CONSIDERING the history of the Jewish people, I picked a pretty good time and place to be born. I can count on one hand the number of times I've faced anti-Semitism from people who actually believed what they were saying, something even my father can't claim. Being Jewish in America today is more a novelty than a mark, and where it once engendered fear and suspicion it now usually triggers curiosity, if anything.
Unfortunately, discrimination against members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, often referred to as the LGBT community, is as rampant in this country as both anti-Semitism and racism were but a short time ago. It was heartening, then, to see students from the LGBT community and some of their heterosexual compatriots standing up to discrimination as part of the Queer Student Union's annual Proud to be Out Week. It may not change much in the short term, but their courage shows exactly the kind of perseverance necessary if we're ever going to rid grounds or this country of arbitrary enmity towards gays.
Gays and lesbians have the dubious honor of being the "invisible minority," commented QSU president and fourth year College student Blake Wilding. Should they choose to do so, they can blend in with everyone else in a way that blacks and even Jews cannot. The discrimination associated with "coming out of the closet" leaves many with the tempting option of repressing their identity in return for social acceptance, and Proud to be Out Week targets this trade-off. As the name implies, the event's message to the LGBT community was to "be proud and share our identities," Wilding said.
The week wasn't designed to induce gays and lesbians to come out but rather to show that there is a community ready to stand with them in solidarity when they are ready to. "This is a celebration of people being open and honest about their lives and who they love," remarked third year College student Wyatt Fore. "We don't spend the other 51 weeks of the year in the closet, and we want them to know that." By keeping up a visible presence on Grounds all week and holding several events, including the ever-popular Drag Bingo, they did a fine job of making clear to students of every sexual orientation that the University's LGBT community is not only visible but kicking.
These are normal people living normal moral lives, but many others in our own community see them as anything but. In the aftermath of last year's high profile discriminatory actions towards blacks here at the University, the Daily Progress reported that several students had come forward alleging equally disturbing comments and behavior on account of their sexual orientation. Also, many students will remember the "Gay? NOT fine by me" banner posted in Hereford in response to last year's Proud to be Out Week, which was trumpeted by many campus conservatives as a stirring example of free speech.
Religious conservatives here and across the nation argue that due to the sinful nature of homosexuality they can discriminate against them accordingly. This line of reasoning makes the fundamental misjudgment that somehow homosexuality is a choice or a defect that can be simply overcome by sheer force of will, and it contradicts what I've been told by just about every gay or lesbian I've ever met, and I think they would know. "We might not have wanted to be different, but we are different and we're at a point where we embrace it," said Wilding. It's something realized, not chosen, and it's just as arbitrary a trait as skin color or ethnicity. Granted, it's possible they're all part of a giant gay conspiracy that's been lying to us for years, but to me that looks about as credible as the charge that the Jews were behind 9/11. If we were, no one gave me the heads up.
Both the QSU and Queer and Allied Activism, an explicitly political group, have busy semesters ahead of them, especially with a constitutional amendment on the ballot in November that would ban gay marriage or anything remotely resembling it. "We're going to have to step it up," said Wilding. "We can't sit by with something like this happening." The prospects for success in the short term remain uncertain, but what is certain is that these groups and their allies are in it for the long haul to ensure the kind of societal progress that has helped other minorities escape prejudice and discrimination. Someday, we'll look back on those who find it acceptable to discriminate against the LGBT community the same way we look at racists and anti-Semites today. In the meantime, it's comforting to know that people are out there standing up for what's right.
A.J. Kornblith's column appears Mondays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at akornblith@cavalierdaily.com.
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