NC State rears its ugly anti-gay face #5

NC State LGBT Center. The most up-to-date news right here.

In the online debate over the proposed NC State LGBT Center (see first post concerning Student Senate approval) it seems as though most of the horrible anti-gay hate and prejudice I’ve spotlighted in the last few days has died down.

Perhaps blog commenter and NC State student Brian was right when he said that some of my postings themselves would be enough to scare off the students making the anti-gay comments and slurs. Maybe that’s the reason; if so, it is because hate and bigotry-laden people and can hardly hold their own ground when their speech and actions are spotlighted for exactly what it is: backward, ignorant, hate-filled rhetoric bent on pushing one group of people under another, making them second-class and effectively stripping them of their humanity.

On the other hand, however, maybe the comments have stopped because it is the weekend and those folks had better things to do. I guess we’ll find out when the new week starts up.

Here, however, is a comment from the “Students Against NCSU LGBT Center” Facebook group which I wanted to highlight and one to which I felt a need to respond. The comment was made by Daniel Thomas, a student whose comments I’ve spotlighted in past posts:

u talk about how we bash gays, dont even try to bash straight people because ive said it before, yall are naturally and scientifically wrong in what u do, sure love another person and all that jazz but be a decent person and like everyone else, u dont have to flaunt the gayness and then say ur being subjected to it. its the same as a girl crying about how people treat her like a slut when she dresses like it. well im sry for both of u but there are common sense things running around. lastly, our money is spread out so thin over many things, that there is no way we could boycott everything we want and say ok, i dont want to pay for this. its a community and people share things, but just like our government, we dont favor groups, so….u dont get the center otherwise theres prejudice.

I’m now going to break this comment down, part by part, with my responses.

u talk about how we bash gays, dont even try to bash straight people

Ok… first of all: People in the Facebook group were bashing gays. That cannot be denied; I have the quotes to prove. Secondly, calling you a bigot and calling you a hate-filled person isn’t bashing, it is the truth. People in the Facebook group have said horrible, horrible, horrible things, including some violent and intimidating things as well. It is quite evident that there is no “Christian love” running through the veins of any of the people who posted such comments. The truth is that the comments were full of hate, ignorance, bigotry and prejudice. That’s just the truth. There is no way around it.

yall are naturally and scientifically wrong in what u do

And who is Daniel Thomas to tell anyone else they are “naturally and scientifically wrong.” Homosexual behavior has been exhibited and observed in countless numbers of animal species, including ours: homo sapiens sapiens.

sure love another person and all that jazz but be a decent person and like everyone else, u dont have to flaunt the gayness and then say ur being subjected to it. its the same as a girl crying about how people treat her like a slut when she dresses like it. well im sry for both of u but there are common sense things running around.

Thanks for giving us gay folks permission to love each other. We weren’t asking for your permission anyways. Gay people aren’t “flaunting” their “gayness” by asking for an LGBT Center. LGBT people are asking for the LGBT Center because they have been subjected to social as well as legalized and institutionalized discrimination, harassment, prejudice, violence and abuse. LGBT people are not crying about being subjected to these things because we flaunted our sexuality. We are asking that we be treated as full human beings and until that time, many LGBT people have special needs which, sadly, straight people don’t have. Straight people do not have a whole society bearing down on them telling them they are bad, evil, sinful or hell bound. Straight people do not have to live in fear of rejection from family, friends, church, state and others just because of who they are as a person, as a human. No one says straight people are “flaunting their sexuality” by holding hands, hugging or kissing in public. No one says straight people are “flaunting their sexuality” by having marriages, wearing wedding rings in public or by getting legal, government recognition for such a union. Why do people say it about gays? Mostly because they think being gays is “wrong” or “immoral.”

its a community and people share things, but just like our government, we dont favor groups, so….u dont get the center otherwise theres prejudice.

Oh, I’m so glad Daniel realizes this. Maybe he does understand the concepts of equality. Our government can’t favor groups… he just so offered a great argument for marriage, an institution legally cut off from a whole group of people based simply on their sexual orientation. The LGBT Center would be open to all people, regardless of sexual orientation, so there is no discrimination or prejudice there. In fact, if you read the official University proposal for the LGBT Center, you’ll see that “straight allies” are included in the Center’s mission and purpose.

My friend Samantha IMed me earlier today, pointing me toward a message written by former NC State chancellor Marye Anne Fox after the death of Matthew Shepard. Here’s a snippet:

In response to this tragedy, the NC State University community must renew its vehement opposition to any expression of hatred and violence directed toward any individual or group based on sexual orientation, race, gender, religion, national origin, or disability. All forms of harassment and discrimination are completely incompatible with the values and goals of NC State and will not be tolerated on this campus. Here at NC State, students involved in acts of violence or intimidation against other students will be charged with a serious violation of the Student Code of Conduct and will be prosecuted aggressively under the student judicial system. If found guilty, students could face suspension or expulsion.

NC State University’s position has long been that educational and employment decisions should be based on an individual’s abilities and qualifications and should not be based on factors or personal characteristics that are not germane to academic abilities or job performance. Traditionally we have viewed race, sex, religion, and national origin as among those factors which are not connected with academic abilities or job performance. An individual’s sexual orientation is another factor which is not relevant to educational and employment decisions. Only relevant factors will be considered in such decisions. Furthermore, equitable and consistent standards of conduct and performance will be applied to all members of the North Carolina State University Community.

NC State is a diverse community that extends a nurturing embrace to men and women of different races, national origins, religions, sexual orientations, and varying physical and mental abilities. All of us, faculty, staff, administrators, and students, must work together to build a community that is inclusive and welcoming to all people, both tolerating and celebrating these personal characteristics. Only then can NC State achieve its mission to actively integrate teaching, research, and extension to create an innovative learning environment that stresses the mastery of fundamentals through intellectual discipline, creativity, reasoned problem solving, and individual responsibility. It is imperative that each member of the NC State University community, as a responsible citizen, respects each other and treats each fellow human being as he or she would like to be treated. Only to the extent that we can together eliminate hatred and violence can our nation be considered a civilized and safe place for all people.

I challenge NC State to take another look at that message and I challenge current NC State chancellor James L. Oblinger to keep a careful eye on the current debate at NC State, lest it grow worse and more vehemently anti-gay. It doesn’t take much to make a situation like the one Matthew Shepard faced in 1998.

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