Letter to the Editor:

This letter to the editor was published in the Tan and Cardinal, Otterbein student newspaper, on October 20, 2005.

Dear Editor,
For the queer community and its allies, this past week was a watershed interval: October 11th was National Coming Out Day and October 12th was the seventh anniversary of Matthew Shepard's death. Matthew, a 21-year-old college student, was savagely beaten because he was honest about his sexual identity: he was tied to a fence post and left to die on a lonely Wyoming plain. As members of newly-formed GLBTQ (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, intersexed, queer, and questioning) Advisory Commission, we write to mark the moment. More than that, we write in the interests of facilitating honest, open dialogue and promoting a culture of respect. To that end, we want to present some unadorned and simple truths:

Homophobia damages us all. Homophobia obstructs our capacity to form close, lasting relationships with members of the same sex: parents and heterosexual students often request room changes when they learn a roommate is gay, lesbian, or bisexual. And when old roommates or friends learn the truth of a student's orientation, they sometimes respond with anger, revulsion, and rejection.
Homophobia obstructs communication and connection between teachers and students. Based on social myths and stereotypes, faculty members have "misread" the sexual identity of both straight and GLBTQ students. And few GLBTQ students and faculty are "out" in our classrooms: because they fear that they won't be accepted, and because they fear that their whole identity will be reduced to a single truth.
Homophobia bifurcates our campus. GLBTQ students know that specific zones of the campus are more gay-welcoming: the right side of the cafeteria, Battelle, Sphinx, the White House, etc. Other zones are contested, ambiguous ground: certain residence halls, certain greek houses, certain buildings or classrooms.
Homophobia compromises our collective humanity and makes the campus a more hostile place: if a student is openly gay - or fits a sexual stereotype - words like "dyke" or "fag" appear on their message boards in the dorms. Freezone (Otterbein's gay-straight alliance) fliers have been torn down or studded with derogatory statements, and last year, Freezone chalkings were defaced with swastikas. Faculty and students have experienced homophobic phone and voice mail harassment, and students have also confronted faith-based forms of homophobia on campus. In the Spring of 2005, a bathroom in Roush Hall was "tagged" with homophobic graffiti.
For years, members of the Otterbein community have worked hard to respond to these realities with compassion and quick action: Student Affairs staff, RA's and Hall Directors, campus security personnel, other students, and many faculty have served as strong allies and advocates for GLBTQ students. We've made great strides, but there's more work to be done.

Thus, Bob Gatti (VP for Student Affairs) brought a group of concerned students, faculty, and student affairs staff to make an anti-homophobic presence more visible on campus. We hope to raise the profile of the GLBTQ community - its culture, its theories, and its issues. In addition, the commission will work to infuse the campus with information, support, and resources. We're here, we're listening, and we're gaining momentum. For more information, to share a concern, or to become involved contact Suzanne Ashworth or Angela Harris.

Sincerely,
the GLBTQ Advisory Commission