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The recent incidents of anti-gay bigotry on and off campus are absolutely unacceptable. Occidental is not exempt from the harrowing national trend of suicides by teenagers from the LGBTQ community. We should note that the vandalism of a gay-pride flag and discriminatory language on white boards are only the most visible expressions of an overly homophobic and underly supportive Occidental community. It’s time to change.
Starting immediately, we are calling for a campus-wide campaign of support and solidarity with the LGBTQ community. If you have a white board, please use it to promote a message of tolerance. “I SUPPORT THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY.” “GAY, LESBIAN, TRANSGENDER PERSONS WELCOME.” “ANTI-GAY BIGOTRY SUCKS.” Be creative, but what is most important is that you join the inclusive white board campaign!
The response should not end there. It is time to start calling each other out– gay is not a synonym for stupid. We need to start merging our academic consciousness with our social behavior; we know it’s wrong to say, so let’s stop!
We also hope to stop the exclusivist Occidental environment with longer-run strategies. Orientation should include prolonged dialogue about issues of race, gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. Moreover, the first-year CSPs should include at the minimum a dialogue component, and ideally a dialogue-driven course, with a critical inspection of the aforementioned issues in relation to Occidental and its students, faculty, and staff. Demand the administration to adopt these strategies so we can address the systemic exclusive environment at Occidental.
Please look for other ways to get involved on campus. The Center for Gender Equity, Queer-Straight Alliance, the Deans’ Diversity Committee and Vote for Equality all reach out with events and volunteer opportunities. Let’s stop the homophobia and the general marginalization of minority groups on campus. Your apathy is part of the problem; be an ally! It’s time for Occidental to start doing diversity.
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