Anti-gay violence at Wake Forest University
by Matt | September 29th, 2006 |Earlier today I posted on UVa.’s experience with what some are (stupidly) calling a “gay bashing” after two gay guys got a drink thrown at them…
Here is some real “gay bashing” and anti-gay violence, right here at home in North Carolina and in my hometown of Winston-Salem:
Violence targets gay students
By Alex Osteen
News editor, Old Gold and Black, Wake Forest University
September 28, 2006On Sept. 9 and again that same week, two separate incidents of civil assault and harassment victimized two university students.
The incidents were apparently motivated by the fact that the victims are members of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender community.
One case involved a verbal altercation that escalated into physical assault in which, according to the University Police report, a student was struck in the face and head.
This incident is still being investigated, leaving many details off the public record, although the attackers have yet to be identified.
It now appears, however, that the three people who were involved in the attack were visitors to the campus. The victim was not seriously harmed.
The second case involved verbal harassment in the form of derogatory phrases. It was referred to the Dean’s Office where judicial measures will be taken.
Regina Lawson, chief of University Police, was careful to describe the cases not as being “hate crimes” (as the details of the incidents have not met North Carolina’s technical criteria for such terms), but rather as incidents of harassment that appear to have stemmed from hate.
Executive director of the Gay-Straight Student Alliance Dorothy Jackson, a second- year graduate student, said that she and senior members of GSSA were shocked at the reports.
She is worried about how this will affect the younger members of the GLBT community who may now be afraid to attend GSSA meetings, or for some, to “come out.” Nonetheless, she goes on to say that it is “amazing” to have the administration on their side.
On Sept. 21, 12 days after the case of physical assault was reported, President Nathan O. Hatch sent an e-mail to the entire student body explaining the administration’s response of concern and disapproval regarding the incidents.
“These reports, whether subsequently confirmed or unconfirmed, tear at the fabric of our community. They deserve our thoughtful attention. If they prove accurate, they deserve our condemnation as inimical to the values of our learning community.”
Jackson reports that GSSA was happy with what Hatch had to say. “We didn’t ask him for a response, it was on his own accord… we hope it won’t be the end of his support and know it won’t be.”
University Police asks any students who have information on any of the incidents to contact the department. Lawson says that no matter what type of crime is committed on campus, motivated by hate or not, it will be taken seriously. “We want a harmonious campus where students are comfortable. We’re a diverse community here and we’re going to respect each other,” Lawson said.
In response to the incidents and in hopes of turning negative aspects into a celebration of the support the GLBT community has, GSSA has organized a candlelit ceremony, “March Against Hate.” At 8:00 p.m. on Oct. 4, members of GSSA and of other minority groups will unite with other students and proceed from Wait Chapel to the Mag Quad where they will share testimonies of hate and of hope. Jackson argues that awareness and rejection of assumptions is how to go about preventing repeats of these incidents. “Even though we are from different groups, we share common experiences and can work together to make the community more positive for everyone involved,” Jackson said.
Hatch concluded his message to students by saying, “I encourage all of us to think seriously about our commitment to respecting each other and acting in accord with the greater sense of decency, civility, and non-discrimination which has characterized our community ethos. We are diminished by senseless acts of abuse, but we are elevated by common acts of kindness and regard for one another.”
Technorati Tags: hate crime, anti-gay, violence, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Old Gold and Black
Matt, 22, is an LGBT journalist, activist and youth advocate currently living and working in Charlotte, N.C., where he serves as the Editor of Q-Notes, the Carolinas' LGBT news source. A native of Winston-Salem, N.C., Matt attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and is still continuing to pursue his bachelors degree. He is the Owner & Editor of InterstateQ.com and has been active in LGBT advocacy work since the age of 14.
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