Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues are dominating campus discourse this week. Junior Terry Levine was allegedly assaulted because of his sexual orientation this past weekend. Senior Matt Pohl is spearheading a campaign against the Red Cross' policy that forbids gay men from donating blood. And the Medford/Somerville state representative race has turned ugly, with third parties distributing anti-homosexual literature against alum Carl Sciortino.
These issues are sensitive, but it is important that they be discussed. Each issue must be analyzed individually, but must also be considered in the larger sphere of the LGBT community's status at Tufts.
While Levine's alleged assault is still under investigation by the Dean of Students Office, it must be taken seriously. We should feel safe on this campus, without fear of violence from other students. Although the alleged assailant was reportedly drunk at the time, this does not justify his actions.
The seriousness of the alleged remarks is debatable, but everyone can condemn the incident's reported violence. Slapping and pushing someone against a wall by the neck should shock and shame students. Further investigation is needed and must be provided to the student body as soon as possible.
Students who disagree on LGBT issues should use pro-active methods to discuss their viewpoints without causing LGBT students to feel victimized on this campus. Pohl's challenges to the Red Cross' policy last spring were met with criticism, because many thought he was attacking the integrity of blood drives.
It is easy to understand this interpretation. The Red Cross does not allow men who have sex with men to donate blood because they have a higher statistical risk of catching and transmitting AIDS. For a similar reason, it does not allow people who have spent more than three months in Great Britain or six months in other parts of Europe to donate, since they have a higher statistical risk of acquiring mad-cow disease. Health concerns trump all others in a blood drive.
Pohl has discussed ways to change this policy with the Tufts administration, the Red Cross and the Leonard Carmichael Society. He is correct to take a proactive step, with the opportunity to make a real change, instead of simply condemning the blood drive.
If an agreement can be made by which men who have sex with men can give blood safely, this should be allowed. Until then, the safety of the blood recipients must take the first priority.
There are real concerns about anti-homosexual sentiment in the flyers sent out to Somerville and Medford voters, encouraging them not to vote for Sciortino. The flyers don't attack his policies, but his status as a gay man. The flyers call him a "homosexual, anti-Catholic extremist," and warn, "Now he's about to be YOUR state representative!"
These are attempts to stir up fearful, reactionary views among local voters that have no political basis. This is muckraking at its worst and should not be tolerated by Medford and Somerville voters.
Tufts Republicans have invited one of the main proponents of the flyer campaign, Brian Camenker of the Parents' Rights Coalition (PRC), to speak on campus tomorrow in part of its "Homosexuality and Society" forum. It is understandable and right for the Tufts Republicans to discuss the gay issues being debated across the nation today. But it does not need to invite speakers who go so far to ask whether homosexuality even exists.
Tufts Republicans don't have to be anti-homosexual in order to be conservative. A basic tenant of conservatism is to let people do as they wish without government intervention. They are entirely within their rights to debate current issues, but inviting disrespectful speakers to campus alienates a significant portion of Tufts' student body.
While the Tufts campus is largely welcoming to LGBT students, this weekend's alleged crime suggests that threats still exist. Rather than fostering a hostile environment, campus leaders like Pohl and the Tufts Republicans should find a way to peacefully coexist.
