The Daily Evergreen would like to clarify that we had no involvement in the GLBTA debate featuring Dan Savage, Dominic Holden and William Stetson on Tuesday night.

GLBTA used our name in some of their promotional materials without notifying the Evergreen of the event. Within minutes of their announcement, we asked for our name to be removed. We were promised that would happen. It didn’t.

Stetson participated only as a conservative on campus. In no way was he speaking for the Evergreen, despite GLBTA’s insistence on implying otherwise. The situation should have been avoided entirely.

Furthermore, the entire debate was unbalanced. There were two voices for R-71 and one against it, which is an unfair dynamic to begin with. Savage is a famous, renowned activist who debates these issues in front of a national audience. Stetson is a random WSU student with conservative views. Stetson was set up as a straw man for Savage to pummel. It’s an insult to the very nature of social debate and an insult to Savage.

The Evergreen is proud to stand behind gay rights, and we have come out for Referendum 71 in a recent editorial. But for GLBTA to use our name to promote this event – without us being involved – was unprofessional and deceitful.

For future reference, it is generally a good rule of thumb to ask another student organization before you feign its involvement.