An Interesting Break

I had originally planned to spend my spring break seeing museums and walking about the town. This didn’t really happen (in part because I stayed up late one night and had a messed up sleep schedule for the rest of the week). However, circumstances have been somewhat interesting this week.

Although my contact with Grinnell is limited (but still fairly extensive, all things considered), I have been keeping up on most current events there.

A week ago today, a student (or multiple students) committed a hate crime against a queer individual. They wrote slurs on walls and white boards, tore down posters and personal belongings, and generally defaced the building.  Ultimately, it ended up that the act was classified as a “bias crime” (hate crime) under Iowa law.

The response on campus was much of what I expected. Most were shocked and outraged that such a thing could happen at Grinnell; some doubted that it happened. The queer community on campus organized both a resolution to make Grinnell College a hate-free campus and a rally which ended in an open forum about what happened. The rally and open forum happened last night (Thursday night).

This morning (well, more of this afternoon) when I checked my e-mail (as well as the campus blog through which I get most of my information about Grinnell), I found out that there was another hate crime against queer individuals. An individual (or individuals)  sent out letters to out queers (as well as a lot of other people, queer and not-queer) that said offensive things of a homophobic nature (the one addressed to me, which was intercepted by campus security, said “FEAR GOD, NOT FAGS”.).

Why put this on here? There are two reasons.

First, because making this event (and events like it) visible is a necessary step towards acceptance on all social levels. Harassment against queers is still one of the hardest litigations to prove in the legal system (many states don’t recognize discrimination based upon sexual orientation as discrimination at all, much less events like this). Part of this is because queers across the country don’t feel like they are entitled to, or should, report discrimination and oppression based upon sexual orientation. Part of this is because the majority of the public remains ignorant of these things.

And second, because I’m not sure how to react. This is the first time where it has been made clear that I’m not part of the white, male, heterosexual privileged group. This is the first time that someone has ever used a slur in reference to me directly. And it’s kind of scary, to be honest. Just the thought that someone could harbor that much hatred (or, worse yet, “righteous rage”, as it might be called by religious fanatics, and that’s what they are, fanatics) against me without actually knowing me is unnerving.

I guess, mostly, I wanted to convey the information to you guys. And end on a somewhat more pleading note:

Whether or not you “agree” with queer individuals is irrelevant. At a fundamental level, so is the “birth or choice” argument in this case. What is important is one small fact: we are still people. As people, we have every right to live in safety and without fear. As people, we deserve respect and tolerance. As people, we still have emotions.

And whether you like it or not, you are stuck with me.

So keep me in mind next time you hear someone use derogatory terms such as “gay” or “fag”.  All I ask, as an initial step to combating this hate, is an open mind and tolerance. We’re not out to steal children or corrode the moral base of life. We’re simply trying to live while being ourselves, and we deserve every right that you have.

Ultimately, though, tolerance isn’t enough. Turning a blind eye to the situation is tantamount to helping the individuals who committed these crimes, and other crimes like them. Perhaps it’s too much to ask, but if you consider yourself an ally, speak up and speak out.

Okay, I’m leaving the soap box now.