Services to be Held for Partner of Gay Prof.

Harvard will host its first-ever memorial service for the partner of a gay faculty member tomorrow.

The Rev. Peter J. Gomes will deliver a service for Robert Grayson, who died of AIDS two weeks ago, said Thurston Smith, coordinator of the faculty bisexual, gay and lesbian network.

For 23 years, Grayson was the companion of Aga Khan Professor of Iranian P. Oktor Skjaervo.

Smith said that for gays and lesbians at Harvard, the service is "a small, important step, in a way."

Smith said the ceremony marks a milestone for unmarried heterosexual couples, as well.

"We're redefining what a family is," he said. "The traditional family is changing drastically."

"It's good to see very historical institutionslike the church and Harvard to start to recognizethis change in society and to honor it", Smithsaid.

Harvard has no regulations prohibiting memorialservices for partners of gay and lesbian facultymembers, but no one has ever requested such aservice before, Skjarevo said.

Skjarevo said Harvard otherwise offers fewbenefits for a sizable group, of gay and lesbianfaculty members' partners."

"The Harvard community has a lot of people withAIDS--both employees and affiliates and partners."Skjaervo said.

Smith said the ceremony is a "simple humangesture" that carries significant impact.

"It's tremendously important that when a veryrespected faculty member...has lost his lifetimecompanion, that the community should have anofficial way of [noting] that loss," Smith said.

The service is a nice way to remember Grayson,Skhaervo said.

"He was so proud when I became appointed, andhe was so much looking forward to participating inthe academic social life," Skjaervo said. "Thiswas the least that I could do for him."

The service, will begin at 1 p.m. at AppletonChapel

"It's good to see very historical institutionslike the church and Harvard to start to recognizethis change in society and to honor it", Smithsaid.

Harvard has no regulations prohibiting memorialservices for partners of gay and lesbian facultymembers, but no one has ever requested such aservice before, Skjarevo said.

Skjarevo said Harvard otherwise offers fewbenefits for a sizable group, of gay and lesbianfaculty members' partners."

"The Harvard community has a lot of people withAIDS--both employees and affiliates and partners."Skjaervo said.

Smith said the ceremony is a "simple humangesture" that carries significant impact.

"It's tremendously important that when a veryrespected faculty member...has lost his lifetimecompanion, that the community should have anofficial way of [noting] that loss," Smith said.

The service is a nice way to remember Grayson,Skhaervo said.

"He was so proud when I became appointed, andhe was so much looking forward to participating inthe academic social life," Skjaervo said. "Thiswas the least that I could do for him."

The service, will begin at 1 p.m. at AppletonChapel