’s part of growing up and
it, at least in some way, shaped who I
am today. There is nothing better for
the bonding of two brothers than a
friendly headlock, or a not so friendly
punch in the face.
My younger brother Cameron, now
21, was always my best friend. We
were very close in age, only a year
and a half apart, and enjoyed all the
this that I could think of is that he
didn’t like the stuff we did therefore
he didn’t like us. Hostility between
Chad and I progressed throughout
the years, and though the fist fighting
was kept to a minimum, the name-
calling was getting far more intense.
I learned the things that hurt him
the most and would use them in order
depending on how much he had
pissed me off. The term “fat faggot”
see bully pg 8
W
the heat off of me.
ell at least you act like a Meanwhile, I often gained a
guy.
backhanded sort of respect—
I used to pride myself
somehow I’d managed to stay
on receiving this line when I came (relatively) masculine in the face of
out to straight folks. It meant that I’d all of that effusive gaiety. But because
found acceptance and they’d found I didn’t read immediately as gay and
a way to deal with me. All I had to I managed to pronounce “s” without
do? Stay complicit in the seemingly much sibilance (actually I used to speak
obvious hatred of “flamers,” queens,
of any man—usually the gay ones—
who didn’t act properly masculine.
see bravery pg 8
A Christian’s views on homosexuality
By David White package at birth for against the natural way
Olympic College Student homosexual orientation, to have sex and instead

T
same things, mainly sports.
My brother Chad however was a his article is
bit older and a bit different. Different dedicated with
in the sense that he would wake up love for all
Sunday mornings and fight for the whom read it, whether
remote so he could watch weekend you are hetero or
cartoons instead of football. That homosexual.
There are many
never went over too well at our
questions about
house. We were raised on sports,
homosexuality and how
football, baseball, boxing, and repeat
those who are came to be.
as the seasons went on. Chad always
It may have been genetics,
resisted this but it was a rule that each
bad relationships,
of us kids must be involved in at least recruitment, some say
one activity year round. It kept us off Clayton Pettay (left) and his brother Chad you need to possess a
the streets if you will. Chad played (right) growing up. genetic or hormonal
and the possibilities go indulged in sex with
on. each other. And the men,
What I want to point instead of having normal
out are the Biblical sexual relations with
truths of what we do women, burned with lust
know. They trade the for each other. Men did
truth about God for a shameful things with
lie. So they worship and other men, and as a result
served the things God of this sin, they suffered
created instead of the within themselves the
Creator himself, who is penalty they deserved.
worthy of eternal praise! Romans 1:25-27 NLT.
Amen. That is why God Clearly homosexuality
abandoned them to is a manifestation of sin.
their shameful desires.
Even the woman turned see Christian pg 8
 4 Focal Point
Letter to the
Editor
Kaylee Woods and all of you did
a wonderful job with your article
A House Doesn’t Make a Home. 
I am a new student at Olympic
College, taking courses in the
Human Service field, so your
article really was interesting to me.
When I drive off of the freeway to
come to campus, I see a homeless
man along the side of the freeway
exit. I try to give him a small
amount of money if the traffic is
stopped, and if I have any money
at that time.
This morning I talked to him
for a minute or two, and he kept
saying he really needed to take a
shower. He said he just felt awful
and that his body smelled bad
and he really needed a shower.
It was very windy and rainy this
morning and I suggested maybe
a church would let him take a
shower.
This just ate away at me as I
drove toward school and a thought
came to my mind.
This is probably not possible, but
I thought there must be showers
in the gymnasium, right? What if
those showers could be available
once a week, maybe on a Saturday,
for homeless to come in a take a
shower.
Of course there would have
to be volunteers to keep the
building and property safe, and
the hot water would probably be
expensive, but maybe there is a
possibility.
If not, then maybe your team
could investigate in the Bremerton
area and list some places where
homeless people can shower.
This could be listed in your Local
Service Directory, and flyers
could be given out at food banks,
churches, libraries, etc.
You are all on the right track;
maybe you can find an answer to
the showering question.
Thanks,
Sharon Reynolds
November 16, 2010
HIV/AIDS Testing
Kitsap County
Health District
345 Sixth Street, Suite 300
Bremerton, WA 98337
(360) 337-5235
Resources
www.kitsapcountyhealth.com
Anonymous and confidential
testing is available without ap-
pointments.
Sliding scale for cost is avail-
Lambert House Kitsap County HIV/AIDS
able dependent on family size
1818 15th Avenue Foundation
and income.
Seattle, WA 98122 2841A NW Kitsap Place
(206) 322-2515
Silverdale, WA 98383
(360) 698-3335 Planned Parenthood
Lambert House is a safe place
for queer youth under the age of The Kitsap County HIV/AIDS 623 NE Riddell Road
22 in Seattle. Bremerton, WA 98310
Foundation, primarily a volunteer
Located on Capitol Hill in Se- organization, promotes health and (360) 373-6827
attle, the house is near major social services in a non-judgmen- OR
bus lines. The drop-in center is tal environment for those who are 10030 Silverdale Way Suit
open Monday through Friday 4 - HIV positive and their partners. 106
9:30 p.m. Silverdale, WA 98383
The organizations works with
The center has a kitchen, a the county health district HIV/ (800) 230-7526
pool table, stereo, a library, TV, AIDS program. www.plannedparenthood.org
and games. http://www.kchaf.org
The house also provides Confidential and anonymous
homeless services on Mondays testing available.
from 1 - 4 p.m. $38 - $60 based on monthly
http://www.lamberthouse.org income.
The Q Center Gay City Health
2841 NW Kitsap Place Project Wellness
Silverdale, WA 98383
(360) 698-3335 Center
511 Pike Street
The Q Center, an affiliate of the Kitsap County HIV/AIDS Founda-
tion, is a safe place for LGBT and questioning youth to interact so- Seattle, WA 98122
cially. Located in Silverdale, the center hosts events weekly. It is open (206) 860-6969
Fridays from 6 - 10 p.m. with the first Friday of each month designated www.gaycity.org
as a movie night, the second Friday as a night of arts and crafts, the
third Friday is game night and the fourth Friday of every month is a Confidential and anonymous
“wild card” night according to the center’s website. testing available for gay and
New attendees are asked to fill out an intake form. bi-sexual men.
http://www.theqcenter.org
 November 16, 2010 The Focal Point 5

and
I ntoler anc e By Josh Nothnagle

Most days on the way to the Port Orchard ferry terminal, Olympic College student Shelby Weber and her mother Shari Weber passed their time by
catching up on the previous day’s happenings or by talking about what the coming day had to offer.
One winter day nearly a year ago showed no signs of being different, until on that cold morning, Shelby’s mother asked her if she was gay. She said yes.
“My mom was a little suspicious, and she asked,” said Shelby.
“It’s over a year later and I’m still a bit confused,” said Shari. “As a mom I just want happy, healthy, stable kids, and I’ve got that.”
After that Shelby then began telling some of the people in her life that she was gay, starting with her father.
“I feel like all the hard emotions were in my head,” said Shelby, an 18-year-old sophomore, “and once I did it, it was OK.”
Being active in her church, Shelby was concerned about how the people she worshiped with would react to finding out about her sexuality.
“When you’re gay, word gets around when you’re in high school,” said Shelby, “and people in my youth group started coming up to me telling me it was

O
ctober 20 was a day to show support for
the gay community by wearing purple.
The Associated Students of OC Executive
Council showed its support by encouraging the
community to participate. They provided a banner
where people could express their feelings, good
or bad and handed out purple bead necklaces for
people who weren’t wearing purple.
The point of purple day was not only to show
support for the gay community, but also a day of
remembrance for six gay teenagers who had killed
themselves because of bullying or harassment.
“One of those kids was my neighbor’s son,” said
Shelby. “I was just one step away from knowing this
kid.”
She is talking about Seth Walsh. Walsh, who was
13, attempted to kill himself Sept. 19 after being
harassed by other teenagers. Walsh’s mother found
him, not breathing, in their backyard after he had
hanged himself from a tree. Walsh was taken to a
hospital and died nine days later.
The tragedy of Walsh’s death has reverberated
across the country, not only because he was “the
best big brother in the world—no, the galaxy,” said
Shawn Walsh, Seth’s little brother, at Seth’s funeral,
but because of his age.
Sept. 23, while Walsh was lying in a hospital bed on
life-support, another 13-year-old, gay, middle school
see Gay pg 6
 6 Focal Point
from Gay pg 5
student, Asher Brown,
resorted to suicide to
end the bullying and
harassment he was facing
in school.
The day before he
shot himself in the head,
Brown was tripped down
a flight of stairs by fellow
students, and, according
to the Houston Chronicle,
was pushed down
another flight of stairs
while trying to collect his
belongings.
If a situation like
this were brought to his
office, Dan Chacon, OC
vice president of Student
Services, said he would
make it a top priority to
deal with, but there are
steps of mediation for the
problem to go through
before it reaches him.
The OC Harassment/
“Even though there’s a push for equality, there has to be
awareness first.”
Students in the Bremer Student Center show support for the gay community by wearing purple ribbons and necklaces in October.
Discrimination Policy
outlines the steps for
students and employees
to follow if they are
victims of bullying or
harassment. The first step
is a direct request for
the offensive actions to
stop. This can be done by
the victim or through a
process facilitator.
If the first step doesn’t
solve the problem
the person filing the
complaint has the option
to request a meeting with
an equal opportunity
officer.
If the problem is not
resolved in the first
or second step, either
the person making the
complaint or the person
the complaint is against
can request a meeting
with OC President David
Mitchell.
The president is the
On the acceptance of the Gay community
November 16, 2010
final step for resolution
within the college, and
any further steps would
have to be facilitated
outside the institution.
The office of the vice
president of Student
Services can help direct
students in the right
direction for filing
complaints.
Shelby said she is
“one of the lucky few”
who haven’t run into
harassment because of
her sexual orientation,
but she was still happy
to see the support purple
day brought.
“There were a lot
more people wearing
purple than what I was
expecting,” she said. Shelby Weber
“I think it was a huge day because, as Joshua a push for equality,” said up about who they really
awareness thing across Masters, vice president Shelby, “there has to be are.
the country.” of the Gay Straight awareness first.” “Sometimes it’s hard
There was some Alliancesaid in his Press Knowing Shelby is gay to accept who you are,”
criticism toward purple Time interview, it could hasn’t changed Shari’s said Shari, but “people
appear as though suicide feelings toward her are who they are.”
because of bullying is a daughter.
gay issue, when it is not “Shelby’s a great kid,”
only limited to sexuality. said Shari, “what does
Shelby Weber “Even though there’s that have to do with it?”
It is clear when you
talk to Shari about
Shelby that she loves
her daughter regardless
of her sexuality, but
she also said she
understands it can be
difficult for someone to
feel comfortable opening Asher Brown
Photo by Angela Davis
Seth Walsh

Was asked, did tell — served honorably
Olympic College student
and gay veteran served
under the controversial
military policy
By Kaylee Woods
Editor
After seven years in the
United States Navy, a combat
tour in Iraq and three sea
cruises, Olympic College
student Joshua Masters’
service was disregarded when
his sexual orientation was put
in question by the Armed
Forces Disciplinary Control
Board.
Joshua Masters is now
Josh Masters served seven years
under Don’t Ask Don’t Tell in the
military including time in Iraq.
an openly gay OC student
who has served under the
military’s Don’t Ask Don’t
Tell policy. Masters enlisted
at age 17 in May 2003 and
served in the Navy, however
he was deployed with the
Marines as a corpsman. While
he was in the Navy he was
required to keep his sexuality
a secret. He was not allowed
to openly communicate with
his partner.
“When I was on my first
ship I was with someone
named Robert,” said Masters.
“He would send me e-mails
signed ‘Jessica’. But eventually
I got tired of that.”
Masters said throughout
his service he knew of
multiple other men that
were enlisted and gay. He
maintained two relationships
while enlisted, one of which is
his current long-term partner,
Joshua Lerma who was also a
member of the Navy.
While enlisted, Masters
was forced to use extreme
discretion regarding his
relationships until he came
out to some of his coworkers.
Once his sexual orientation
was exposed, Masters was put
in front of the Armed Forces
Disciplinary Control Board
while on a sea cruise.
“During that cruise I had
my first disciplinary review
board, and it made it all the
way to the captain,” said
November 16, 2010 The Focal Point 7
Masters.
The board was meant
to review Masters because
there was suspicion about
his sexuality, however this
review was corrupted when
one of the men evaluating him
inquired about his “boyfriend
problems,” Master’s said.
Because Masters was
serving under the Don’t
Ask Don’t Tell policy, it
was technically forbidden
for anyone to ask about his
orientation, and the member
of the review board implying
that he was having boyfriend
problems provided Masters
with a loophole.
Because the member of
the review board technically
inquired about his sexual
orientation, the Don’t
Ask Don’t Tell policy was
violated. Which gave Masters
immunity from their charges.
“I was practically
untouchable,” said Masters.
“They can’t send you to mast
for being gay. They couldn’t
kick me out. If they brought
me up on charges, I could
bring them up on charges.” Josh Masters, Olympic College student.
One year after his first Because of the short He finished out the full
appearance in front of the duration of his service and the term of his service, and was
Disciplinary Control Board amnesty he obtained from the honorably discharged in Jan.
Masters was called back again first review board, the second 2010.
for a second review. This meeting of the Disciplinary “My service was honorable,”
came after he had accepted a Control Board was also unable said Masters. “I had multiple
two-year extension, and was to bring any of their suspicion awards and certificates and I
only a year away from being to fruition and no action was
discharged. taken against Masters. see Masters pg 8
 8 Focal Point
‘a tsunami of shame’
from bully pg 3
came out of my mouth
so many times as a child
that I started to forget
that the words had any
meaning, even though
I didn’t know exactly
what they meant to start
with. That was the one
that hurt him, I could
see it in his eyes.
Now looking back
on it I can see his self-
confidence depleting,
whereas back then I just
saw victory for myself.
I can honestly say one
of the worst moments
of my life was the day
my older brother came
home from school
balling his eyes out. The
reason: he found out he
may have depression.
“Now looking
back on it I can see
his self-confidence
depleting, where-
as back then I just
saw victory for
myself.”
The cause: his
brother’s constant verbal
torture that really, really
affected him.
It wasn’t until then
that I realized the old
saying “sticks and
stones” was the opposite
of the truth. A broken
bone will heal, a punch
in the face will stop
hurting, but the things
you say resonate within
a person’s self-conscious
forever. I didn’t know
my brother was gay,
not until years after
this did I actually find
out. Once I found out
for sure I started to feel
like absolute shit. All
of the terrible things I
have said in the past
rushed back to me like
a tsunami of shame. I
couldn’t believe I was so
close-minded, never did
I stop to think… maybe
he really is gay, maybe
these things I say really
do hurt him.
Luckily for me, Chad
overcame the verbal
affliction unlike the
gay teens that just can’t
stand it and take their
own lives each year. If
this was to happen with
my brother I couldn’t
even begin to think of
where I’d be now.
After all, I have lost
a very good friend to
suicide, and yes, he was
gay. Whether or not that
was the reason he took
his life will never be
known, however it was
undoubtedly just one
more thing that added
to his stress.
Chad is currently
a residential director
at Cal State Chico
and recently finished
his master’s degree
in business. He is my
inspiration for going
back to school and is my
highest role model, even
above Payton Manning,
and Muhammad Ali.
If everybody would
just take a second to
think about what they
say and the impact it
may have, maybe we
can become a truly
“civilized” society.
Clayton Pettay is a staff
member of The Olympian,
is the executive producer of
the Ranger Roundup and
is in his second quarter at
Olympic College.
November 16, 2010
Suicides are nothing new, only grabbing more attention
from bravery pg 3 being noticed now. And the children dying? Same
as always: the really “queer” ones—even the 12-
with a slight lisp—my elementary school put me
and 13-year-olds who don’t know who they are yet.
in bimonthly speech correction classes to remove
The ones who don’t match their birth-genders well.
the supposed defect), I even became the model
They’re reminded constantly, violently, that they
homosexual. Better than a queen, at least.
are wrong, that they are abominations. Even other
It’s a shame, because surviving high school as
children know what to do. They’re supposed to take
a feminine boy or a masculine girl takes a sort of
out the misfits. At least I acted like a guy. I’m not sure
bravery and strength that I’m not sure I have. And
I would have made it through otherwise.
when I say surviving, I mean not dying, not killing
oneself. The spate of gay suicides we’ve recently Ian Sherman is a full-time English faculty member at
seen gain national attention is nothing new—it’s just Olympic College.
The e-mails ‘I would never reject the friendship of a homosexual’
were signed from Christian pg 3 It is not too late to make a change in
your life, because to admit you believe
‘Jessica’ The truth I would want everyone to
know is that , “For all have sinned and
in Jesus is to admit you need a change.
There are some amazing stories and
from Masters pg 7 fell short of the glory of God” Romans testimonials that can be found on this
3:23 and “For the wages of sin is death, website www.leadershipu.com , if you
wanted to rub it in their
but the gift of God is eternal life in are convicted by what I’ve said I want
face that a faggot got all of
Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23. you to know you’re not alone on this
those things from them.”
The Gospel is for everyone, and issue and there are people on campus
Since his release he has
described his experience just because homosexuality is not my who care about what you are going
through no matter what it may be. If
serving under Don’t Ask battle ground I can’t justify my sins
Don’t through a letter to to be better. I would never reject the you would like some resource for help
friendship of a homosexual. This is with homosexuality here are some
the editor that appeared in
because the God of the universe loves websites: www.exodus-international.
the Olympian June 2010.
Masters is now an OC everyone and created you to know org; www.desertstream.org; www.
student as well as the him personally, you were created for a livehope.org, God bless and Yadah da
purpose. King 4 eternity, peace.
vice president of the Gay
“For God so loved the world that he
Straight Alliance. He is
working on completing gave his one and only son, that whoever
believes in him shall not perish but David White is an Olympic College
his prerequisites before
have eternal life” John 3:16. student and former student organizer.
“I had multiple
awards and certifi-
cates and I wanted
to rub it in their face
that a faggot got all
of those things from
them.”
transferring to a branch
of the University of
Washington School of
Medicine, the Medex
Northwest Division
of Physician Assistant
Studies in Yakima Wash.,
where he plans on earning
a Bachelor of Clinical
Science.