I had a frustrating weekend two weekends ago. While I was walking home from radical cheerleading practice, a white man stuck his head out of his window and shouted “faggot” at me. Unfortunately, I was not surprised, as i had just learned from some friends that they too had recently been called racist and homophobic slurs. On Saturday night, a student of color was verbally assaulted and had a drink thrown on her by a white non-Wesleyan student for engaging in an explicitly racial conversaton. That same night, as my housemate was walking home, some white men on a house porch harrassed him for holding hands with his boyfriend. Another queer frend told me about how uncomfortable and physically threatened she felt at a DKE party when she overheard a white DKE alum joking with his friends about chasing Mexican people in their work as border patrol guards. He also exclaimed that they should stop letting gay people into Wes.
These incidents relate to one another in that they all reflect the racism, homophobia, and sexism embedded in our society and perpetuated by people in the Wesleyan community. I am angry and disheartened that there is not even basic tolerance at Wesleyan for people’s differences. It is the responsibility of every single person here to build a respectful community. Creating a safer atmosphere means challenging racism, homophobia, sexism, and all the other isms that result in psychological and physical assaults on our peers’ minds, bodies, and social well-being. I’m sick of white people shutting their eyes to broader systems of racism and straight folks who refuse to challenge homophobic attitudes. Shape up Wes, shape up.
PS: These are the incidences I heard about or experienced two weekends ago. I’m sure there are more, and if you are interested in recording yours to make known the pervasiveness of racism, homophobia, and sexism on our campus then you should write me at ejaeger@wesleyan.edu
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