its over
Rainbow week has come to a close and I have to say even though it was fabulous I am very happy that it is over. I am completely and utterly exhausted. I just finished feading mr. noddles, toast and peanut butter and hot cocco to a few mates. So it all ended on a good note and I have great memories, but todays lasting oppression is far from positive.
I start to recieve some of the negative feedback that I expected from the positive space campaign. It scares me that people in places of power and influence actually are so arrigant and subsiquenlty can be very distructive to there students. We recieved some negative feedback from students who were affended by out posters of two guys kissing that had slogens like "closets are for clothes" "Love is a good thing" "what are you afraid of" "smile if you are gay" and so on. There were complaints, posters ripped down and comments writen on the posters. saddly none of this surprised me. I hate to say it but I was surprised that there was not more problems. The majority of students are positive or at least liberals but you still worry about the rest, but I think there is too much support for us for those you are filled with fear of there own sexuality to make too much noise.
Again its the proffs that are the worst. I recieved a phone call that ended in the women saying that I needed spiritual guidance and that what I was doing was wrong. Then I got a few emails :
While I agree with many of the sentiments in your letter, I feel that it would be inappropriate to place any stickers in relation to race, gender or creed in the offices of staff. Personally, I have no problem with them being placed in public areas of the campus as that is a case of free speech.
The positive space sticker in the office of an academic staff member could, however, cause real problems as it is very ambiguous as to what it is advocating and is to do with sexual orientation. We have to meet students on a one-to-one basis many times and have to be very careful not to say or do anything in relation to sexuality that could be misconstrued by students under the “Dignity and Respect” policy. I would not be comfortable with that sticker being placed on the wall or window of my office when I am meeting a male or female student and I have a feeling that many students may say the same (although I cannot speak for them). The sticker could be interpreted that the office was a place for sexual _expression and might in advertently encourage unwanted advances from students.
Not homophobia, just common sense and due care. One false accusation of inappropriateness by a student and the mud will stick to a staff member. I would say the same if it was advocating heterosexual marriage !
ok so this guy is just stupid . . . but get this one
I do not appreciate you putting junk in my college
mailbox. It is one thing to be a deviant. It is
another to go around attempting to convince people
that it is OK.
and you wonder why people don't feel safe being out.
Rainbow week has come to a close and I have to say even though it was fabulous I am very happy that it is over. I am completely and utterly exhausted. I just finished feading mr. noddles, toast and peanut butter and hot cocco to a few mates. So it all ended on a good note and I have great memories, but todays lasting oppression is far from positive.
I start to recieve some of the negative feedback that I expected from the positive space campaign. It scares me that people in places of power and influence actually are so arrigant and subsiquenlty can be very distructive to there students. We recieved some negative feedback from students who were affended by out posters of two guys kissing that had slogens like "closets are for clothes" "Love is a good thing" "what are you afraid of" "smile if you are gay" and so on. There were complaints, posters ripped down and comments writen on the posters. saddly none of this surprised me. I hate to say it but I was surprised that there was not more problems. The majority of students are positive or at least liberals but you still worry about the rest, but I think there is too much support for us for those you are filled with fear of there own sexuality to make too much noise.
Again its the proffs that are the worst. I recieved a phone call that ended in the women saying that I needed spiritual guidance and that what I was doing was wrong. Then I got a few emails :
While I agree with many of the sentiments in your letter, I feel that it would be inappropriate to place any stickers in relation to race, gender or creed in the offices of staff. Personally, I have no problem with them being placed in public areas of the campus as that is a case of free speech.
The positive space sticker in the office of an academic staff member could, however, cause real problems as it is very ambiguous as to what it is advocating and is to do with sexual orientation. We have to meet students on a one-to-one basis many times and have to be very careful not to say or do anything in relation to sexuality that could be misconstrued by students under the “Dignity and Respect” policy. I would not be comfortable with that sticker being placed on the wall or window of my office when I am meeting a male or female student and I have a feeling that many students may say the same (although I cannot speak for them). The sticker could be interpreted that the office was a place for sexual _expression and might in advertently encourage unwanted advances from students.
Not homophobia, just common sense and due care. One false accusation of inappropriateness by a student and the mud will stick to a staff member. I would say the same if it was advocating heterosexual marriage !
ok so this guy is just stupid . . . but get this one
I do not appreciate you putting junk in my college
mailbox. It is one thing to be a deviant. It is
another to go around attempting to convince people
that it is OK.
and you wonder why people don't feel safe being out.
