Almost a year later, debate over NC State LGBT Center still rolling
Last fall students at NC State University became embroiled in a bitter dispute and campus debate over a proposal to create a center for LGBT students.
In numerous posts I profiled the anti-gay statements, some of them quite extreme in their verbally and physically violent nature, from a Facebook.com group named “Students against NCSU LGBT Center.”
Now, almost a year later, the debate rolls on.
In the August 29, 2007 issue of The Technician at least two columns appeared opposing the creation of the LGBT Center, as a news article confirmed that the center would, indeed, become a reality.
The first column was from the former Student Senate President Forrest Hinton (pictured right), and he certainly hasn’t departed from hiding behind the faux issue of money.
In a past post I discussed Mr. Hinton and his little antics on the campus:
Hinton says that the “silent majority” at NC State is saying “No” to the LGBT Center. He also says that for some, the issue isn’t about whether homosexuality is right or wrong. That is true, but it is also true that the opposition to this proposed center by a great many (most likely a majority of his “silent majority”) is informed by these student’s life in a society which has continually proven to be hostile and unequal for LGBT people.
These students are trying to convince everyone that their opposition is just about money. They are trying to say that student fees shouldn’t be used if everyone won’t benefit from the Center. They go on and on about not wanting increases in students fees.
They can hide behind money all they want, but the fact that this issue has sparked such a public and widespread outrage on campus and that so many students are out there using their anti-gay, hateful and certainly not Christ-like religious ideologies to oppose the Center proves their true feelings. The fact that the majority of the discussion on the “Students Against NCSU LGBT Center” Facebook group includes horrible, almost unspeakable and sometimes violent anti-gay bigotry, hate and prejudice is proof enough to show what the true feelings are for these students and what is backing up their supposed devotion to “protecting” student fees.
In the second column, the leader of the radical right Christian group on campus, “Life Changers,” says that homosexuality is morally wrong and that is why the LGBT Student Center shouldn’t be created:
Every student has their own opinion on the idea of constructing an LBGT center here on campus, including the students of Life Changers and other Christian organizations on campus. I do not speak for all members of Life Changers or all Christians on campus when I say that based on Christian principles, it is morally wrong to construct a center for bisexuals, gays, lesbians and transsexuals on campus.
As a Christian, I have certain beliefs, where homosexuality is concerned, that cause me to resist anything that condones it. The Bible tells us not to even touch the unclean thing (2 Corinthians 6:17), let alone support the glorification of it. The unclean thing in this sense is the spirit of homosexuality. In my opinion, homosexuality is a spirit. God does detest the spirit of homosexuality, but not the man with the spirit. I want to make that clear. God loves us all equally, but there are facets of our lifestyles that he simply does not like. One of those is homosexuality.
The construction of an LBGT center blatantly contradicts the desires of the God I serve. I can not stand in agreement for something that glorifies the very thing God objects. I do believe that gays and lesbians are entitled to the same student experience as everyone else, but I do not support the center, itself. The Bible says that we have and should have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:15, Philippians 2:5). To me this means that not only should we think like Christ, but that we should live like Christ. Would Jesus approve of an LBGT center? I seriously doubt it.
To think… these are our future leaders for this great State of North Carolina and this nation?
I seriously hope I never have to work with them. How do you work with someone who thinks you are nothing more than a second-class pervert?
In December 2006, the NC State Student Government held a student forum on the issue. The forum was packed and there was definitely lot of back and forth. One student even stood up and began reading from the Bible. Click here to see that post and hear the complete audio from the meeting.
Technorati Tags: NC State, NC State University, LGBT Center, Forrest Hinton, Life Changers, Raleigh, North Carolina
About the Author: Matt
5 Responses to “Almost a year later, debate over NC State LGBT Center still rolling”
Moral arguments never win debates.
You have to give Hinton credit — his point of view includes research, alternate solutions, and he treats LGBT students with the utmost respect. Maybe NC State should have been discussing more options to remedying campus intolerance…
By Jason on Sep 6, 2007
Hinton’s arguments have given those who are against the center for other reasons a faux argument to uphold their prejudice: “Oh its really about the money, even though we think homosexuals are perverts.”
Hinton isn’t stupid; he has some political knowledge. If his position is truly about what is best for the campus and if he really does treat LGBT students with the most respect he should have approached his opposition to the center in a better way. His current and past tactics have only lent credence to those who object to the center on “moral” grounds.
Whether he likes it or not he has become the de facto leader of the “morally”-based opposition to the center; the cute darling spokesman for the NC State Religious Right.
By Matt on Sep 6, 2007
What’s sort of interesting is how facts have gotten blurred among the students about this. As I saw in some posts on “thewolfweb” site, most actually thought an entire new building as going to get built. The truth is, of course, the center was going to be given a couple of rooms (or so) in the Talley Student Center. A space considerably smaller than the current African-American Student Center and the Women’s Centers currently on campus already. Also, an even smaller “Office for LGBT Student Services” was already at NCSU, in a tiny space at Talley, staffed part-time by a grad student.
But many heard the word “LGBT Center” and automatically thought there would be this big new building added. Amazing ignorance, to say the least.
Is NCSU anti-gay? Faculty and administration-wise, I say obviously not. Student-wise? Well, that’s trickier. I went there a decade ago and I usually felt that the campus as a whole was a welcoming place. However it is a landgrant institution with large Agricultural and Engineering programs which have historically brought in a large number of rural (usually male) students from various conservative areas of the South. For many of them, going to NCSU in Raleigh is the first time they’ve ever been to “the big city”, so to speak. So it shouldn’t be surprising there is some anti-gay sentiment in such a group. But they do not define the university as a whole by no means. And I give NCSU credit for moving forward in this endeavour.
By Rob on Sep 6, 2007
Can you put up a link for Hinton’s latest column and the one by the Jesus girl? We should probably read their words before we critique their positions.
By Peter on Sep 7, 2007
There are links in the written text in the post… It’s the text that is colored blue.
By Matt on Sep 7, 2007