Demanding respect

Gay, queer, homosexual ‘- what these words mean to one person are not necessarily the same for another person.

Homosexuality is a reality that needs to be taken seriously. It is not some issue that can be shoved under the carpet while other problems dubbed ‘more important’ take precedence.

The abuse, verbal and physical, of homosexuals is a serious problem and needs to be addressed immediately.

Recently there has been various incidents involving signs put up by the Alliance, advertising an upcoming event, along with threats towards Alliance president Jonas Stankovich ’10, in response to an article he wrote for The Mirror a week earlier.

Such incidents are products of ignorance or fear of something unfamiliar and new. How is it that one can be harassed for who they are, just as being blonde and blue eyed makes you a person.

It is unacceptable that people who are just trying to embrace who they were born as are being verbally abused and made to feel as if they are not equals on campus and in the community.

How is it fair that the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered percentage of the student population is being forced to repress their inner self because of people who are uneducated and scared of something that is not deemed ‘the norm’?

As a campus, it is time to come together and support those that are different from the rest of us. It is our job as a community to make all those part of it feel comfortable.

It is a time of change where being homosexual is something that people should not be afraid of, but something to be understood and accepted because it is who they are and not who they choose to be.

Did you wake up one day and decide to be attracted to the opposite sex? Why then should it be seen any different for those who are attracted to the same sex?

Awareness and acceptance on campus is, however, growing. The attendance to Project Halo last week is a prime example that times are changing. People are interested in learning more.

Education is key. The more people know, the easier it will be for people struggling with who they are to be comfortable enough to embrace it.

Homosexuality is not a disease. It is not something to be scared of and it is something that has been around for centuries. It is important to remember all of these things.

The feelings of our classmates should always be of the utmost importance to everyone. It is time for us to be educated and start being the allies that they need us to be.