If you listen closely, you can hear them. Shhhhhhh. The silent majority is speaking, but you have to uncover their conversations at dinner tables, in private e-mails and in whispered secrets. They are persecuted for speaking.
Seems undemocratic, huh? Well, it all began in the 1960s …
The 1960s were years of tumultuous change for our country. In fact, Washington, D.C. was packed to the brim with Vietnam War protesters, modern feminists and civil rights activists. Among these progressives was the Gay Liberation Movement, a militant call from the LGBT community advancing the lifestyles of those who were anything but heterosexual.
Since those radical years, the movement has won significant victories. Sexual orientation has been added to many non-discrimination policies, LGBT characters are the heroes of countless mainstream movies and several national governments have promoted gay and lesbian human rights.
Of course, like all political and social movements, the LGBT movementÕs successes have come with a hefty price. In 1999, Matthew Shepard, a Wyoming college student, was robbed, tied to a fence and beaten to death for his homosexuality. Surprisingly, the FBI announced in 2004 that 15.6 percent of hate crimes reported to police in the United States were based on perceived sexual orientation.
In addition to this physical violence, LGBT students suffer verbal abuse at high schools, colleges and the workplace. Due to their graphic nature, I will not repeat them in print. However, we hear these hurtful ridicules and angered expressions of hate everywhere — including N.C. State.
Undoubtedly, our University has a long journey toward achieving social equality. The ignorance and hate directed towards LGBT students must stop. You do not have to approve of someoneÕs lifestyle to treat them humanely and with dignity. We, as the student body, must make a commitment to try to understand all people through conversations and friendships.
Unfortunately, this month, the LGBT community has asked the student body to endorse an LGBT center.
The term “silent majority” is needed again to answer this recent proposal.
President Nixon defined the phrase to signify the large majority of Americans who did not join protests against the Vietnam War nor join the counterculture movement. He believed the radical, vocal minority overshadowed the rest of the nation by using the media and extreme demonstrations to sell their unpopular world views.
Likewise, the silent majority of N.C. State says “no” to the creation of an LGBT center. Selfishly, many of those who promote the center have ended the needed debate of reason and logic by labeling those who donÕt endorse the center as “haters” and “homophobes.” Students are afraid to speak out against a center they do not want.
There are many fair and sound arguments against an LGBT center that do not involve approving a lifestyle or determining whether sexuality is a choice. We must accept that LGBT students are part of the student body — by creation or by choice.
With that said, an LGBT center would not benefit the student body or the LGBT movement itself. The estimated start-up cost for the center is $200,000. While that might begin as a new $7 fee, departments and centers across the University have a history of expanding out of control, raising costs exponentially.
Also, the benefits of this new center would not be far-reaching. All students at N.C. State would be required to pay for an LGBT center, but an overwhelming amount of students would not use it. LetÕs be honest here — what percentage of the student body uses the African American Cultural Center or the WomenÕs Center? Even less would use an LGBT center.
To add to all of this, our University already has programs and counseling services in place for LGBT students. Campus Activities has a part-time worker to help develop LGBT programs and Student Health has trained counselors to assist students with concerns involving sexuality.
No, N.C. State does not need an LGBT Center and the silent majority does not approve of its creation. Overpaid Student Affairs employees sitting in office cubicles will not make our campus more welcoming. What we need instead is tolerance and education — these can only be obtained if tuition and fees remain low.
For those who want a new center, please start having bake sales and car washes and stop trying to waste our money. The silent majority cannot afford to stay quiet any longer.
E-mail Forrest at [email protected].
