Commentary
We limit free speech through our
silencing of unpopular opinions
Guest commentary
Yet again I am forced to hear “liber
al” and “open-minded” members of
the University community lecture me
as a Christian and conservative to be
more accepting of “diverse” views, yet
scream bloody murder when a student
of my views dares to publish a com
mentary on his particular thoughts
concerning homosexuality.
Before I rant any further, however,
let me offer my sincerest and most pro
found thanks to Emerald editor in
chief Michael J. Kleckner for having
the integrity and intestinal fortitude to
allow and tolerate the views and writ
ten opinions of Vincent Martorano
(“Homosexual men should hide their
disgusting acts,” ODE, May 9).
That being said, I find it interesting
and humorous that this community
sees it necessary to label Martorano’s
thoughts as “hate speech.” I read his
commentary over several times, and
nowhere in it do I find a call to violence
or discrimination. All I see is his per
Letters to the editor
Why does the Emerald
print bigoted words?
As a so-called “butch man-hater”
on campus, I am compelled to ad
dress the May 9 issue of the Emerald.
Since when has the school paper
been an appropriate venue for the
spouting of bigotry?
Blatant expression of homopho
bia, racism, anti-Semitism, classism,
ableism, etc. should not be tolerated,
let alone showcased. Martorano’s “I
don’t hate gays but keep it in the
closet” rhetoric is an exceedingly
classic example of homophobia, cou
pled quite nicely in fact by Cruz’s
anti-choice argument that lying les
bians “could never attract a man if
their life depended on it.”
I am personally not trying to at
tract any men in my quest for repro
ductive freedom for all women (in
cluding an end to forced
sterilization, which has yet to re
ceive the same attention as has the
more predominately white middle
class issue of abortion rights.)
Also: a shout-out to all the queens
locking lips in public. I know it might
be quite a temptation for all the oth
er boys on campus who, like Mar
torano, are “completely comfortable
with (their) sexuality,” but I’d like to
see more affection between loving
men and women alike pleeeease!
Just make sure to use a safe form
of birth control if you adhere to his
advice about “the correctness in pre
ferring the opposite sex.” While he’s
busy longing for reversion to con
structions of queer sexuality and
communities as pathological and
Campus buzz
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sonal feeling that open acts of homo
sexuality are offensive to him and in
deed repulsive. Well, gee, imagine that,
a student — majoring in political sci
ence no less — who isn’t afraid of ad
mitting that certain “embraced” be
haviors that thrive on this campus are
repulsive to him.
Well, now let’s look at this carefully,
shall we? Do any of you out there pos
sess the ignorance or naivete to believe
that you could show public displays of
homosexuality in Reedsport or La
Grande and not be met with utter dis
regard? Are those who insist on this
view of homosexuality “wrong”? Be
careful not to insist on absolutes, you
wonderfully “tolerant” young people,
lest you find yourself admitting that
the Christian right’s assertion that
there are absolute morals is a possibili
ty. I presume that you wouldn’t want
to risk that.
Another challenge that I have for
you: Are you saying that those who ap
prove of and support homosexuality
ought to be unhindered in voicing their
support of that lifestyle, but those who
shameful, I long for the day when
tolerance isn’t on the agenda but ac
ceptance and celebration of diverse
expressions of gender and desire are.
Lezlie Frye
junior
women's and gender studies
Martorano shares ‘chore’
with homosexuals
In response to Vincent Martora
no’s thoughtful commentary (“Ho
mosexual men should hide their dis
gusting acts,” ODE, May 9):
As a gay man, I can empathize with
Martorano, who finds it such a
“chore” to be conservative at a way
out-liberal university like this one.
Sometimes I feel the same way being
queer in a world where almost every
one else is straight, and the heterosex
ual reality is forced down your throat
every day of your life while any at
tempt at voicing your own homosex
ual feelings is oppressed at all costs.
You’d think that a great American
“cause” like the right to life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness is something
people would remotely support. But in
most parts of this country—no way!
If you dare kiss a man in public, you
will undoubtedly piss off some straight
guy who’s “comfortable” with his sex
uality —but not yours — and equates
his “yuk” response to some high
minded sense of “moral decency” and
gets all outraged, which puts you at
risk of being ridiculed, or denounced,
or beaten up or killed.
It’s enough to make you want to
just crawl into a closet and die —
which is such a chore! In recounting
his plight as an oppressed conserva
tive at the University, it’s evident
that Vincent Martorano knows just
^HOU
SPAGHETTI
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disapprove and are repulsed by it
should be censored and limited in
their ability to voice that view?
Though I can well imagine that
there are those out there who are
snickering and saying, “Of course they
should be limited,” I encourage you to
think of the potential danger that this
position poses to you. If you are suc
cessful in silencing those who disagree
with you or have an opinion that re
pulses you, what is to stop a conserva
tive element from someday silencing
you in that same way?
Please don’t forget that in Idaho,
Kansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma and
many other Midwestern states, your
view is not only the minority, but in
deed the extreme minority. Would you
be willing to set the precedent that says
it’s OK to silence those with opinions
you don’t like? A dangerous thought,
to be sure.
But that’s OK, right? Because peo
ple at the University don’t really take
the time to think past the edge of their
own noses.
Scott D. Austin lives in Eugene.
what that feels like.
This is the kind of empathy I hope
our community will continue to nur
ture and support.
John Krotchko
graduate
architecture
i r
School of Music
MAY CONCERTS
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twite you to an ei/entng witli . . .
Father Roy
the topic oh his taUk is
iTfie School of, the oAmtiicas and
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Roy Bourgeois founded SOA Watch, the Gandhian-style
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