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October 12, 2004
“All the squirrels at Hamline are gay”
Since the dawn of time, students have struggled with this very issue. Okay, maybe not since the dawn of time, but certainly as long as I have been here at Hamline. The quote above was part of Spectrum’s sidewalk chalking. In my dorm freshman year, it caused a controversy resulting in a RA having to hold a meeting with students to discuss intolerance. These titans of debate shot back with the brilliant counterattack, “If all the squirrels are gay, why are there baby squirrels?” I don’t know about you, but I’ve never seen a baby squirrel at Hamline.
The chalking put on our sidewalks each semester is a form of expression by and for our GLBTI students and allies. Spectrum does this as a part of Coming Out Week, a time to celebrate an event in the lives of GLBTI people who have been brave enough to be up-front about who they are. Coming Out Week serves another important function for our Hamline community, to show new students that this is a place where GLBTI people are welcome and accepted.
That message can get lost amidst all the rainbow fabulousness and drag-queen performances. But the simple fact remains that the sole reason that I and my fellow Spectrum members work our asses off to put on program after program for the campus is to promote issues important to us. We hope that by entertaining the masses and educating the few, we can give GLBTI students the confidence and security to be themselves.
So when we’ve worked countless hours to plan events and decorate the campus, complaints about chalking come as bitch-slap in the face. And if you’re not the one who is tucking and stuffing to give the appearance of a gender other than the one you were born with, you have no right to bitch-slap! If you’re so uncomfortable with your own sexuality that you avoid the box marked “Everybody who steps here is gay,” you have bigger problems than chalk.
This year Spectrum is trying something new, and we issue a promise and a challenge. Our promise is that we will try and use more statistical information and positive messages in our chalking. Don’t worry you will still get a heavy dose of good ol’ gay humor, but we’ll make it a little easier on the straights. That way our ground can be as lesbian as it wants to be with no squirrel-related fighting.
Our challenge is that you stop and think about what you see written on the ground and try and attend an event that isn’t the Drag Show. (But still go to the Drag Show, because Deelicious and Maxi will be back and it will rock!) We also challenge the Oracle to not print letters to the editor from angry heteros who feel threatened by GLBTI people being out and proud. We’ll keep our promise so step up to the challenge.
Chalk it to me.
Posted by msveum at October 12, 2004 11:31 AM
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