(no subject)
only berry folks will understand the true meaning of this, my response to the campus carrier.
Upon seeing an article summarizing Wednesday night’s Speakout and Listen I was pleased, because not only would the 200+ students who attended the event know what was said, but the so would entire campus. Then I turned the page and my pleasure turned into disgust as I read “It’s Time for You to Grow Up” by Michael Hulsey. I certainly do not have enough space in a response column to point out every single fallacy in Hulsey’s article, so I will point out a few instead. Oh okay, maybe several.
First off Hulsey has insulted not only Listen, but four other student organizations by labeling them “silly.” Whatever their reason for gathering, these organizations are still important to the students that participate in them, and like Listen, have all been approved by the Student Life Council. Consider this: Listen is a group founded to provide support for GLBT students and their allies, create a social atmosphere for them, create a campus dialogue about GLBT issues, and to establish a safe space where these students can join without fear of criticism. This is also the goal of the Black Student Alliance. If African-American students and their allies, who have been traditionally discriminated against (just like GLBTs), have an official club with the same goal as Listen, are they also silly? Are they fighting an up-hill battle? And if the BSA is silly, would Hulsey dispute the legitimacy of the Office of Multicultural Affairs? Using a blanket statement to generalize campus groups as “silly” is totally unfounded.
Hulsey states that “anyone can form a group to suck precious funds from legitimate academic organizations,” suggesting that one more student organization will break the bank. If my memory serves me well English 102 tells us this is a logical fallacy called Red Herring. The issue, as Hulsey well knows, is not funding but recognition. No doubt to Hulsey, the concerns of gay students do not matter at all; however, club status is not granted or denied on the basis of one individual’s personal prejudices. To deny Listen club status is to say that the concerns of gay students and their allies matter less than those of the Young Democrats, College Republicans, and the Unicycle Club. Listen was approved by Student Life Council in 2003, a fact which Hulsey conveniently misrepresents in his article.
Hulsey suggests that approving Listen may cost the college donors, a fact I do not dispute. Some donors undoubtedly will disapprove; no doubt some supporters disapproved when Berry stopped requiring uniforms or mandatory chapel attendance or when it admitted its first African-American students. Progress always has a price. I am sure that a highly resourceful institution like Berry College can find other sources of funding. Certainly the companies that give same-sex couple benefits that Seth Turner referred to in the discussion Wednesday night would be willing to donate to a school that supports a GLBT affiliated organization. And, as Dr. Frank pointed out, a number of alumni have already stated that they will not make donations to Berry until it recognizes Listen. Furthermore, to suggest that every policy decision should be subject to the approval of individual benefactors is ridiculous. If the college were to poll each of its major donors before making decisions, the day to day operation of this institution would come to a halt.
One of Hulsey’s phrases that particularly catches my eye is “some imaginary phobia.” I hardly think we are talking about some imagined fear, here. Was it this imaginary phobia that killed Matthew Shepard? Was it this imaginary phobia that caused students to vandalize a gay student’s dorm room door two years ago? If it was not some phobia, then it must be good, old fashioned hate. Either way something causes people to do these kinds of terrible things to GLBTs, and the goal of Listen is to replace hate and fear with understanding.
Hulsey warns Listen advocates that in the real world “No one is going to care if you whimper about being misunderstood or if you can’t get your ‘message’ out.” Here’s some food for thought: gay people are in the real world, and the real world is increasingly acknowledging that gay and lesbian men and women are entitled to the same basic rights as all other citizens. Several states; and even foreign countries, have already recognized gay marriage or civil unions, and a great number of corporations from Hewlett-Packard to the Walt Disney company provide benefits for same sex partners. Once he leaves the Berry Bubble, Michael Hulsey may well find himself working with, or for, a gay person. Perhaps he should start attending Listen meetings to prepare.
While I find much to disagree with in Hulsey’s article, I do agree with him on one point-it IS time to grow up.
Upon seeing an article summarizing Wednesday night’s Speakout and Listen I was pleased, because not only would the 200+ students who attended the event know what was said, but the so would entire campus. Then I turned the page and my pleasure turned into disgust as I read “It’s Time for You to Grow Up” by Michael Hulsey. I certainly do not have enough space in a response column to point out every single fallacy in Hulsey’s article, so I will point out a few instead. Oh okay, maybe several.
First off Hulsey has insulted not only Listen, but four other student organizations by labeling them “silly.” Whatever their reason for gathering, these organizations are still important to the students that participate in them, and like Listen, have all been approved by the Student Life Council. Consider this: Listen is a group founded to provide support for GLBT students and their allies, create a social atmosphere for them, create a campus dialogue about GLBT issues, and to establish a safe space where these students can join without fear of criticism. This is also the goal of the Black Student Alliance. If African-American students and their allies, who have been traditionally discriminated against (just like GLBTs), have an official club with the same goal as Listen, are they also silly? Are they fighting an up-hill battle? And if the BSA is silly, would Hulsey dispute the legitimacy of the Office of Multicultural Affairs? Using a blanket statement to generalize campus groups as “silly” is totally unfounded.
Hulsey states that “anyone can form a group to suck precious funds from legitimate academic organizations,” suggesting that one more student organization will break the bank. If my memory serves me well English 102 tells us this is a logical fallacy called Red Herring. The issue, as Hulsey well knows, is not funding but recognition. No doubt to Hulsey, the concerns of gay students do not matter at all; however, club status is not granted or denied on the basis of one individual’s personal prejudices. To deny Listen club status is to say that the concerns of gay students and their allies matter less than those of the Young Democrats, College Republicans, and the Unicycle Club. Listen was approved by Student Life Council in 2003, a fact which Hulsey conveniently misrepresents in his article.
Hulsey suggests that approving Listen may cost the college donors, a fact I do not dispute. Some donors undoubtedly will disapprove; no doubt some supporters disapproved when Berry stopped requiring uniforms or mandatory chapel attendance or when it admitted its first African-American students. Progress always has a price. I am sure that a highly resourceful institution like Berry College can find other sources of funding. Certainly the companies that give same-sex couple benefits that Seth Turner referred to in the discussion Wednesday night would be willing to donate to a school that supports a GLBT affiliated organization. And, as Dr. Frank pointed out, a number of alumni have already stated that they will not make donations to Berry until it recognizes Listen. Furthermore, to suggest that every policy decision should be subject to the approval of individual benefactors is ridiculous. If the college were to poll each of its major donors before making decisions, the day to day operation of this institution would come to a halt.
One of Hulsey’s phrases that particularly catches my eye is “some imaginary phobia.” I hardly think we are talking about some imagined fear, here. Was it this imaginary phobia that killed Matthew Shepard? Was it this imaginary phobia that caused students to vandalize a gay student’s dorm room door two years ago? If it was not some phobia, then it must be good, old fashioned hate. Either way something causes people to do these kinds of terrible things to GLBTs, and the goal of Listen is to replace hate and fear with understanding.
Hulsey warns Listen advocates that in the real world “No one is going to care if you whimper about being misunderstood or if you can’t get your ‘message’ out.” Here’s some food for thought: gay people are in the real world, and the real world is increasingly acknowledging that gay and lesbian men and women are entitled to the same basic rights as all other citizens. Several states; and even foreign countries, have already recognized gay marriage or civil unions, and a great number of corporations from Hewlett-Packard to the Walt Disney company provide benefits for same sex partners. Once he leaves the Berry Bubble, Michael Hulsey may well find himself working with, or for, a gay person. Perhaps he should start attending Listen meetings to prepare.
While I find much to disagree with in Hulsey’s article, I do agree with him on one point-it IS time to grow up.