Home Archives Random Quotes Latest Comments Top 100 Submit Quote Search Community Log In

Quote# 76957

As part of a class assignment, students at UW-Eau Claire filmed a series of documentaries at a Gay Pride event in San Francisco, and then organized a “LGBTQ Film Festival” on campus to display their work. To generate publicity, they sent an email request to various departments asking to post fliers for the event.

This was the IS Department Chair's response.

I urge you to reconsider your plan to advertise last summer's San Francisco gay pride event.

Born and raised in the San Francisco Area, I was sad to see the problems of prejudice and discrimination my gay friends endured, but I also see quite clearly that homosexual behavior damages its participants, their loved ones, and the communities that sanction it.

I applaud reminders that people who identify themselves as gay or lesbian are people, fellow humans who deserve affection and respect. However, I decry attempts to legitimize their addictions and compulsions. These, our fellow humans, deserve our best efforts to help them recover their lives. We only hurt them further when we choose to pretend that these walking wounded are OK the way they are, that their present injuries are the best they can hope for in life.

Your friend,

Dr. H

Tom Hilton, IS Department Chair, UW-Eau Claire, spectatornews.com 80 Comments [10/17/2010 7:43:15 AM]
Fundie Index: 81
Submitted By: emau99
WTF?! || meh
Username:
Comment:



1 2 3 4
#1219060
the_ignored

Well, at least he doesn't seem to be as much of an asshole as most homophobes seem to be, though he still seems to buy into the myth that they can be "converted" somehow.

10/17/2010 7:46:56 AM
#1219061
Mudak

Let's face it: all behavior between two or more people can damage its participants. Why is homosexual behavior any different (or for that matter, more damaging)?

10/17/2010 7:54:23 AM
#1219065
Smurfette Principle

Translation: Of course they're people! They're just bad people who need to be reformed.

I applaud reminders that people who are homophobic are people, fellow humans who deserve affection and respect. However, I decry attempts to legitimize their prejudice and hate. These, our fellow humans, deserve our best efforts to help them let other people live their lives.

10/17/2010 7:58:23 AM
#1219066
Song

This guy isn't really that bad, but I feel really, really sad that he can't see that there's so little difference between a heterosexual and homosexual relationship besides the genders of the participants. He seems like he could be a caring ally if he ever figures this out. After reading so much of this site, though, I'm not really optimistic that he will.

10/17/2010 7:59:47 AM
#1219068
Swede

There is no particular homosexual behavior; heterosexuals also have anal sex and oral sex. The only difference is the gender of the participants, and being of a gender is not behavior.

What addictions and compulsions? Gay people want to find love, friendship and sex, just like straight people. We are more alike than we are different.

10/17/2010 8:00:12 AM
#1219070
John_in_Oz

Nope. His rationalisations for his bigotry still do not justify it.

10/17/2010 8:04:20 AM
#1219075


Nobody forcces you to go to the festival. Your point?

10/17/2010 8:09:59 AM
#1219080
Smurfette Principle

I think he's made the first important step in realizing that LGBTQ people are, in fact, people, but he's focusing his energy on reforming them rather than the homophobes who make their lives miserable. Which is unfortunate, because he made that step!

10/17/2010 8:20:20 AM
#1219082
Shai Hulud

Hardly a fundie, quoting people we disagree with, does not make them fundamentalists

10/17/2010 8:22:54 AM
#1219088
nazani14

I urge you not to advertise your religious event. I am aware that religious people need our sympathy, but I also see clearly that religious behavior damages participants, their families, and their communities.

10/17/2010 8:33:13 AM
#1219090
aaa

I am not impressed.

10/17/2010 8:35:36 AM
#1219092
Elia

No one's forcing you to go, but I would advise the students to have security guards posted in case this fellow decides to try and crash the party.

10/17/2010 8:41:41 AM
#1219100
Horsefeathers

A simple, "No thank you. I'm sorry I can't help." would have sufficed.

I also like the way you simultaneously try to show that you support the idea of tolerance toward people while being intolerant of them. Quite amusing.

10/17/2010 8:59:39 AM
#1219102
Nithing

In it's own way, subtle bigotry from a highly educated guy who grew up in an enlightened liberal city is worse than "GOD HATES FAGS!" from a high school drop out in Hicksville.

10/17/2010 9:00:56 AM
#1219106
What'd I Do

Your attempt to come across as compassionate and concerned went down harder than Lindsay Lohan in the clink.

10/17/2010 9:12:35 AM
#1219109
Doctor Whom

I urge you to reconsider your plan to advertise last summer's fundie pride event.

Born and raised in the South, I was sad to see the problems of prejudice and discrimination my fundie friends endured, but I also see quite clearly that fundie behavior damages its participants, their loved ones, and the communities that sanction it.

I applaud reminders that people who identify themselves as fundie are people, fellow humans who deserve affection and respect. However, I decry attempts to legitimize their addictions and compulsions. These, our fellow humans, deserve our best efforts to help them recover their lives. We only hurt them further when we choose to pretend that these walking wounded are OK the way they are, that their present injuries are the best they can hope for in life.

Your "friend,"

Dr. W

10/17/2010 9:19:32 AM
#1219119
RPJ

"I applaud reminders that people who identify themselves as gay or lesbian are people, fellow humans who deserve affection and respect." Bullshit pablum. Congratulations on being self-aware enough to know how offensive bigotry sounds, but "I don't hay gay people, I just hate the gayness" is bullshit no matter how you word it. Declaring you don't mean to offend doesn't make your statements inoffensive or you unhateful.

10/17/2010 10:17:24 AM
#1219124
freako104

B/D/S/M can. So can polyamoury. So can other things us heterosexuals can be into. And I see nothing wrong with either of those lifestyles as long as all are consenting adults. Homosexuality is no different.

10/17/2010 10:20:55 AM
#1219129
Panz

So they deserve affection and respect...but don't...? Nice double think there

10/17/2010 10:28:16 AM
#1219144
breakerslion

I can't really decide if you are a polite bigot or a smarmy hypocrite, Dr. H. I bet you get that a lot. If not, you will.

10/17/2010 11:08:18 AM
#1219152
Epi-freakin'-curus

It only hurts them when people like you degrade them...

10/17/2010 11:38:44 AM
#1219153
sanitycheck

> I would advise the students to have security guards posted in case this fellow decides to try and crash the party.


Security guards in case the Chair of the IS Department decides to crash a party? That seems a little out of proportion...

I don't see anything really fundie here. The guy's views are wrong, and the fact that he drapes them in falsely compassionate pablum doesn't make them any less wrong. But if we quote everyone who is ever wrong about anything here, we'll need a hell of a lot of bandwidth...

He is a lousy choice to serve as Chair of any academic department. (I do believe in academic freedom, and professors are free to hold personal or political views that I abhor. But the Chair is the person a department trusts to be their face in dealings with the world, and they should have chosen better.)

On an unrelated note, what the hell is an IS Department?

10/17/2010 11:42:47 AM
#1219155
Smurfette Principle

International Studies?

10/17/2010 11:50:23 AM
#1219160
Xotan

Cancelled

10/17/2010 12:09:05 PM
#1219171
Thrutch

Perhaps Dr Hilton should have begun his screed,

"one of my best friends is a queer, pedo, atheist, commie loving, Obama voter but ..."

Then there would have been little argument

10/17/2010 12:41:20 PM
1 2 3 4