Here's a piece that I submitted to the Hoya, was told that they would publish it, and was then told that it might contain "untruths" and was then held from being printed. Or maybe, as a friend suggested, they were just afraid to publish it because - well, they're the Hoya - which is why I thought it was hilarious I sent it to them to begin with. Anyway, here goes...
Students are barely back on campus for the fall, and already a familiar topic is again dominating the student newspapers: security at Georgetown. Walking around campus and taking note of the many "See Something? Say Something!" posters, it is hard not to feel as though perhaps George Bush himself is driving the conversation.
Considering this, I could not help but laugh when I read through a recent email from the Department of Public Safety on a student facing homophobic harassment while walking through Burleith this weekend. The crime, of course, was anything but funny, but the response the university gave was too much for me to take with a straight face.
After the hate crimes committed last year, it is undoubtedly uncomfortable for some queer Hoyas to be out at Georgetown. As the most legally discriminated against group in the country, why shouldn't LGBT students also be the most likely to be harassed or assaulted by daring to walk around campus?
The university's half-hearted efforts to balance its "religious" traditions with actually supporting the queer community have done little to help, and perhaps the administration is not to blame; real change probably has to come, first and foremost, from the student body. The student who was harassed this weekend faced what was described as a group of ten male students, and if not one of those ten had the decency to protest when the harassment started, university policy doesn't really matter.
Nonetheless, the administration apparently feels it necessary to put out a security alert just to cover its bases and be sure it is not seen as being indifferent towards the crime. In fact, all the email proved was that the university has absolutely no solutions.
First off, the report does not seem to suggest that there was a victim in this act, as under the "Victim(s)" category we learn only that no physical injuries were obtained by anyone present. The "Victim(s) status" is left empty, so we are able to ponder the results of homophobic harassment ourselves. I suppose that after students were physically assaulted last year based on their sexuality, getting yelled at doesn't seem to victimize anyone too greatly.
The report then lists the same wonderful safety tips the administration always provides: If anything happens to you, call us so that we can search for the culprit with no results. Don't ever leave your doors unlocked, though that won't really help you if the crime happens on the streets. And if you need to go anywhere safely, call us and we'll pick you up, just like Enterprise. There is nothing like an irrelevant form email to say that you care about the student involved.
What is the real message here? This incident occurred at 7:50pm. Before sunset. It was not a case of someone traveling alone in the wee hours of the morning, stumbling through Burleith wasted in the dark. Should LGBT students call for SafeRides to go to class in the afternoon, lest they risk being attacked on the streets?
It seems to me that the new "Driving While Black" is "Walking While Gay." You don't have to do anything to be harassed, and if you are there's nothing anyone can do about it. The university can only send out a worthless email telling you to make sure your windows aren't unlocked, and at any time of day you may be harassed or assaulted without reason. Being yourself and existing is crime enough.
But again, I try not to blame the administration. It is largely the student body that is responsible. Georgetown students are far more likely to sign up for a queer rights Facebook group or pull the level for a liberal candidate than they are to actually stand up to daily homophobia they themselves encounter. Most people would rather put a Human Rights Campaign magnet on their fridge than tell a friend to apologize for calling something "gay" or using a homophobic slur. The culture will never change until we stand up together and say it's unacceptable.
Until then, some free advice to the incoming first-year students: Keep your doors locked at all times. Program the DPS number into your cellphone. And please, please try not to be gay.
Students are barely back on campus for the fall, and already a familiar topic is again dominating the student newspapers: security at Georgetown. Walking around campus and taking note of the many "See Something? Say Something!" posters, it is hard not to feel as though perhaps George Bush himself is driving the conversation.
Considering this, I could not help but laugh when I read through a recent email from the Department of Public Safety on a student facing homophobic harassment while walking through Burleith this weekend. The crime, of course, was anything but funny, but the response the university gave was too much for me to take with a straight face.
After the hate crimes committed last year, it is undoubtedly uncomfortable for some queer Hoyas to be out at Georgetown. As the most legally discriminated against group in the country, why shouldn't LGBT students also be the most likely to be harassed or assaulted by daring to walk around campus?
The university's half-hearted efforts to balance its "religious" traditions with actually supporting the queer community have done little to help, and perhaps the administration is not to blame; real change probably has to come, first and foremost, from the student body. The student who was harassed this weekend faced what was described as a group of ten male students, and if not one of those ten had the decency to protest when the harassment started, university policy doesn't really matter.
Nonetheless, the administration apparently feels it necessary to put out a security alert just to cover its bases and be sure it is not seen as being indifferent towards the crime. In fact, all the email proved was that the university has absolutely no solutions.
First off, the report does not seem to suggest that there was a victim in this act, as under the "Victim(s)" category we learn only that no physical injuries were obtained by anyone present. The "Victim(s) status" is left empty, so we are able to ponder the results of homophobic harassment ourselves. I suppose that after students were physically assaulted last year based on their sexuality, getting yelled at doesn't seem to victimize anyone too greatly.
The report then lists the same wonderful safety tips the administration always provides: If anything happens to you, call us so that we can search for the culprit with no results. Don't ever leave your doors unlocked, though that won't really help you if the crime happens on the streets. And if you need to go anywhere safely, call us and we'll pick you up, just like Enterprise. There is nothing like an irrelevant form email to say that you care about the student involved.
What is the real message here? This incident occurred at 7:50pm. Before sunset. It was not a case of someone traveling alone in the wee hours of the morning, stumbling through Burleith wasted in the dark. Should LGBT students call for SafeRides to go to class in the afternoon, lest they risk being attacked on the streets?
It seems to me that the new "Driving While Black" is "Walking While Gay." You don't have to do anything to be harassed, and if you are there's nothing anyone can do about it. The university can only send out a worthless email telling you to make sure your windows aren't unlocked, and at any time of day you may be harassed or assaulted without reason. Being yourself and existing is crime enough.
But again, I try not to blame the administration. It is largely the student body that is responsible. Georgetown students are far more likely to sign up for a queer rights Facebook group or pull the level for a liberal candidate than they are to actually stand up to daily homophobia they themselves encounter. Most people would rather put a Human Rights Campaign magnet on their fridge than tell a friend to apologize for calling something "gay" or using a homophobic slur. The culture will never change until we stand up together and say it's unacceptable.
Until then, some free advice to the incoming first-year students: Keep your doors locked at all times. Program the DPS number into your cellphone. And please, please try not to be gay.
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