Gay-straight ignorance is not bliss
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, freedom of expression and the protection of their rights. The college atmosphere is supposed to encourage that. That being said, no one has the right to infringe on other individual’s rights. CEU’s chapter of Gay Straight Alliance has become the target of vicious, ignorant vandalism. Their posters are being defaced and planned activities such as painting Gibby, which was repainted less than four hours later, are being ruined by an unknown party.
This archived article was written by: Krystle Noyes
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, freedom of expression and the protection of their rights. The college atmosphere is supposed to encourage that. That being said, no one has the right to infringe on other individual’s rights. CEU’s chapter of Gay Straight Alliance has become the target of vicious, ignorant vandalism. Their posters are being defaced and planned activities such as painting Gibby, which was repainted less than four hours later, are being ruined by an unknown party.
Clubs utilize posters throughout campus to inform the student body about what they are doing and to announce upcoming activities, GSA is no exception, and their posters can be seen in any of the buildings on campus. The problem is their posters are being singled out and torn down or defaced and this is unacceptable. They receive permission to hang their posters and then they are ruined- it’s a hate crime that cannot be tolerated on a college campus.
The Eagle spoke with Julie Bunderson, the president of GSA, to hear what she and GSA members thought of these ignorant acts. She stated, “My hope is that people will realized this is about some people’s insecurities and they want us to disappear so they feel more comfortable.”
GSA is a club that wants a voice just like any other club. They are not recruiting people to become homosexual, they are simply providing a safe environment for people to celebrate and accept themselves. This reporter feels that whoever is defacing the GSA posters is only uniting GSA and bringing more attention to the club. When asked if the vandalization upset the members of GSA, Bunderson said, “Some people are ignorant and we affect their comfort zone.” When asked if this would stop the club from hanging anymore posters Julie firmly stated, “We will continue to put up posters and we will not go away.”
The college experience is all about new and exciting adventures; however, defacing someone else’s property is a crime that cannot be tolerated.
Comment
Way to go, GSA! We are all working together to encourage and foster safe environments for everyone. A college chapter GSA is a first step in ending hate crimes. Thanks for standing up for freedom of speech, especially for those who fear standing up themselves.
Prism: Meramec College Gay Straight Alliance, St. Louis, Missouri