I have supported your choice in publishing some of the most offensive articles I have ever read, including everything from David Horowitz’ islamofascist ad campaign targeting Muslim students on our campus, to the Yes on Prop 8 opinion columns and letters, some of which contain lines that run through my head and keep me up at night: “California voters spoke again in 2008 and you people still won’t shut up. What’s it going to take, free rainbow wristbands and a latte on the go?” (“I Voted “Yes” on Prop 8 And I Am Not Ashamed,” Daily Nexus, Nov. 14).
I supported ALL of these decisions because we, as a group, often needed to be reminded that there are crazies out there. Yes. I said crazies. Anyone who uses “you people” to refer to a political party with far higher percentages of people of color and the queer community needs to examine precisely what their purpose is in attending a liberal arts institution. Throughout all this, my dear Nexus, I have been supportive of your choices to run these articles. As a member of the queer community, which has been attacked in various letters and columns, I supported your running of anti-gay, homophobic columns because people need to know the true world we live in, and what we are to face if we will ever create change.
Until recently, I stood and supported the Nexus’ journalistic integrity, perhaps because I had been a reporter and may have written an article on sea turtles (fact check me, I dare you).
But then, as I was dragging my can’t-legally-get-married, can’t-adopt-in-most-states, can’t-serve-my-country-in-the-military, can’t-give-blood ass across campus, what appeared in front of my wondering eyes but a particular birthday ad? The ad featured two shirtless men, one in front of the other. It said the Daily Nexus wishes blah blah a happy birthday. “We hope you have a gay old time.”
Let me spell it out for you. Two naked straight dudes. One behind the other. Anal sex. Ha ha. Must be gay. So funny. Do you have the next game of pong or what? Do you have journalistic integrity? This is not precisely a use of “you people,” but it promotes the kind of homophobic attitudes that foster the violence against queer people that we saw in Isla Vista this past summer.
I think to myself, is this an overreaction of mine? Then I think, if this were a racial joke regarding communities on our campus, would people speak up then? Would it still have been printed? What makes homophobic jokes okay? This is offensive. Consider this a request for a written apology to the queer community from the Nexus.
OverreactionWow. Just wow. That really offended you? That was one of the lightest homosexual jokes I’ve probably ever heard. Not to mention it had nothing to do with you or any part of the homosexual community; it was simply a joke, meant for friends. If you don’t like it, too bad. You are bitter because America hasn’t quite accepted the fact of homosexual couples; in other words, you’re mad for not being accepted yet. Well, why haven’t you been accepted? Because you’re different? Well guess what? The person who put that ad in, they’re different from you, obviously, and they… Read more »
Wow
If this offended you then you have some serious problems because there are things in this world that are a hell of a lot more offensive than some ad or opinion piece in a college newspaper. Grow up.
moron
gay has two meanings: homosexual and happy. "Have a gay old time", have a happy time. Fuck, they say "gay old time" in the Flinstone’s theme song. I recommend you never go to Britain, because "fag" their means cigarette. Words often have to meanings, you need to look at the connotation.
What’s in a name?Hey Ditz, first of all, advertisements are separate from journalistic stories. If you’ve worked at the Nexus, you would know about that line between the two. Second, have you seen any of the other Nexus birthday ads? This isn’t exactly breaking new ground. Third, do you know the exact relationship between the staff and the person being wished a happy birthday? Fourth, do you even know the person being wished a happy birthday? And finally, since you wrote that moronic letter, you are no longer in the running for my personal Opinion write in of the year… Read more »
AcceptanceIn this country, being a black person or being gay is VERY DIFFERENT from having a sense of humor different from others. Being ridiculed or insulted for your sense of humor has NO RESEMBLANCE to being ridiculed or insulted because of the color of your skin or your sexual orientation. If someone attacks me because they think my views or jokes are offenseive, they are attacking only ME and MY VIEWS. If however, someone attacks me because I am Latino or because I am a bisexual, they are attacking me because I belong to a certain group, and thus are… Read more »
Acceptance Vs. RidiculousnessSo let me get this straight, you are offended not by Muslims being grouped with terrorists, not by people trying to explain why they voted yes for prop 8, but a BIRTHDAY AD? With a harmless joke about the lack of context for the photo? How is that homophobic? Wow, now I am offended. If anything, that ad was homophilic. Where is the irrational fear/hatred of homosexuals? Nonexistent! Now if the caption was, "OH NO THEY ARE HOMOS BURN THEM" then yeah, I could understand. Equating this to racism and sexism is similar to that UCR professor attacking… Read more »
Way to go oversensitive!
People like you want to censor and make the media even more politically correct. I loathe movements like yours which call out innocent situations and try to twist them so people will "support your cause"! Grow up and stop being so overly sensitive.
PS, I voted yes on 8 too so I must be a bigot too?
I agree with Trevor. It seems ridiculous to me that the queer community would even have to ask the nexus not to mock them but i guess they do. when people write response letters to the nexus that piss me off or are intolerant – whatever, that’s their opinion and i can think they’re stupid. however, when the nexus prints a joke that mocks a community on campus that is different. we are paying for this paper with our fees and we do not have to support the staff choosing to write homophobic jokes. i understand that they feel they… Read more »
Taking offense.To be offended by something means that you feel marginalized, hated, oppressed, attacked, mocked, trivialized, or degraded. That’s why Trevor said he felt offended by the birthday ad. He felt the ad mocked homosexuality, and turned a core part of a gay’s identity into a joke. It doesn’t make sense to be offended by political correctness. You can be angry about it, fed up with it, criticize it or debunk it if it is ridiculous (which it can be), but I certainly can’t see anyone feeling like political correctness marginalizes them or makes them feel hurt or ashamed. If… Read more »
OffenseYet again, all I see out of this movement is corruption of the English language to cater to the feelings of a tiny, yet vocal minority. The term "offended" means that displeasure and resentment were produced from the action. There is a reason that certain language is "offensive" and so is content on television. People can be offended by nudity, people can be offended by curse words. You can be offended by a smell. So technically the term is being incorrectly augmented rather than diminished in emotional value. And if there has been some sort of redefinition (I would like… Read more »
In response to the previous post: I am not trying to narrow the definition of a certain English word. I was simply explaining what Trevor meant by his use of that word. And I certainly wouldn’t want to censor anyone who would like to write about political correctness. Fortunately the Nexus publishes almost anything we send in, so all sides of any issue are given a voice. In fact, I would welcome a thoughtful and intelligent essay about this so-called PC "movement." Are you under the impression that women, gays, blacks, and all other minorities are so "trigger-happy" and fed… Read more »
ironic
i just feel like if you can take a dick you can take a joke. awkward…
just kidding…
lol no but seriously you response was really well written but I think misguided. The Daily Nexus publishes the wednesday hump, it’s not exactly the New York Times. People need to stop getting offended over stuff. They are going to post trashy stuff because its entertaining, so if you get offended easily STOP READING IT