I’m not a bigot, I don’t discriminate against anyone. But I don’t think the college, and the area around it is ready for an organization like the newly formed Gay/Straight Alliance.
The group had its second meeting on March 21. I was curious, as there were several heated debates about the group since its formation. I decided to attend the event to see what all of the ruckus was about.
While the purpose of the group seems to be to get rid of hate and discrimination against homosexuals, the group seemed to be more like an Alcoholics Anonymous group than anything else. It was a support group, which is something the college shouldn’t sponsor, because being gay isn’t an epidemic, as any member of the GSA will proudly admit.
According to Sue Isermann, who along with counselor Renee Jones co-sponsors the group, at the first meeting of the group, members proudly proclaimed their sexual preferences and talked of ways they had been discriminated against. Isermann, chair of the business and engineering division, says the group is all about strength in numbers.
"I think they want to be in this group as a safe haven," says Isermann. "But at the same time I think they want to work so they can feel comfortable outside this group too."
But instead of dwelling on how they are persecuted, homosexuals in the group should put those hateful acts behind them. When Martin Luther King, Jr. led the civil rights movement of the 1960s, he urged blacks to move on, and to break down the barriers of racism, not to dwell on past persecution.
There is a crucial difference between the current "Gay rights" movement, and King’s uplifting. Race is something that can’t be hidden; sexual preference can be as flamboyant, or as closeted as desired.During that great time in our nation’s history, African Americans made huge strides toward equality. They did so with dignity, pride, and courage. Blacks also broke down stereotypes to further their advancement.
The most predominant aspect of the GSA is laughter. Stereotypes about homosexuals are only reinforced.
A good portion of the noon meeting discussed the details of a bake sale that will be used to raise funds for the club.Typically, the first mention of homosexuals and a bake sale in the same sentence is immediately followed by laughter from even the most politically correct person.
The meeting was no different, as the event that is planned for April 11 was casually referred to as "The big gay bake sale." And when Fruity Pebbles squares and Rainbow cookies are thrown into the mix, the bake sale and the organization it is raising money for becomes a living, breathing gay joke.While the GSA may stride to end discrimination against homosexuals, with events like the big gay bake sale, even if it is jokingly referred to as such by members of the GSA, can only bring more discrimination.
What kind of ‘progress’ can possibly made by homosexuals in this area and on campus if the GSA is nothing more than a forum for fodder.While there are straight members of the organization, none of them proudly proclaim their preference and vouch for straight rights. Of course that’s because heterosexuals aren’t a minority in America.
But at the same time, if a student feels uncomfortable with a homosexual expressing their lifestyle and beliefs, isn’t that also infringing on the rights of others too?
Isermann begs to differ."We’re not necessarily seeking acceptance, just tolerance," she says.
I will never accept the homosexual lifestyle, but I will never hate anyone that practices it. I think that the student body at IVCC, in general, is open-minded enough to tolerate homosexuals. But it shouldn’t, and probably didn’t take a group like the GSA to bring that tolerance out.