Today, is National Coming Out Day – or as it should be called in this town Regional Ignorance Day.
If you came here you would have no idea of today’s significance other than if you walk into my lobby (thanks to no sleep and at times an armed police officer).
Last night in preparation for today and as part of our Passive Residential Education Program we hung several bulletin boards, banners, and images to promote awareness of LGBT issues. Within about 10 minutes students began to gather – in all of my years I have never encountered individuals so unwilling to listen. Anything that was in opposition to their religious quotes fell on deaf ears. The truly immense irony – those that objected refused to even read the information (whether they thought it might lessen their masculinity or simply make their eyes burn right out of their heads is unclear).
After about an hour it became painfully obvious that help would be needed to keep these displays from being ripped down (one of my RA’s decided to call campus police without telling anyone [it is always fun to watch the calvary storm in]). Yada Yada – This went on all night long with myself, my RA’s, and the occasional campus cop keeping the peace and bulletin boards hung until about 8AM.

I knew when I moved to this small town that I would have to deal with a great deal more homophobia than previously, but as the director in an honor’s hall I expected a different response.

Did I forget to mention that. That was the response from the best and brightest that this institution has to offer – amazing isn’t. But then again what can one expect from a group of students that don’t understand why running around campus screaming “We are the angry mob” and “we’re looking for someone to lynch” isn’t appropriate.

- We’re not even halfway through this day yet, I wonder how long until someone does decide to tear them down?

(Addendum – btw, I should mention that I was reprimanded by my supervisor for the displays – at least until I went above his head and challenged the appropriateness and message that he was sending to the community. It didn’t hurt that I threw in the fact that if it stood I would happily provide copies to several student groups and local publications that would find it interesting. In the end, it was he not I that was reprimanded.)