So, in light of the recent opinion pieces published in the Argus, I really can’t take it anymore. Once again, the over-politicized and sometimes downright bitchy queer community here at Wesleyan seems to be fixated upon its favorite two issues: chalking and obsessing over sex. I think I would die of shock if the queer community at large here would wake up and realize that there’s more to being gay, lesbian, bi, etc. than chalking about sex or going on and on in a complete over-analysis of its members’ own sexual practices.
What purpose does this really serve? Is it your intention when chalking to make people shake their heads in disgust? Did it ever occur to you that possibly one of the reasons the chalking privilege was suspended was because so many of you couldn’t get out of your adolescent frames of mind that revolve only around sex? Did it ever sink in that this type of discourse may be more harmful than beneficial? If straight people walked around chalking about all the sexual acts they were going to perform or went about talking about sex non-stop, most people would call them immature. But the queer community seems to think that it is immune from such criticisms simply because it is a minority. Basically, it seems as though if you’re queer, then that makes everything okay. What do you think happens to those questioning people who read the things you are writing and think that this is the only aspect of the queer world?
When I visited here with my mother as a pre-frosh, I can tell you right now that if some of the things I’ve seen written in chalk in the past were on campus then, there is no way in hell I would be attending Wesleyan right now. In this little ultra-liberal haven we like to call “Diversity University” we tend to forget there is a real world out there. This world isn’t necessarily even ready to embrace the queer community. The real world damn sure isn’t going to come to understand queers by the use of shocking vocabulary and in-your-face militant sexual intimidations. To those that think this approach is the only course of action that the queer community has and that if we don’t embrace it we hate ourselves, you’re wrong. Don’t say that those of us that feel differently have to conform to your belief system. We don’t have to let the homophobic attitudes of others shape our entire being and drown out the varying aspects of our personalities.
If you feel victimized and that respect toward those of a different sexual orientation on this campus is lacking, you should show a little maturity and reason when it comes to solving the problem. I feel that most people would be more inclined to accept people of different orientations if you deigned to have an actual conversation with them instead of trying to deliberately make people uncomfortable and ultimately unresponsive to the situation. But, if you’re so ashamed or scared of what you have to talk about that you have to chalk about it anonymously, then maybe you’re not even sure of what it is that you really want to say. It’s much easier to scribble things like “I gender-fucked your little brother in the ass” in the middle of the night than it is to have a face-to-face conversation with someone about real issues. But, queers of Wesleyan, if you want to take the easy way out, that’s your decision. You so easily confuse peoples’ fears of sexual deviance with their respect of an alternate identity and in so doing have alienated many people, queers and heterosexuals alike.
So, queer community of Wesleyan, let’s try to clean up our act. Let’s have our parties and commemorate our holidays, but please, let’s be mature about it. Let’s not scare those away whom we’re trying to educate, and most importantly, let’s try to encourage people to explore new ideas, not just intimidate them. In short, actually say something. Don’t just describe what you would like to do sexually to various members of peoples’ families. After all, if our ultimate purpose is to bring greater understanding and respect to the queer community, we can’t always play by our own rules. It will take compromise. Straight people have usually played by their own rules. Look where it got us. Where do we want to take them?
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