Black, Gay Orgs Speak Against 'Homophobia'
Forum spurred by Observer op-ed
Charelle Collins
Issue date: 11/7/05 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Taking off your mask is not just a theme associated with Halloween, but is also the topic of a student discussion about homophobia presented by the Black Organization of Students and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance.
NCAS students Aqueelah Sellers and Jonathan Jones presented "Take Off Your Mask: Are You Homophobic?" on Monday, Oct. 31 in the PRCC Commuter Lounge.
Students voiced their opinions over pizza as Sellers, Jones, and members of the BOS threw out questions to the crowd such as, "How do you define homophobia?"
Homophobia, which can be an intense, irrational fear of homosexuals and their behavior, seems to mean different things to different students.
Some characterized their friends as homophobic, looking at homosexuality as a contagious disease, while others believe it applies just to those who don't like gay people.
Jones, a former GALA president, feels that students gained a valuable experience and had a chance to think about the language they use and why.
The forum was developed by BOS in conjunction with GALA after the Oct. 10 issue of the Observer carried an op-ed by Jones in which he called out Sellers for calling his friend a "fag."
Sellers made headlines last semester as the black student who accused a white RUPD officer of calling her an "uppity nigger" after her arrest for disorderly conduct.
One topic of the discussion at the forum was how certain groups use derogatory language amongst themselves, but become outraged when people outside of their clique use the same terms. For example, gay people who use the term "fag" and blacks who use "nigger."
One student stated that using the word "faggot" is "insensitive" while Jones suggested that maybe gay people use that term as a source of "empowerment" in order to de-stigmatize the word.
However, the main goal of the event was to tap into the students' way of thinking and come up with productive ideas to help people talk about it.
"We're trying to make this a safe school," Jones said. He feels that the overall dialogue was "very productive" and that GALA and BOS were able to challenge the commuters' outlooks and ideas.
Jones plans on having similar discussions in the future on racism and sexism.
For now, students on campus are focusing on making Rutgers-Newark live up to its diversity fame and allow their GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transsexual) peers to feel safe in the school that accepted each one of us.
NCAS students Aqueelah Sellers and Jonathan Jones presented "Take Off Your Mask: Are You Homophobic?" on Monday, Oct. 31 in the PRCC Commuter Lounge.
Students voiced their opinions over pizza as Sellers, Jones, and members of the BOS threw out questions to the crowd such as, "How do you define homophobia?"
Homophobia, which can be an intense, irrational fear of homosexuals and their behavior, seems to mean different things to different students.
Some characterized their friends as homophobic, looking at homosexuality as a contagious disease, while others believe it applies just to those who don't like gay people.
Jones, a former GALA president, feels that students gained a valuable experience and had a chance to think about the language they use and why.
The forum was developed by BOS in conjunction with GALA after the Oct. 10 issue of the Observer carried an op-ed by Jones in which he called out Sellers for calling his friend a "fag."
Sellers made headlines last semester as the black student who accused a white RUPD officer of calling her an "uppity nigger" after her arrest for disorderly conduct.
One topic of the discussion at the forum was how certain groups use derogatory language amongst themselves, but become outraged when people outside of their clique use the same terms. For example, gay people who use the term "fag" and blacks who use "nigger."
One student stated that using the word "faggot" is "insensitive" while Jones suggested that maybe gay people use that term as a source of "empowerment" in order to de-stigmatize the word.
However, the main goal of the event was to tap into the students' way of thinking and come up with productive ideas to help people talk about it.
"We're trying to make this a safe school," Jones said. He feels that the overall dialogue was "very productive" and that GALA and BOS were able to challenge the commuters' outlooks and ideas.
Jones plans on having similar discussions in the future on racism and sexism.
For now, students on campus are focusing on making Rutgers-Newark live up to its diversity fame and allow their GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transsexual) peers to feel safe in the school that accepted each one of us.