Chants of "Hey DiBaggs, up in Ballou. We don't discriminate, how about you?" and "2-4-6-8, we don't discriminate" accompanied the sound of beating drums and saxophone tunes as students, faculty, and members of the community joined hands in a circle around Ballou Hall yesterday afternoon. During this march and a rally on the library roof, event organizers approximate that 450 to 500 people turned out to request that the administration address issues of discrimination on campus.
The party-like atmosphere created by the music quickly turned serious, as several short speeches by students and faculty implored those in attendance to action. Rally-goers were loud, and united in cheer to support the speakers' demands for administrative attention to the issue of discrimination.
Organizers chanting "Out of your closets and into the streets" then led the boisterous crowd around the academic quad and to Ballou, where members of Tufts Students Against Discrimination (TSAD), an ad hoc committee of concerned students formed last week, delivered the 2,000 petitions in support of their cause to President John DiBiaggio's office.
The slew of hate incidents this semester combined with the Tufts Community Union Judiciary's (TCUJ) ruling on a complaint of discrimination filed against the Tufts Christian Fellowship (TCF) spurred a campus-wide movement to fight discrimination. TSAD's petition criticized that decision, saying that it nullified Tufts' non-discrimination policy, and therefore calls for the administration to "intervene in this decision and fully protect the student body."
"I feel that our University needs to be a safe university for all students. I feel the ambiguities mentioned in the TCUJ decision and the separation between beliefs and identities make it unsafe," said junior Roger Winn, one organizer of the event.
"I hope it shows the school that we're mad. The school can step in at any time to overrule the J," TTLGBC co-coordinator Laurie Bishop said. "The school is going to realize sooner or later that they can't just let this happen."
Protestors returned to the library roof and vowed not to stop their fight until they achieve change. "This not the end, this is only the beginning. Changing people's ideas takes a long time," organizer Kat Cheung told the crowd. "Please keep the student power alive. We can make a difference. We can effect change."
Members of TSAD will be meeting with DiBiaggio on Friday morning and are asking him to hold a community forum to discuss the issue of discrimination. They are also demanding that the administration strengthen the non-discrimination policy, as they feel the TCUJ ruling implies that it is ineffective.
Dean of Students Bruce Reitman attended the event and said that the administration will be working to address this issue. "Whether people are unsafe or feeling unsafe, that's a community problem that needs to be addressed, and it will be addressed," Reitman said. "The clear message is that people are concerned about safety and concerned about each other."
Rally organizers were thrilled with the turnout. "The number of people that showed up for this rally shows how much we care about this University," Cheung said. "It's no longer an issue about TCF."
The crowd was not limited to members of the Tufts community, as other area college students and people from Medford, Somerville, and Boston came to add their voices to the calls for action against discrimination.
Students said that they were drawn to the rally because they feel that the TCUJ's ruling in the TCF case leaves members of the Tufts community potential victims to widespread discrimination. "I think this decision sets a dangerous precedent for the school," junior Vanessa Dillon said. "I think it's good that people realize that this isn't just a gay rights issue. It's not just a minority issue either, it's a human rights issue."
"The present non-discrimination policy affects everyone, and it is great that such a big population came to show their concern," said junior Merneysa Rivera, who heads the TCU Senate's committee on Culture, Ethnicity, and Community Affairs. "It's great that this rally transcended all lines and boundaries between every group on campus."
Not all students who attended the rally agreed with TSAD's argument that the TCUJ nullified the non-discrimination policy. "I support the TCUJ decision. I feel like here we have an issue where we have two rights in conflict. The ruling is the best possible way to reconcile the two sides," said sophomore Aaron Clift, who held a sign proclaiming that Tufts is safe. "I feel that what's really being silenced on this campus is the voice of common sense."
Some criticized organizers for turning the cause of concern about discrimination into a protest over the TCUJ ruling. "This was not supposed to be strictly about TCF and non-discrimination. I'm very upset that it has turned into a protest," junior Angel Vail said. "We need to have a forum like the one on Thursday night, rather than screaming, which doesn't get results. I support the whole idea of this, but I don't support their means of doing it."
