By all known accounts, Lynn Pinckney was the first openly gay student to have been elected president of a student body in the United States. During her campaign and throughout the first year of her presidency, Pinckney had the support of an active gay community on campus. In fact, when she first ran for the presidency of the Associated Students of the University of Oregon as an out lesbian in the spring of 1985, there was already a long history of gay and lesbian student activity at the UO.
Nevertheless, Lynn Pinckney was surprised that she and her running mate, John Dreeszen, were elected president and vice-president of the ASUO by 55% of the vote. She had been concerned that students-at-large might discriminate against her because of her sexual orientation and position as co-director of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance (GALA), and that their fear or ignorance would translate into fewer votes. Pinckney was well aware that there was an underlying endemic climate of homophobia and heterosexism on campus that influenced the daily lives of gay and lesbian students, faculty, and staff. So newsworthy was her election that the fact was picked up by the news service and reported in several cities across the country.
During their tenure in office, Pinckney and Dreeszen were able to focus on a number of progressive issues that characterized their campaign, including efforts to increase the diversity of the student population, improve safety on campus for women, and improve accessibility for people with physical disabilities. In addition, they focused on freezing tuition and disassociating UO funds from South Africa.
At the end of Lynn Pinckney’s term, she was considered by many administrators as one of the most accomplished student body presidents in recent history. In fact, UO President Paul Olum agreed that Lynn was one of the most active and energetic student body presidents he had encountered during his time at the university. Dean of Students Shirley Wilson commented on Lynn’s character: “There was nothing ambiguous about Lynn. She was willing to negotiate but wouldn’t compromise her principles.” And Bill Kittredge, Director of the Office for Student Advocacy, said “It’s been a good year. Pinckney worked hard, dealt with complex issues, and stood fast to her campaign promises. She has great interpersonal skills.”
