2008 Woodie Awards
Don't Ask (I'm Telling): N.C. State's ugly, red, anti-gay face
LGBT student center need is proven
Matt Hill Comer
Issue date: 11/7/06 Section: Opinions
Note from the editor: The column that ran under Matt Hill Comer's name last week was not representative of him or his opinions as it was in fact a piece written by Paul McNeill for a previous edition of this paper. We are running Matt's intended column this week. The Carolinian apologizes for this error.
On Wednesday, Oct. 18, the NC State Student Senate voted 29 for and 14 against the support of establishing a campus center for LGBT students. The Senate proposal was based partly on an official University proposal for such a center.
The University proposal was prompted by NC State's recent number 17 spot on Princeton Review's list of the campuses most un-friendly and un-safe for LGBT students. The proposal also outlined an internal NC State study of the campus' climate for LGBT students and noted the increased rate of suicide for LGBT students, as compared to their straight peers.
When news of the Senate decision broke in the next day's Technician, student debate quickly spread across campus, and even across the state, as the issue was discussed by some of the delegates to a state-wide College Republicans gathering.
A good part of the debate is taking place online. Students have done what students do best: They created a Facebook group, entitled "Students against NCSU LGBT center." At first, the debate was focused on money. Some students said they thought using student fees to build an LGBT center was unnecessary (about half of the $200,000 start up cost for the center will come from NC State's student affairs department).
It didn't take long, however, for NC State to show its ugly, red, anti-gay face. The flood gates were opened and the true feelings came pouring out like a river (all the improper grammar and typos belong to the authors, not me):
"i think the real purpose of this fag house is to pass out anal lube. Plus people that are gay chose that path and since when do chosen minorities get their own fuckin building. im mad that nc state was the 17th most unapplealing to homos, i believe we should strive to be first," said student Eric Dobbins.
On Wednesday, Oct. 18, the NC State Student Senate voted 29 for and 14 against the support of establishing a campus center for LGBT students. The Senate proposal was based partly on an official University proposal for such a center.
The University proposal was prompted by NC State's recent number 17 spot on Princeton Review's list of the campuses most un-friendly and un-safe for LGBT students. The proposal also outlined an internal NC State study of the campus' climate for LGBT students and noted the increased rate of suicide for LGBT students, as compared to their straight peers.
When news of the Senate decision broke in the next day's Technician, student debate quickly spread across campus, and even across the state, as the issue was discussed by some of the delegates to a state-wide College Republicans gathering.
A good part of the debate is taking place online. Students have done what students do best: They created a Facebook group, entitled "Students against NCSU LGBT center." At first, the debate was focused on money. Some students said they thought using student fees to build an LGBT center was unnecessary (about half of the $200,000 start up cost for the center will come from NC State's student affairs department).
It didn't take long, however, for NC State to show its ugly, red, anti-gay face. The flood gates were opened and the true feelings came pouring out like a river (all the improper grammar and typos belong to the authors, not me):
"i think the real purpose of this fag house is to pass out anal lube. Plus people that are gay chose that path and since when do chosen minorities get their own fuckin building. im mad that nc state was the 17th most unapplealing to homos, i believe we should strive to be first," said student Eric Dobbins.
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