Wednesday, October 27, 2004

"Support the Court" 

That is the slogan on buttons on backpacks that carry also peace signs, KEdwards buttons and the other qaqaa that graces the students and faculty who insist that others know of their highmindedness. A crown graces the top, and 2004 below.

"Wow, that was fast," I thought. Because you know what this is about.

Today we received in the campus email a "letter of support" from the student government, soliciting signatures for the following. I will discuss it below, but in fairness to these students I am printing all but the last sentence here first. (The last sentence names the four members of the Royalty and congratulates them.)

Letter of Support for the 2004 SCSU Homecoming Royalty

We, the undersigned concerned students, faculty, and staff of St. Cloud State University feel the imperative need to express our support for the individuals that were elected by the students as the university�s 2004 Homecoming royalty. While we recognize a break with tradition in this matter, we do not feel that any negative attention given these elections is in any way justified. No attempt was made by any of the candidates or royalty to belittle the process or the proud traditions of Homecoming at SCSU. The election of [name deleted] as Homecoming Queen merely shows that his supporters do not feel the need to fit themselves within the contemporary stereotypes of gender roles. In addition, the election of a Homecoming Court comprised entirely of people of color is another proud first for our University.

Homecoming is about celebrating who we are as a campus and a community. We believe that this year�s candidates and royalty do just that. Furthermore, we deplore the manner in which this event has been handled and addressed by certain members of the university community. Closed-minded hate speech is not viable journalism, nor is it approropriate in addressing concerns to any member of the university community or any entities thereof. Furthermore, we find the racism and homophobia directed towards our Homecoming royalty deplorable. This kind of terror can never be tolerated in an institution of higher education or its community. We find any act of malice, hate or aggression against any member of our community despicable and unacceptable.

To those that would decry the actions of any of our Homecoming candidates on the grounds that it breaks with tradition, a simple question can be asked. Have we not broken with many traditions in the last 200 years that oppressed humanity? Social progress often requires people to challenge their own assumptions and to step outside of what they are comfortable with. This is an institution of higher education. We can ask only that those that feel uncomfortable in this situation use that as a learning experience.

In summary, these events offer St. Cloud State and its communities many great opportunities. They offer the opportunity to learn and to grow as a community. They offer many the opportunities to assess their own beliefs in contemporary gender norms and gender stereotypes as well as the opportunity to discuss this with others. Finally, this offers the St. Cloud community the opportunity to show that it can turn even a Homecoming coronation ceremony into a learning opportunity.

Thankfully, Blogger's snafu today kept me away for a few hours from writing about this. In that time I spoke with one of our commenters who is a colleague, who said "If they had said simply 'Hey it was a lark, we were just having fun, we meant no harm,' wouldn't this all go away?" Yes it would. I woudn't have even bothered blogging this.

But no, they did not do this. Their blend of sanctimony, shaming and opportunism strike me as so over-the-top that I wonder why I should respond to it. But then that's why we write, yes?

While we recognize a break with tradition in this matter, we do not feel that any negative attention given these elections is in any way justified. No attempt was made by any of the candidates or royalty to belittle the process or the proud traditions of Homecoming at SCSU.
That is utterly laughable. You have chosen to take a tradition and use it for your own political purposes, to promulgate an agenda that accuses those who disagree with you of meanness, and worse.
Homecoming is about celebrating who we are as a campus and a community.
By your own admission, it's about breaking stereotypes. The only thing I break as part of a celebration is champagne glasses in the hearth. You weren't doing this as fun, you weren't doing this as a way to honor alumni who came home to our campus. Which, you might recall, is why we call it homecoming.
Closed-minded hate speech ...
...as opposed to open-minded hate speech like that your comrades practice...
...is not viable journalism, nor is it approropriate in addressing concerns to any member of the university community or any entities thereof.
Gosh, I don't know. I had lots of hits yesterday, which sort of meets the market test of viable. And since when is it hateful to note that our homecoming queen...

{PICTURE DELETED BY REQUEST 10-29-04}
...kinda looks like a guy?

(I suppose they could be talking about Fark. Well, Hal, welcome to the WORLDwide web, where some people have a different sense of humor than others. You put an evening gown on a man, some people are going to laugh. And probably will 200 years from now. Tough luck, pal, but nobody promised that breaking stereotypes was a free good.)
Furthermore, we find the racism and homophobia directed towards our Homecoming royalty deplorable. This kind of terror can never be tolerated in an institution of higher education or its community.
A rumor around campus is that the gentleman in question has received harrassing and threatening phone calls. If true, these indeed are deplorable. But the use of the word "terror" is more than over-the-top. Placed in context with the previous two sentences, it suggests that even this blog is an act of terror, placing on the same level as this.

It would be good if in your education, students, you would learn the differences.
To those that would decry the actions of any of our Homecoming candidates on the grounds that it breaks with tradition, a simple question can be asked. Have we not broken with many traditions in the last 200 years that oppressed humanity?
Utterly pompous. Think of the argument made here:
Which of these does not fit?
Social progress often requires people to challenge their own assumptions and to step outside of what they are comfortable with. This is an institution of higher education. We can ask only that those that feel uncomfortable in this situation use that as a learning experience.
Again, it's homecoming. Coming home. Alumni coming to campus for dinner Friday night, the campus and boosters and friends watching a man as queen march onto Husky Stadium's field at halftime Saturday afternoon. You want to have a lark? Fine -- this has often been called a party school, so many people will appreciate your humor. But that's not what you did. This is the message you want them to get? "We students of St. Cloud State want you to come home and challenge your assumptions and step outside of what you're comfortable with. No whining, now! Think of this as a learning experience! If you don't you might be a terrorist!

"No disrespect intended, though."

Thankfully students grow up some day. People will forget most of this -- indeed, from the top of the stadium many will not have known that the person in the dress with a crown was male. But a university that not only allows this but seems to encourage it may not help those students grow.

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