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Editor:
Recently, a disagreement became violent in the parking lot of the University Mall, resulting in the stabbing of a young man by a peer. Immediately prior to slashing his victim's throat, the perpetrator called him a faggot. This is not a bias crime, since the victim does not identify, not was her perceived as actually being gay, bisexual, or transgendered, but it should be unsettling to the gay community just the same.
We need to pay attention to the message this sends. The assailant chose more than one supposedly derogatory remark to throw that night, but the final one, the one that dehumanized his peer enough to cut into his flesh was faggot. Applying this label to the other young man, even if he did not actually believe he was gay, demonstrates this boy's complete disregard for the sanctity of the life of gays and lesbians. Society would side with him.
We are still being treated as sub-human. Our subjugation does not always end in violence, but it is still happening. We are discriminated against in hiring, firing, and compensation. Our partnerships are not recognized by law. Our children are taken away.
With no laws to assert our full citizenship, we are denied our rights to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, not to mention security, safety, and privacy. Don't ask, don't tell is being used to push us down and out in the military, but I'm beginning to think we have internalized this idea. We are not asking the questions we should of our leaders, preachers and neighbors. Not enough of us are asking for equal civil right. It seems we too our deciding not to ask, or tell, not to acknowledge the true picture of our lives. In light of this, how can we expect to be told what we want to hear?
Maybe other people are satisfied with the limited inclusion of gay issues in the media and on the political agendas. Tinky-Winky is certainly my biggest focus as a lesbian. Maybe other people are conten with the rights we have. Lack of employment protection and the right to marriage is apparently not important, or as important as children's television. Or, maybe we have just become complacent, allowing our apathy to silence us.
No matter what the cause is of our silence, we must end it. We must use our voices, and make our cause be heard. Not all name calling is harmless. We must remember what we are fighting for. We are fighting for our lives.
Morgan Sheets
Burlington VT
